Author Topic: New 78 suburban owner  (Read 4187 times)

Offline Smokehouse

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New 78 suburban owner
« on: September 23, 2018, 10:27:51 AM »
I’ve been reading this site for a little while to study about these old trucks. I really don’t know much about them. I’ve been an air cooled vw guy for over 25 years. In working on them restoring them for people for some time now. They are starting to get pretty expensive so I thought about buying either a squarebody crewcab or a suburban so my family can ride with me and the dog so a single cab wasn’t going to work out. I found a 78 burb that had  a 350 and a 4 speed Sm465. Which is amazing btw never drive one before clearly you guys have never drove a pre 60 split case tranny before. And I hear people complain about a manual clutch this thing is nice shifts great. I won’t be putting in a hydraulic clutch. Just maybe a gear vendor sometime next year I hope. It looks to me that a 4 speed in a burb is kinda rare in a  2wd. I’m going to be asking a ton of questions so be ready.


You are not that hot to be that bitchy.

Offline JohnnyPopper

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #1 on: January 02, 2019, 01:56:31 PM »
Nice find, any pics?

I too have left the Aircooled world, sold my last DOKA, (DoubleKabiner)  1969.

That is unless I find another...
1957 Apache 3100 235 Inline 6, 3 on the tree
1973 C-20, 3+3 454 4BBL TH400  Water Injection
1978 K-10, 350 4BBL TH350 NP203 M.M. Part time Kit/Hubs
1980 C-10 under construction

Offline Smokehouse

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #2 on: February 27, 2019, 07:55:00 AM »
sorry about that i finally got around to taking some pics when the sun came out a couple weeks ago. Tax money is coming soon and as my wife says we need to knock the ugly off of it. I'm going to order some 20" torq thrust wheels tires 255/50/20 all the way around to make them the same because this truck is a drive just not for the weekends. That way i will be able to rotate tires. I would like to get rid of the 4 inch gap between the tire and the fender so i was thinking of a 4.5 inch drop in the front which is easy along with putting in some new control arm bushings and tierods and balljoints. My real question is the rear not totally sure how you lower the rear of a burb they are a little different than a truck the frame is different and the hanger is different. I don't know if a shackle hanger combo will work on it or not along with pulling several leaves out because it has like 8. i really don't want to flip because i'm still going to tow with the burb because that is the point. If anyone has any pointers feel free to shoot them my way. I'm going to be ordering this stuff soon. oh btw this burb is a manual that why i love it.
You are not that hot to be that bitchy.

Offline lownuff

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #3 on: March 18, 2019, 03:59:22 PM »
That thing looks clean as heck! Awesome, love those old burbs.

As for your question on the rear, I'd probably start with removing some leafs. I don't know if a drop shackle will hit the bottom of the floor or not.

Offline Smokehouse

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #4 on: June 04, 2019, 01:00:42 PM »
been trying to get this done before a show next weekend almost done with the front a few more pieces to paint and tierods install and cut the bump stops off because i forgot when you have bags you have to cut them off. that's right i installed cpp drop spindles and front airbags. these pics are with no air or very little air. i forgot to take pics of driving height. this weekend i hope to start on the back on pulling leaves and installing shackles and air over leaf for now.  i'm really happy on how it's turning out.
You are not that hot to be that bitchy.

Offline heavychevy91

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #5 on: June 17, 2019, 07:21:04 PM »
Im a 4wd gut but dang this is cool. Clean looking suburban!the manual is cool and I like the direction you are headed with this. Don't know how the paint looks under that molding but that would be one of the first things to go for me (its off of a newer truck). What kind of compressor are you running for those bags? Keep up the good work

Offline Smokehouse

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #6 on: June 19, 2019, 01:02:36 PM »
thanks i don't have a compressor yet just airing them up withe shop air everyday until i find the leak. i did run into a local guy that had a really nice slammed truck and we said he had a couple spare compressors and that he would give me one and i just need to get online and fine a cheap tank and the dash switch and the gauge. i'm just going to do the manual setup. i don't plan on going up and down all the time. here is some recent pics that i took at work the other day when i got it road worthy again. it's not bad for my first c10. i didn't want to get to low were i couldn't use it as a truck because i still want to tow with it and look good doing it. i think it's turning out good so far.
You are not that hot to be that bitchy.

Offline JohnnyPopper

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #7 on: June 19, 2019, 03:47:23 PM »
Nice job man!

Did you bag the rear as well?
 
Or did you flip the axle?
1957 Apache 3100 235 Inline 6, 3 on the tree
1973 C-20, 3+3 454 4BBL TH400  Water Injection
1978 K-10, 350 4BBL TH350 NP203 M.M. Part time Kit/Hubs
1980 C-10 under construction

Offline Smokehouse

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #8 on: June 20, 2019, 01:04:29 PM »
Actually all i did in the back for now was pull 3 leaves so i left 3 leaves and the overload and that's all i did in the back for now. This is a trailering special so it had 8 leaves.  I think i'm going to do air over leaf so i can make sure i can tow my vw to shows. I did 4 leaves without the overload and i was laying on the pump stop so that wasn't going to work so i put the overload back in. that's all i did so the axle is still under the leaf pack. Now i might put a lowered shackle in it but cut the top off to just get me an inch lower. i heard if you do the full 2 inch it hits the fuel inlet hose. I'm really happy the way it turned out i just need to get an air tank and compressor and gauges for it because i have to air the bags up everyday or i need to fine the leak. lol

After working on the burb it is way cheaper to lower a c10 than it is a vw bus by far.
You are not that hot to be that bitchy.

Offline Smokehouse

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #9 on: August 14, 2019, 12:50:54 PM »
does anyone have a gear vendor laying around that works with a sm465. i think in the next couple weeks i would like to get one so i can start getting on the interstate.
You are not that hot to be that bitchy.

Offline JohnnyPopper

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #10 on: August 20, 2019, 04:38:36 PM »
good luck with the GV, they are like hens teeth around here, and keep their value. S
1957 Apache 3100 235 Inline 6, 3 on the tree
1973 C-20, 3+3 454 4BBL TH400  Water Injection
1978 K-10, 350 4BBL TH350 NP203 M.M. Part time Kit/Hubs
1980 C-10 under construction

Offline Sideways the Seven

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Re: New 78 suburban owner
« Reply #11 on: March 06, 2020, 01:34:38 PM »
Any updates on this build? It was off to a great start!
1981 C10 LWB
1987 R10 Suburban