SUBURBIA

“Back in 2014, I was restoring a 1982 GMC truck for my son. One day, while searching through the 67-72 Chevy Truck Forum for information on the truck, I found a thread called “Highlander Production Numbers.” I read through the thread and saw a bunch of pictures of trucks, Blazers, and Suburbans with the Highlander Plaid option. It was at that time I decided my next project would be a 1972 Suburban with the blue Highlander Plaid option.

I searched for a little over a year, and one day I found a Sacramento, CA Craigslist ad for “The Burb.” I made a deal with the owner and had it shipped to my house in Las Vegas in January of 2016.

In late 2016, it was time to get to work. I had a vision of the Suburban slammed on the ground with some big billet aluminum wheels. I reached out to Porterbuilt Fab in AZ and ordered their Level 3 front and rear Drop Members along with their Inner Frame Stiffener. At that point, I had decided to keep the exterior of the Suburban as stock-looking as possible, and I knew I needed a wheel that would complement the original look. So, I called up Del Uschenko with Delmo’s and got a set of his 22” Delmo CST Wheels. To finish off the foundation of the build, I went with the reliable GM LT1 8L90 engine and transmission combo.

In 2017, I pulled the Suburban body off the frame and filled up every inch of garage space at my house with Suburban parts. I got the Porterbuilt suspension components installed, and with the frame mocked up in bare metal, I set the new drivetrain in place. At that point, I was able to build the custom exhaust, install the driveline, and proceed to install all of the necessary wiring and plumbing. Modifications were made to the floor of the Suburban to accommodate the new suspension and drivetrain, and then it was time for the body and frame to come back together. By late summer, I decided to get the Suburban running and take it to Dino’s Git Down 2017. I made it to the Git Down, although the Suburban was parked a block or two away from Dino’s Appliance shop due to the overwhelming number of trucks that showed up that year.

After the show, I put a few shake-down miles on the Suburban, and in the summer of 2018, it was time to tear it apart again to start the full-blown restoration of the body. When I bought the Suburban, it had a 20-year-old repaint with some rough body work and was in need of rust repair as well. It wasn’t the kind of “patina” that I could live with. I had the body sandblasted and spent the majority of late 2018 and 2019 working on metal and body work to get the Suburban ready for paint. I repaired the rust in the floor, rockers, and fender wells, along with some custom sheet metal work in the rear floor area to clear the new suspension components, and custom firewall panels as well. I got the bare metal of the body as straight as I could and got the body in primer in late 2019.

Early 2020 was when the progress slowed drastically. My day job started to get busy, and the responsibilities of everyday life and family didn’t allow me to get in the garage to work on the Suburban very much over the next two years. I wasn’t happy with the break in progress but never lost interest. I would get out there and work whenever I could, even if it was only for an hour or two.

My life settled down a bit in late 2022, and I was able to dedicate more time to finishing the Suburban. Just as I did back in 2017, I set a goal to get the Suburban done for Dino’s Git Down, this time in 2023. I finished the body work and got the GM Catalina Blue paint laid down, along with the white “mullet” on top of the Suburban and the white below the molding, just as the two-tone Suburbans were painted back in 1972. I spent the summer months of 2023 reassembling the Suburban and got it down to Ian’s Auto Interiors for the finishing touches on the interior. They sewed up the three Suburban bench seat covers with SMS Auto Fabrics Highlander Blue Plaid and parchment vinyl materials to match the original seats in the Suburban from 1972.

After three or four weeks of long, non-stop days working on the Suburban in October and November, I was able to finish it and made it to Arizona for Dino’s Git Down.

Some of my favorite memorable moments have been at bid events over the last year or so. My daughter, Mia, got to ride with me for the first time in the Burb as we drove into the show early Friday morning at Dino’s Git Down 2023. Later that evening, my wife, daughter, and son got to ride in the Burb as we took a lap around the cruise lane at the show. These are memories we will always cherish after a long 5-6 years of building the Burb.

At the Reunion Truck Show earlier this year, Ronnie Wetch of C10 Talk asked me to bring the Burb down to Chandler, Arizona, to attend the pre-party at the Quart Haus on Friday evening before the show. It was really the debut for the Suburban, as it was front and center for everyone to see. I was honored to park the Burb along with 10 other hand-picked vehicles at a really cool small venue. It was a great night talking with everyone from the C10 community, sharing stories and a few beers as well. Special shout out to Mr. C10 Talk for the invitation.

When I was packing up to head home from The Reunion Truck Show on Sunday morning, I met Chase Clavell, president of the C10 Club Utah. He asked me if I was coming to the C10 Nationals show up in Salt Lake City and told me he wanted me to bring the Burb to a special event at the Utah State Capitol building for the C10 Club’s 25th Anniversary. I made it up to Salt Lake for the event, and it was another memory I won’t soon forget. I was honored to be part of another once-in-a-lifetime truck show. Big thanks to Chase for the invite. What an amazing opportunity.”