Just bought a one owner 87 suburban

[crisco]

I somehow stumbled on a gem of a find.
1987 Suburban 1500 with 102K miles.
It is a one owner truck, used to tow a 24 foot travel trailer.
I am so amazed at the condition! It has the factory radio still, and the A/C blows cold!
Still has the rallys AND trim rings and centers. The power windows and locks all work and the windows actually roll up and down before I can count to 5.
Factory tow package too.

I'll post pics tomorrow once the sun comes up!

The rust is VERY minimal for a north east truck too! It will need R and L rear rockers, and this is where I got lost on the terminology, but the drivers quarter needs front and rear lowers, (the section below the trim) and a passenger quarter front lower. Even the factory gas tank straps are rust free!

I really want to do this truck right, since it is unmolested and in such good shape.

[Kenbo-Slice]

Is this the blue one that was on the Hudson Valley Craigslist? If so, I was curious about the condition! That's a good grab if so, the pictures looked great and I was half tempted to go take a look at it!

[old Rusty C10]

yeah sounds like a good deal but post pics!!

[crisco]

Here are some pics.
I was able to revive most of the paint with some compound.
Did a full brake job yesterday on the front. Needed rotors bad. Must have been a just throw pads on it and go type of guy although everything else is mint.

It has some rust, but for a new york truck it's so minor. Needs rear rockers both sides, for some reason the drivers side is worse than the passenger. The drivers side needs lower patches on the quarter front and rear. And the drivers mirror is rusted.

I plan on doing a minor resto on her.

So I hope I can find some great advice in here from everyone!
Before I get started on this are there things I should avoid, not do, not worth the time, etc?

For example I want to clean the engine bay, but have heard stories that if you use engine cleaner and a pressure washer it can wreck havoc on electrics and connections. Is that true?

[GmtGmt]

Nice burban one i dont mind owning

[West Texas Z]

looking good!!! Plans?

[dswancutt]

[/QUOTE]
For example I want to clean the engine bay, but have heard stories that if you use engine cleaner and a pressure washer it can wreck havoc on electrics and connections. Is that true?[/QUOTE]

Just be carefull around the distributor and any electrical module and you will be fine.

[1973GMC_1500]

Very nice burb! I would love to have it, except I'd have to put a 6.2 diesel in it

[crisco]

I have been busy with other stuff, but I did manage to do a few minor things, found a headliner and recovered it, fixed some mechanical stuff, and did all the body work. Had to cut out and replace most of the lower drivers side sheet metal. Rockers, the lower in front of the rear tire, the lower behind the rear tire all the way to the gate, both rockers on passenger side and lower in front of the rear tire.
Got all the dents out, had to take the hood and roof down to bare metal. I did all the work myself but decided to farm out the base a clearcoat work. I don't have anywhere to paint but outside and it has either rained or 30+mph winds almost every day for the past month and a half so I didn't chance it. The paint and clear alone was $700!!!!
The color is 2011 BMW LeMans Metallic Blue.

[1LowToy]

Lookin Great!!

Only one thing I see that's wrong. It should have been my truck being pained

Can't wait to see it all together

[jasonroman]

good job man

[gramps77]

that looks great!
Im about to have to start this myself. Did you simply sand that all down and if so, what did you use?
For prep in the driveway, thats got to be one of the best jobs I've seen in awhile. What did you use for primer?

[Palf70Step]

That was a sweet looking burb to begin with. That blue just jumps out at you. Great job on it so far!!

[crisco]

Originally Posted by gramps77

that looks great!
Im about to have to start this myself. Did you simply sand that all down and if so, what did you use?
For prep in the driveway, thats got to be one of the best jobs I've seen in awhile. What did you use for primer?

I found a supplier locally for body supplies. It certainly wasn't cheap over all.
I started by getting a palm DA from Harbor Freight. 69 bucks, best money I spent on this project.
The body supply store prices are friggin amazing. I got 100 sheet rolls of stick back 6 inch DA paper for 25 bucks. Screw that home depot 4.99 for 5 sheets stuff.

Went over the whole truck first with 180. I ended up only using a little bondo where I put on new panels. Everywhere else I used this stuff called "Icing"
It sets up super quick, which gets frustrating after a while, but it sands nice and doesn't leave any pinholes like the bondo does.

Also good primer is a MUST.
I used Nason 2 part. It's made by Dupont, and good stuff. Flashes off fast for recoats and sandable in an hour.

I should have bought a gallon to start with, I didn't realize how much of it I needed and how much gets sanded off.

Went through 6 quarts of primer.

After the panels are straight, I used 320 on the DA and a sanding block on parts that aren't flat.

More primer where I broke through.
More sanding.
More primer.

More 320.
Then 400 by hand only.
Then 600 by hand wet.
Then 800 by hand wet.
Then more primer where I broke through.
And of course the same process again on the new primer.

Thanks for the compliments guys, this was my first one and I honestly NEVER thought it would take this much time.

But if I let a shop do it start to finish it would have been a 6-7 grand paint job.
As of now the most expensive part was the base and clear.
It took 2 GALLONS of paint, that mixed 1:1 is 4 gallons to cover the truck.

But it's about 3 coats of base and 4 coats of clear.

I'll post up pics of it outside in the sun once I get it home and get the paper off.

Now I just hope I can remember how to put it all back together!

And if anyone knows a tiny China man that can come crawl into my doors to do that little clip on the outer door handles please mail him to me! Those clips just about drove me nuts.

[crisco]

Also, don't use spray bomb primer if possible. I thought I could get away with it, but the small bare metal spots I did with it, as soon as the base hit it the primer melted and lifted. It had to be sanded, primed, and sprayed again.

I bought an airbrush I plan on using on the small spots where I broke through next time.

[foamypirate]

My mind has been blown.

Incredibly good work, sir.

[68Timber]

Wow! Nice work.

[Mr. 250r]

Does that truck have rear heat and ac
Posted via Mobile Device

[Palf70Step]

Originally Posted by crisco

..........................
And if anyone knows a tiny China man that can come crawl into my doors to do that little clip on the outer door handles please mail him to me! Those clips just about drove me nuts.

When I was working on my 83 doors I was ready to go to the base and get multiple machine guns to solve the problem of those clips.

Truck looks great. Good luck. I still have the scrapes and cuts from doing mine 6 weeks ago. I am actually reliving some of the vivid language I used at the time while I am typing this. Glad my son was not around at the time

[str8axle55]

That color looks awesome, nice prep work. Do you have any pics of the sheet metal repl? Did you need to do inside, above the rear wheels?

[crisco]

Originally Posted by Mr. 250r

Does that truck have rear heat and ac
Posted via Mobile Device

Nope, sometimes I wish it did but wonder how much more work and maintenance they add to the equation.

[crisco]

Originally Posted by str8axle55

That color looks awesome, nice prep work. Do you have any pics of the sheet metal repl? Did you need to do inside, above the rear wheels?

I wish I took more pics along the way.
I don't have any of the sheetmetal work. And no I didn't do anything to the rear wheel wells. The front could use new inner fenders, the PO decided to fill the large holes in them with household expanding foam.

I might get to them when and if I need to do any motor work. Right now this thing runs STRONG, used less than a half quart of oil on our 3000 mile east coast road trip last summer. Just has a puffer when I start it up.
Valve guides I assume?

I did have my pet crack head go over the entire under side with a wire cup wheel, now I am debating on using gloss black rustoleum, flat black, or shelling out the considerable dough for Chassis Black or POR 15.
I did figure out that a cheap 9.99 20cc harbor freight HVLP gun will spray rustoleum straight out of the can! It's much better if thinned, but that stuff is awesome when sprayed. I did my car trailer with it and it looks great. Gloss black on the steel, gloss smoke grey on the planks.