suburban

GM’s first year for optional “rear” air conditioning! Thus, on the 1967-72 Suburban series, this is a one year only design. Prior to 1972, the Suburban’s from GM and some aftermarket companies sold a long unit “down the center” of the interior above the two rear row of seats. (The original in dash unit also operated.) No doubt tall people...

As most of our readers know, for this series, we look for trucks that are the more unusual. For this month, we found a vehicle that is correct for this category!  Here is almost a “one of a kind” early 1947 Chevrolet Suburban. (Yes, there was an early and late body design for this year.) Here is an example as...

Feature Truck of the Month from August 2021: For this month’s feature truck we combine the talents of Linda and Doyle Groat, both loving older GM vehicles, and the discovery that they owned a very rare 1972 Chevrolet Suburban Highlander. This mix has resulted in their great memories among the special older vehicles owned, their restoration experiences, attending many car/truck...

During a local truck show in the summer of 2021, several from Jim Carter Truck Parts noticed a very special deluxe 1972 Chevrolet Suburban. It certainly stood out among the nicer vehicles in this well attended show. It is owned by Linda Grout of Chouteau, Oklahoma. You can read more on this Suburban in our feature Truck of the Month...

Owner: Roy Asbahr The standard two-tone color as most Suburbans that year. Upper: Fatham Green Lower: Channel Green One of Roy Asbahr's most special and unique vehicles is a 1949 Chevrolet Suburban. After a 1 1/2 year restoration, it looks showroom new. Roy is a perfectionist in vehicle restoration and this is one of his best yet! The body and...

For this month’s feature truck we combine the talents of Linda and Doyle Groat, both loving older GM vehicles, and the discovery that they owned a very rare 1972 Chevrolet Suburban Highlander. This mix has resulted in their great memories among the special older vehicles owned, their restoration experiences, attending many car/truck shows, and now owning and learning about this...

The seats on this 1964-1966 Chevrolet Suburban are pure factory original. Their shape is designed for only the Suburban body. They allow for access to the rear seat. Horizontal white vinyl in the back rest is characteristic of many GM vehicles during this era. It was an extra touch that added a little extra flair to the deluxe models  

  Buying a GMC truck in 1961 with this many special options is quite unusual.Now 58 years later this GMC is about one of a kind survivor.             Think about this: A GMC with a 305 cubic inch V-6 engine, Suburban body, 4 wheel drive, and the higher 3.73 differential. What a combination! The proud owner is Joe Disanti of...

Featured Truck of the Month 2019 starts off with a bang! We are offering a different way of showing this special truck. We hope you enjoy the video, background music and the detailed description as much as we did putting it all together. This Advanced Designed Suburban was rebuilt by Mike and Tyler Chance a father/ son team devoted to...

This large grommet is so hidden, most owners have no idea it exists. It is exclusive to the 1947-55 (Advance Design) Suburban, panel truck and Canopy Express. Because the body is so much wider than a step side pickup the full add pipe must be longer. The body also has an inner as well as outer panel. The inner panel...

What a unique 1951 Chevrolet Suburban for our Feature Truck Series! It is certainly a one of a kind. The owners are Jeff & Brenda Kuhn of Plainfield, Illinois. Their dream is now complete after 4 years in the making. The goal was to restore or find a totally original Suburban and then add special performance features that were usually...

To add better night visibility to all Pickups, Big trucks, Suburban’s, and panel trucks, General Motors offered a 4 inch diameter 1940-1953 Accessory GM Reflector as a dealer installed accessory.  With the single small factory taillight, seeing of these vehicles on the road could be difficult especially if their one bulb burned out.  To help correct this problem GM offered a...

The full rear quarter panels for the 1947-55 Chevy/GMC Suburban were made all the same at the metal stamping manufacturer.  To save money these panels were not made different if the Suburban was to have the double doors or the tailgate style opening in the rear. Thus, when the Suburban was provided with a lift and tailgate combination the 4...

Owners: John and Michele Dunkirk We have always assumed that less than 100 Advance Design Canopy Express trucks remain. If you ever see one restored or not restored, you should stop and take note. They are a part of our nation’s history. They carried groceries in neighborhoods with one car families during the years they were built. The husbands drove...

What an ingenious way to keep a tail light in view! General Motors realized that with the tail gate in the lowered position the center tail light still had to be seen by the following traffic. At times the gate will stay lowered when longer freight is carried. Therefore, the 5” round light is attached to a swing bracket. This...

During the recent Mid-West All Truck National's in Riverside, Missouri, a very special truck was on display. It had been brought to the show in an enclosed trailer from Virginia.The owner is George VanOrden of Fulks Run, Virginia and the vehicle is a 1955 Chevrolet Suburban with a NAPCO 4x4 system. His personal history, leading to this restored Suburban, is a story by itself. He spent his youth in this mountain section of Virginia only 10 miles from his current home. The interest in 4x4 trucks was early in life as these type trucks were regularly seen on the rough mountain roads in his county. It is not surprising George decided to restore a 4x4 after his retirement after 20 years in the U.S. Marines.

It's a great day for a car show! This is one of those rare Saturday cruise shows when the temperature, a light breeze, and no rain make it a picture perfect day. A few hundred vehicles, antique and street rods, fill the parking spots gather around the old city square.

One of Roy Asbahr's most special and unique vehicles is a just completed 1949 Chevrolet Suburban. After a 1 1/2 year restoration, it looks showroom new. Roy is a perfectionist in vehicle restoration and this is one of his best yet! The body and paint work was performed by Larry Swiggart.

During the late 1970's, trucks accelerated their change from a more commercial work vehicle to one desired by the family as their everyday transportation. During 1967-1972, Chevrolet and GMC introduced names such as CST, Cheyenne and Sierra Grande to show buyers that their trucks were no longer just for work. Options that rivaled cars could now be ordered for their...

Almost unchanged in 45 years! The second owner repainted the two doors to cover the town lettering, then added the "Moblegas" decals. Yes, the hubcaps, bumpers, and grill back splash bars are still the correct gray color due to 1953 Korean War shortages.

For those on a quest for near unobtainable GM options, this one will provide years of searching. During the mid 1950's, backup lights began to show growing popularity and were occasionally seen on pickup trucks near each rear fender. The limited production 1955-56 Suburban was no exception but the location for its backup light was unusual. Their single center tailgate...

The unusual side doors on these Suburban and Panel trucks will fit on the more common pickup cab, however, their looks will tell the observer that something is not correct. Across the top of the outer skin is a horizontal stamping or groove. This groove is a continuation of the stamping that runs the length of the body to help...

  An original drawing of a 1949 Chevrolet Suburban from their sales brochure. Shown with its rated seven passengers. NOTE: The lady driver emphasizes that it does not drive like a truck! (The hotel employee is probably wondering how he will place the suit cases and golf clubs in the space behind the third seat) Suburban Seating With the increased...

  Over the years we have been asked 'Where can we locate the chassis frame for a Suburban or panel truck?' The answer is not complicated. To save much money General Motors used a modified frame from a pickup. The difference is four right angle brackets riveted to the frame. These provide an attaching point for the large single unit...

  Since their beginning in 1935, the Chevrolet Suburban was always the “people hauler” of General Motors commercial fleet of trucks. They were designed to carry more weight on rough roads than was the passenger car station wagon. While trucks were carrying freight from the time of their purchase, Suburban’s were reserved for passengers! It became an immediate success with...

  During the mid 1960's many Americans began to request deluxe features on trucks. More disposable income put extra items in reach for many households. GM recognized this area for more income and began adding more extra cost options. The popular standard Suburban could be transformed into a more family vehicle by offering exterior trim and upgrading the interior. It...

  Suburbans ' people haulers on a 1/2 ton truck chassis. Not designed for truck freight, the successful Suburban was created to move people. They quickly gained popularity among the military, as crew haulers for companies, and for small rural school buses. By the 1960's, GM began to expand their Suburban market to attract families. To many this would be...

  The seats on this 1962 GMC Suburban are pure factory original. Their shape is designed for only the Suburban body. They allow for access to the rear seat. Horizontal white vinyl in the back rest is characteristic of many GM vehicles during this era. It was an extra touch that added a little more flair to the deluxe models.

Replacing major rust-out between the rear fender and door of the 1947-1955 Suburban or panel truck can be easier than you think. The curvature in this area is the same shape as the adjacent door. Therefore, locate a 1947-1955 donor door of limited value due to butchered radio speaker holes or a badly rusted bottom. Remove the outer panel. It...

During the beginning of the Advance Design years (1947-1949) new Chevrolet Suburbans were sold in one color combination; Channel Green (light) on the lower body and Fathom green (dark) on the upper. Unless the customer paid extra for a specific paint such as for school bus use or a commercial paint color for a company, the two tone green was...

Finding a forgotten 60 year old stored vehicle to restore is very unlikely in today's world. They have been already found and junked or are in the hands of a new owner. The most unusual exception is our feature truck of the month.

During the 1940's and 1950's a few body companies created their own design of truck not offered by the chassis manufacturer. In this case the Campbell Co. made their own "station wagon" body to fill a need of a small number of buyers. its all wood construction and 3 or 4 side doors made a very attractive package. It was similar to the GM all metal Suburban with 2 doors.

During the early 1930’s the US Army strongly encouraged General Motors to develop a light weight people hauler for their military needs. GM’s answer to this is what they called a Suburban. The finished product was placed on a ½ ton truck chassis. This allowed GM to use most of the existing items from their pickup.

I bought the un-restored Suburban in 1996 from a Kansas source I found in Hemmings Motor News. It must have been home to a thousand mice for 20 years or more; most of the stuffing from the seats was above the headliner, in the glove box, in the doors, etc.