Project “Polar Bear”: 1989 V2500 Suburban

[chilliwak]

Nice new addition to the fleet Larry! When is it getting a single axle swap and V8?:Wow1:

 

[Rot Box]

When is it getting a single axle swap and V8?:Wow1:

Going from a big block GM to an R-series Toyota is like trading a Clydesdale for a burro LOL!

I'm excited for this one

 

[Calplaya]

Nothing new to report on the Polar Bear lately but it does have an appointment for the exhaust shop coming up this Monday. The tail pipes are in bad shape plus they need to be relocate in order to install the ORD rear shackle flip.

The Polar Bear gained a little sibling this week. A 1992 4Runner. The plans for the Polar Bear have not changed but it's long term fate hasn't been determined. The little Toy does match the blue K10 very well!

If by long term fate hasnt been decided mean your going to sell it I have only one word for you: DONT! That is a decision that will haunt you, especially considering how nice the body is and everything. These things have amazing potential, like in mine im measuring to put in a sleeping area with under storge for stuff, you cant do that in those smaller SUVs, or at least, not comfortably. I highly recommend just keeping her and beating around with it.

 

[Larry]

Just picked up the Polar Bear from the exhaust shop where it got a new pair of tail pipes and a “test” pipe installed where the cat used to be (I live in a non-emissions testing county). It looked like Helen Keller and Stevie Wonder teamed up to installed the old tail pipes as they were rubbing just about everything on the undercarriage and routed directly under the leaf springs which repeatedly broke the hangers. Funny thing is the old exhaust didn’t even look that old. The tailpipes needed to be moved to clear the ORD shackle flip anyway.

Ah, it sounds good too! Just removing the cat made the Flowmaster sound so much angrier yet mellow without being obnoxious. It has a bit more top end power without the cat too. :sombrero:

Plenty of room now for the ORD shackle flip

Same exhaust exit configuration as the ’78 K10.

Now I need to carve in sometime to install the lift kit then later this summer it will be getting a D44 front axle and Corp 14 FF with 4:10 gears from another K20 I have laying around. The turd 9.5 semi floater howels like crazy!

 

[NOIBN]

Looks clean.

 

[chilliwak]

The `Burb´is looking good:Wow1:Larry. I cant wait to see the shackle flip installed!:drool:

 

[day42]

That 4Runner is in sweet condition. Any more info on it? How many miles, acquisition price, more pics? Good luck with it.

 

[Larry]

That 4Runner is in sweet condition. Any more info on it? How many miles, acquisition price, more pics? Good luck with it.

Here is the story on the 4Runner. Picked it up for $3300. With 123,000 miles. Pretty much the high end of book value but it was worth it being it is such a clean survivor. Cheaper than buying an ATV and more comfortable too! :sombrero:

 

[BBslider001]

subscribed!! This build is inspiring for my own in the near future. I love it when someone takes something old and makes it new again. That is such a good use of resources.

I am going to be buying an '89-90 this summer. My one question is this. I will be using it to pull an RV on occasion. Does the 5.7 pull ok or should I go ahead and stick with finding a 454? I had an 88 a few years back that was a 1500 with a 5.7, but I never pulled anything but a small trailer with it. Just wondering. May need to start this in a another thread?

 

[Larry]

subscribed!! This build is inspiring for my own in the near future. I love it when someone takes something old and makes it new again. That is such a good use of resources.

I am going to be buying an '89-90 this summer. My one question is this. I will be using it to pull an RV on occasion. Does the 5.7 pull ok or should I go ahead and stick with finding a 454? I had an 88 a few years back that was a 1500 with a 5.7, but I never pulled anything but a small trailer with it. Just wondering. May need to start this in a another thread?

Looks like you got your engine/towing questions answered in the other thread. I am often surprised how much power the TBI 5.7L DOESN’T have. Back in the day, the TBI small blocks seemed to have plenty of oomph, but in today’s world of GM LS engines and more efficient big blocks the old TBI small block feels like it might struggle to pull a greasy string out of a Coke bottle. Wait until 2014 when the direct injected GM V8 engines are released. It will be a game changer all over again that will make today’s high power port injected engines feel like an old TBI engine.

The TBI 5.7L in this Suburban will eventually be replaced with an 8.1L in the future. Got a few other priorities line up for it first.

You mention a possibly going with a GMT400 Suburban in the other thread…..A ’96 and later Suburban will have stronger engines.... Vortec L31 5.7L or L29 7.4L or a 6.5L turbo diesel if you are into that kind of thing. Both are great engines but then you get saddled with IFS front suspension and a good chance you’ll get stuck with push button electric shift 4wd too on ’97 and later models. Pick your poison! Either repower an old Suburban or get a newer one and spend more money getting rid of the soccer mom components.

 

[BBslider001]

Yeah, it sounds like I am going to have to go with the 96-99 to meet all of my needs. I would much rather have the older body style like I used to have, but I do remember that it lacked power in a major way even after replacing the motor with a brand new GM crate motor. It was not rebuilt, but new from the factory. I have to be able to pull our travel trailer and it is heavy. We won't pull it that often, but when we do, it needs to be able to be done. I have a 2004 Cummins right now and I know its going to be a rude awakening, so I want to keep as much power as possible.

I will make it as utilitarian and simple as possible. It may take a year or two, but I'll make it pretty bomb proof. Getting rid of soccer mom components will be teh first order of business! Thanks for your input. Much appreciated. And I will still be following this thread!

 

[Larry]

Well, I've been busy the last few weekends getting the body on the Suburban squared away before the cold weather sets in. I actually had a deal going to trade a left over 4.3L from another project to a body guy who was going to do this work. As usual when doing trade work with body guys, this guy keeps stalling and stringing me along for months so I gave up and just did the work myself. I am by no means a body man but I did have some auto body training in High School…..here she goes…

This was the ugliest spot on the truck that was really bothering me. The lower portion of the right rear quarter panel had a good size body filler crack as well as some surface rust growing.

Yep, found the cause of the body filler crack. Looks like some lazy SOB did not weld the dent puller holes last time it has work done on it. Body filler absorbs moisture where holes should be filled before adding body filer or things like this happen….cracks and rust.

I welded the holes shut, ironed out the dents a bit more then added fresh body filler

In primer

Then the rear door area had some surface rust growing as well

If you ever do any surface rust repair work one of these spot sand blasters are a must have tool. I went through 250 lbs of sand throughout this project.

After sand blasting, sealing and glazing putty

In primer

Various spots

 

[Larry]

This was actually the worst of the rust on the entire truck. The typical spot on left rear quarter panel just behind the wheel.

Cut out the cancer

Then started welding in ½” strips. Welding in small strips makes it easier to follow the body lines.

After the strips were welded in I spot blasted the area before adding body filler

Couldn’t get a good picture of the back side where I cut that portion of rust out but here is the patch I formed and welded in.

Tah, da!

Funny as there wasn’t any major rust spots on the back side of the rockers at all. The couple little spots blasted off easily and will be undercoated.

The other night getting ready for primer

Last night as I was block sanding

This morning after paint and removing the paper

Fresh paint! I goofed and didn’t paint the top edge by the molding. For some reason I thought the molding went over that little section. Oh, well

Left rear quarter panel with fresh paint and a bug in it too.

Driver’s door. There was a good size rust bubble here too but I didn’t get any before shots of it.

Now for the bad news. I got a huge run in the right rear quarter panel to deal with. I’ll let it dry a few days then sand it down and respray. I made a mess of the rear step bumper too that I have to redo.

Nice to see it sans the rust spots!

Next up, axle swap, lift and much more……:ylsmoke:

 

[BurbanAZ]

that's some great looking body work. That's a good tip about using the strips to shape it to the body lines easier, ill have to use that if i ever have anything rust here in the desert lol. The paint runs are some minor stuff anyway all the major work looks great.

 

[Larry]

Thanks BurbanAZ! Yeah, the runs are disappointing but pretty much par for the course for somebody that doesn’t know what they are doing. I would never make a good body guy. We'll see how the next go around looks.