37K Mile Survivor: 1984 Chevrolet Suburban
It was a hit in 1984 and still is today. As a matter of fact, Chevrolet’s “Suburban” name dates to 1934, and other than the war years, it has been in continuous production ever since. Today’s find is a spiffy-looking two-toner with a claimed mileage reading of only 37K miles – let’s look this one over closely. This Suburban can be found in Tulsa, Oklahoma and is available, here on eBay for a current bid of $12,000, reserve not yet met.
Being a 2500 model means this Suburban has 3/4 ton capacity, similar to a C20 pick-up truck and also a member of the Suburban seventh-generation produced between 1973 and 1991. The two-tone light blue/dark blue combination was popular in this era and the seller adds, “Factory painted in the beautiful two-tone blue color combination which looks awesome. It looks to be all original with one repaint. The paint shines nicely and body is straight“. It almost looks too good to be original though there is no reason to believe otherwise – apparently sound storage has been part of this Chevy’s history. Interestingly, the seller notes a small dent in either of the rear cargo doors which is, “as expected of a classic vehicle” – I’ll have to remember to keep an eye out for those classic vehicle dents in the future. That’s followed up with, “It’s a beauty” and I’ll have to agree with that sentiment – the chrome, trim, wheels, all of it!
Power is provided by a 350 CI V8 engine which is believed to carry a 165 net HP rating for ’84. The seller adds, “It also drives excellent and steers very straight” but I have to believe that a vehicle of this weight class taxes that small-block motor a bit. An automatic transmission handles cog changes but it’s unknown if it is a standard three or an optional four-speed O/D unit.
Not to rag on GM interiors from this era but regardless of the marque, from Chevrolet on up the chain, they frequently left a lot to be desired. It’s not the design, layout, or even the workmanship – it’s the material quality. And with that, one can often get a feel around a GM vehicle’s actual mileage simply by seeing how worn the upholstery looks. Well, in this case, there’s no noted wear at all – the blue velour upholstery, and frequently prone to cracking dash pad, present very well. The 37k mile recording is supposed to be documented and hopefully, there are some service records to authenticate the reading (an image of a five-digit odometer doesn’t cut it). But if the upholstery is any indication, I’d say this Suburban has been lightly and gently used.
So this Suburban presents an interesting juxtaposition to a current version. In many ways, they are more similar than different and their goal in automative life is still similar. The most notable difference is that a new one retails for $52,900 base price, and I imagine the reserve on this one is quite a bit less. If you’re looking for a vehicle with the capabilities provided by a big SUV, but one that you don’t need as an everyday driver, this ’84 Chevrolet Suburban just may be your ticket, wouldn’t you agree?
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Comments
I love this truck. I reckon those rims are from a late 90’s 2500 Chevy. I wish I had room or an actual use for this.
If I still lived in Dallas I would drive over and make a play for this. Love it.
GM no longer produces a Suburban/Yukon in the 2500 series. It’s really unfortunate this one has only the 350 small block. It would be quite a find for an RVer if it had the 454.
I like it alot.I own a1990 K20 needs restoration.
I had an 85 2wd 350. Bought in 92 and drove it for 10 years. Gave it to my daughter she drove it for 5. I loved that machine 15 mpg hauling or not rear electric window 3rd row seating
Nice looking truck. This paint job is one of my favorite combinations. We sold lots of 3/4 ton burbs, although they were split between 454 gas pots and 6.2 Diesel engines. I could count the 350s on one hand. I find it interesting that for many years the A-C used the traditional A-6 compressor which was essentially overkill for a pickup cab but quite adequate for a burb. Then someone decided that the R-4 was OK for the burb too. I guess in most mild regions that would be okay but in hotter places there were some complaints. I don’t think I would want to run this system on anything but R-12 or the direct replacement for refrigerant. If I was to find this truck on my driveway I would just take it and put it to work.
Nice truck, but a repaint at 37k? Sure it’s not 137k?
The paint on these were notorious for delamination , especially this color combination , so a repaint at low mileage was common back then. Lots of fun stripping these behemoths down to bare metal for a proper repaint , especially that big ass roof. Ahhhhhh good times.
Yeah Tom, GM was notorious for bad paint these years. Bought my daughter a 1987 Pontiac Gran Am with 5K miles, Maroon. Within six months paint started to fade down to the grey primer, roof, hood & trunk. Took it to a Pontiac dealer, they painted it the same color, no charge! Had same problem with a 1990 Ford Ranger, Maroon, took it to a Ford dealer, would not paint it…was told Ford was not responsible for poor paint and the truck had been garaged it’s entire life here in Houston, TX!
Had a ‘89 1500 with the 350. It looked like it could tow anything. The small engine, Trans, and small rearend didn’t hold up.
I worked for a guy back in the early to mid 1980’s and he bought one of these suburbans. I can remember that he had to go and buy a new engine because it would barely pull itself out of traffic. This one looks really good and would be a good candidate for a LS swap
Had a friend who bought a 1986 Suburban at an estate sale, 2500, 454 engine, 4 wheel drive with a five speed manual transmission. It was brute, tough, big and loved gas; 8 mpg in town, maybe 12-14 mpg on the open road.
He drove the burb several years and sold it to a rancher in Lubbock, TX for ranch use.