AlexCold
Observer
I've been looking for a squarebody suburban for some time to use as a basis for family adventures big and small. A few months ago I didn't pull the trigger on a super clean 78 K20, and I've been regretting it since. A few weeks ago I saw a Craigslist ad for an 1986 K20 with a good story claiming low mileage and all the info I'd need to research it (VIN, etc) but no pictures. I call and ask for any photos but the current owner isn't in town to do so, but a promise to have some texted later in the week. Saturday rolls by and still nothing, and I almost let it go, but the wife says give him a call and see if we can stop and look at it. A short call later I'm looking at this beauty.
It's a 1986 K20 Suburban, 350/TH400/NP208 (only 96000 miles) with the 10bolt front and 14bsff rear (4.10 gears), rear A/C and third row seat. Only rust on the vehicle can be found on the battery trays from the acid corrosion. The only thing it doesn't have that I would want are barn doors.
Tried to get it started while the previous owner removed a lot of the junk that was in the cab from the original owner, but couldn't do it there. The vehicle was owned by an Alaskan truck driver, but never driven in Alaska. This was his retirement vehicle that he used to go camping/fishing/prospecting. I found a lot of receipts for the work performed (crate engine 20k miles ago, trans/tcase rebuild at that time as well). I found at least 3 hammers and a hatchet with old lures still in unopened packages. The rear seat had been folded up it's entire life and was still in a new condition. The original owner passed in 2001 and his stepson inherited and would turn it on every once and a while and drive it around the block and park it. It finally ran out of fuel and he left it alone since 2006.
Hauled it home and started to diagnose it. Determined fuel pump was likely bad. So I proceeded to remove this junk, I mean essential components for the safety of the planet.
Seriously just to get to the pump all of this needs to come out! It's crazy. It's currently staying off for diagnostic purposes...
Fuel pump replaced and after pumping it a bit, it started right up. At this point I'm using an external fuel can to eliminate the fuel tank from the equation. After a few easy starts without having to pump the pedal to start, and the engine didn't show any signs of catastrophic failure, I reconnect the fuel lines to the tank and added ten gallons of fuel. After a few long cranks, we have take off! :victory:
Oil pressure was good and trans fluid was clean and red. Took the boy and the wife for a victory lap around the block. It still sounds a bit lean, but I was just happy that my project ratio of running to not had just increased by one!
Ordered a set of Falken WildPeak MTs in the 285/75R16 flavor from Discount Tire Direct, got them in two days!
Mounted up on the old Blueberry Supreme, looking good :sombrero:
I'm really new to this Overlanding/Expedition/Camping hobby. I've always been intrigued by it but my other hobbies took over mostly and I never paid much attention to it. Now that I'm a Dad I want to include my family more into these hobbies, and being out in nature and exploring it is one that I didn't get a chance to do with my dad. So I hope make this Suburban the enabler of these outings.
SO, the goals are simple:
Reliability/Safety, Room, and Relative Comfort.
- I don't want to do any major mods to the base of the vehicle. There won't be a 6" lift on this thing, for now stock and maybe down the road a 2.5" to clear slightly bigger tires. I'm a low COG kind of guy. Axles will stay stock until I find a reason to change something. Probably only manual hubs and maybe a front locker (govlock in the rear). If anything breaks a D60/14bff will go in, but I doubt I'll need them for what I plan to do.
- I would like it to fit my family of 3 and 2 large dogs comfortably. We don't have a lot of gear and our trips will be short to start but eventually I would like to be able to do a week or more at a time.
As with all projects, goals will change and things will be added/removed as necessary. I'm open to all suggestions/ideas/comments/questions. I'm here to share and to learn.
The next few steps are general maintenence items to ensure reliability (fluids/tuneup/etc).
It's a 1986 K20 Suburban, 350/TH400/NP208 (only 96000 miles) with the 10bolt front and 14bsff rear (4.10 gears), rear A/C and third row seat. Only rust on the vehicle can be found on the battery trays from the acid corrosion. The only thing it doesn't have that I would want are barn doors.
Tried to get it started while the previous owner removed a lot of the junk that was in the cab from the original owner, but couldn't do it there. The vehicle was owned by an Alaskan truck driver, but never driven in Alaska. This was his retirement vehicle that he used to go camping/fishing/prospecting. I found a lot of receipts for the work performed (crate engine 20k miles ago, trans/tcase rebuild at that time as well). I found at least 3 hammers and a hatchet with old lures still in unopened packages. The rear seat had been folded up it's entire life and was still in a new condition. The original owner passed in 2001 and his stepson inherited and would turn it on every once and a while and drive it around the block and park it. It finally ran out of fuel and he left it alone since 2006.
Hauled it home and started to diagnose it. Determined fuel pump was likely bad. So I proceeded to remove this junk, I mean essential components for the safety of the planet.
Seriously just to get to the pump all of this needs to come out! It's crazy. It's currently staying off for diagnostic purposes...
Fuel pump replaced and after pumping it a bit, it started right up. At this point I'm using an external fuel can to eliminate the fuel tank from the equation. After a few easy starts without having to pump the pedal to start, and the engine didn't show any signs of catastrophic failure, I reconnect the fuel lines to the tank and added ten gallons of fuel. After a few long cranks, we have take off! :victory:
Oil pressure was good and trans fluid was clean and red. Took the boy and the wife for a victory lap around the block. It still sounds a bit lean, but I was just happy that my project ratio of running to not had just increased by one!
Ordered a set of Falken WildPeak MTs in the 285/75R16 flavor from Discount Tire Direct, got them in two days!
Mounted up on the old Blueberry Supreme, looking good :sombrero:
I'm really new to this Overlanding/Expedition/Camping hobby. I've always been intrigued by it but my other hobbies took over mostly and I never paid much attention to it. Now that I'm a Dad I want to include my family more into these hobbies, and being out in nature and exploring it is one that I didn't get a chance to do with my dad. So I hope make this Suburban the enabler of these outings.
SO, the goals are simple:
Reliability/Safety, Room, and Relative Comfort.
- I don't want to do any major mods to the base of the vehicle. There won't be a 6" lift on this thing, for now stock and maybe down the road a 2.5" to clear slightly bigger tires. I'm a low COG kind of guy. Axles will stay stock until I find a reason to change something. Probably only manual hubs and maybe a front locker (govlock in the rear). If anything breaks a D60/14bff will go in, but I doubt I'll need them for what I plan to do.
- I would like it to fit my family of 3 and 2 large dogs comfortably. We don't have a lot of gear and our trips will be short to start but eventually I would like to be able to do a week or more at a time.
As with all projects, goals will change and things will be added/removed as necessary. I'm open to all suggestions/ideas/comments/questions. I'm here to share and to learn.
The next few steps are general maintenence items to ensure reliability (fluids/tuneup/etc).
