grill swap on 86 from 89 Suburban

[slimsi99]

I'm sure this has been asked before, but I'm new here. I have an 86 C10 and got my hands on a really good condition 89 Suburban frontend that included everything. I took the core support out with grill and headlights attached. What I am wondering is how hard is it to swap this over to my 86 C10, plus how to wire up my headlights to a custom deluxe which has the single headlight. I have seen this swap on a few 73-87's and thought it looked good and had a chance to get the front end and both front doors, rust free somehow and no dents, cheap from a friend who bought the suburban for the engine only. I just want an idea on how bad it is before I just jump into one weekend and saying "what did I do!".

[Blazin]

I think your best bet would be to go back to the Burb and get the front clip wire harness, no sence hacking into yours if you can unplug it and replace it with the one that matches the new light set up. You will need to swap your core suport for the burbs as well.

[DnStClr]

There's a sister site to this one that has a similar swap-from an 89 Suburban grill into an 83 Chevy truck.  On the home page of this site, Rounded Line has links to other sites, and it's the 73-87.com site..
www.geocities.com/abetterchemist/grill/grillchnge.html  

[roundedline]

As stated, I would get the harness from the donor.  As for the swap, it is a simple matter of pulling the core support out.  Expect about a day/day and a half if you are mechanically inclined for the swap.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[SUX2BU99]

Good article. It mentions getting a reproduction offshore-made core support. I have the   catalogues but they never list anything for the 88-91 Burbs and Blazers. I would love the grille from an 88-91 GMC on my 85 Silverado C10. It started life as an 81 GMC anyway but has been made to look like an 85 Silvey.  Where can I buy these parts beside the boneyard?

[roundedline]

Have you looked here:
www.73-87chevytrucks.com/...ode=7387FC

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[SUX2BU99]

Well lookey thar. As a matter of fact no I did not look there   Good to know for sure.  Does anybody sell the grilles too?

[roundedline]

I am still adding parts, but I can get pretty much everything.  Plus, if Goodmark sells it, so do I.  I am a dealer for them.

Chris Lucas
www.73-87chevytrucks.com
www.captkaoscustoms.com
Project Su
Jimmy 2WD Project

[78rustbucket]

just did this swap to my 84 this summer, if your truck has 4 headlights now then all you will need is pigtails from 88-89 newer style trucks with the 4 headlights as there easier to find at a wrecker than 89 up suburbans or blazers. hope yours came with the headlamp retainers, i was missing 1 and they arent cheap

[chevyfan]

I also did this swap onto my 84 gmc. My truck came stock with the 4 headlamps so i got the entire wiring harness from the firewall forward from the 90 suburban and all the wires were the same color. There were 2 dark blue wires on the new harness and 2 light blue wires also. From my factory harness there was only one dark blue and one light blue wire, but both dark blues go to the one dark blue wire and the same goes for the light blue wires. I cut my factory wiring harness about a foot from the firewall and joined all the wires there. Everything bolted right into place as far as the rad support went and it looks as if it was stock.

Edited by: chevyfan at: 11/10/05 12:58 am

[slimsi99]

Thanks for all the info guys, this really helps. However the Suburban was sent to the steel crushers because, besides the doors, seats, dash, engine and front core support/grill, the truck was junk, ran but junk. So I took the entire core support with grill attached and cut the wiring on the drivers side coming from the headlights. All the wiring is there from the headlight housing itself, just not to the switch. Can you beleive that I got the doors and core support/grill assembly for $100....SCORE  ! So it sounds like I just need a good weekend to get this in and sounds like it shouldn't be to bad. I will definetly keep you updated on how it went.  

[toplessblazer]

I have an extra headlight harness for the 89-91 blazer/sub. It is complete (and uncut) from the firewall to the pigtails. All you would have to do is plug it in and go. $50 and its yours.  

[Blazin]

Just so you know the wiring dosn't go into the switch. It plugs in to the firewall side of the fuse box. It is either a 3/8 or 7/16 head bolt right in the midle of the fuse block. Unscrew that and you can uplug all three wire harnesses, nose, tail light, and engine harnesses.

[slimsi99]

I might have to get that wiringharness from you. Just wondering, this will allow me to just plug it right in with my factory single healights, parking light underneath. I have a Custom Deluxe.

[toplessblazer]

As far as I know it will work. I know you can plug it in to the trucks with four lights and they work. If you buy it and it doesn't work for you I will give your money back minus shipping as long as it is returned uncut.