Why aren't classic Suburbans "popular"??

[flashed]

I only see one Burb in my parts but know of a couple others being restored , they are scarce around here . I would love to own one .

[Bigdav160]

It would not surprise me a bit to find out that Travelall and Wagoneer outsold Suburbans handily from 67-72.

Dodge got out of the SUV market in '65 with the last Town Wagon. Of course Dodge had been a fourth and fifth place player in truck sales after WW2 and all the way through the sixties. Town Wagons were only made for 10 years but the production number I've heard is 4000 units total. And as crude as they were it's surprising any survived.

[WyattTX]

Originally Posted by Bigdav160

It would not surprise me a bit to find out that Travelall and Wagoneer outsold Suburbans handily from 67-72.

Dodge got out of the SUV market in '65 with the last Town Wagon. Of course Dodge had been a fourth and fifth place player in truck sales after WW2 and all the way through the sixties. Town Wagons were only made for 10 years but the production number I've heard is 4000 units total. And as crude as they were it's surprising any survived.

I'll never understand why they didn't build a 4 door Ramcharger. I don't see too many Travelalls in the wild. But they do have a cult following like the smaller Scout.

[mrtoni]

There was a really sweet wagoneer brougham for sale non running for $800 in Reno. I was gonna buy it just for the sweet interior with orange buckets maybe run them in my burb.
He cross listed it eBay and Craigslist. It sold for 4000 I should’ve jumped at 800

[mrtoni]

What about ramcharger traildusters? They had those thru mid nineties.

Originally Posted by Bigdav160

It would not surprise me a bit to find out that Travelall and Wagoneer outsold Suburbans handily from 67-72.

Dodge got out of the SUV market in '65 with the last Town Wagon. Of course Dodge had been a fourth and fifth place player in truck sales after WW2 and all the way through the sixties. Town Wagons were only made for 10 years but the production number I've heard is 4000 units total. And as crude as they were it's surprising any survived.

[flashed]

There is a Jeep Wagoneer sitting in a side carport in my neighborhood next to a 2000's Camaro that never move . The Jeep has been there longer than I have and I have been here 27 years . Both are covered in dust and the house is not occupied but someone always keeps the yard mowed and looking nice .
I care nothing about the Camaro but would love to have the Jeep . The interior and exterior is perfect .

[Bigdav160]

Originally Posted by mrtoni

What about ramcharger traildusters? They had those thru mid nineties.

Yes, Dodge got back into the market in '74 and sold 10k units. 5k units for the TD
The Bronco was still small sized and sold 18k+ units.
Looks like 15k Wagoneers and 30k Travelalls were made in 1974.
Blazer produced 56k+ unit plus another 10k Jimmys(?).

[special-K]

You can divide SUVs down the middle between 4 (&3) doors and 2 doors. The former came first and the latter came about with the ;68 Blazer. SUV is a term coined in the '80s. In the earlier days of their existence they got truck tags, then it went to MPV (multi purpose) around here. Jeeps, Scouts, Land Cruisers, and Land Rovers were in a class all their own, being smaller with no creature comforts to speak of. Dodge built the best 4wd trucks adfter the war and through the '60s but no one cared. They were toon far ahead of the game in one way and out of the game in another. They were the only ones to offer a factory 3wd up to a W500, a thing we never saw from Ford or GM until this century. I always saw more Suburbans than Travelalls. The Town Wagon lost out by continuing the '50s body style into the '60s (which I love, wish more trucks didn't give in to fickle superfiscial marketing changes. There Sweptline PUs ran from '61-71, so that hurt them since the American market was mezmorized by body style changes. But Dodge built the crewcab, 1t 3wd, and 3/4t shortbeds. They offered so much more, yet the market wasn't ready.

Back to these Suburbans. They have always been loved, people love them now, but there are far fewer than PUs and most car converts who are now truck guys got switched over by PUs. Look at truck magazines all the way back to the van era. It was pickup trucks that they were all about, so the public followed.

[vectorit]

First off, thanks for the post FLYNAVY30. This a popular question I get, when I am talking to show goers as they look at my burb.

I just did the 2019 Brothers Show and Shine, and I think I was one of 6 Suburbans in a show that had 600 trucks attend. So they are an uncommon truck, which is one reason I enjoy mine so much.
At every truck show, I find a high spot and search out all of the long roofs and go to them. I walk right by the pick ups for the most part, unless it is a cool 4x4.

I remember when I started my restoration in 1994, and I distinctly remember the shop looking at me like I was crazy for spending any kind of money on my Suburban. Now it's a different story, because people who grew up with them now have more disposable income. So now there is a growing following up the Suburban, thus we are now seeing parts suppliers with burb specific parts.

For the restoration guys and gals, the Suburban is what I've always said. That it is like restoring three pick ups, as in three times the space needed and three times the budget. So they are sort of an unattainable project for a lot of people just for those reasons. Which is always a fun talking point with fellow restored burb owners when we meet, where the discussion goes down the road of how much work and money it took to get where they are now.

[FLYNAVY30]

I hear you! I've done mine in something of an odd order....every mechanical system is 100% new, in an original body/interior. I look forward to someday blowing it all apart, and sending the body out for metal work and paint, then putting it all back together....someday!

[CG]

vectorit you are a lucky dude with your burb. The family history is amazing.

[vectorit]

Thanks! It was and still is a kind of a love hate relationship
Mostly love though, but man a burb takes of a lot of garage space!
One thing though, is it has always pushed me to make more money and to get bigger places to live to work on it. So there is a big motivational factor that I let happen, and the results so far have been nice if I may say so myself.

[Average Joe]

Originally Posted by mrtoni

A lot of kids remark that suburbans look like station wagons

This ^^^^^^^

Car mags pushed older wagons in the later 90's after "the dare to be different" movement. I think that really encouraged people to reconsider wagons as a family hot rod. Power Tour and other events really solidified how functional they are. However the 2 door hard tops are really still king of the hill when it comes to what most people will choose to build. Lighter, sportier, sexier, and better resale that resonates with a wider audience. I think that same logic applies to suvs.

On a similar note, have you guys looked at the '99-05 pickup market versus the 2000-2006 Tahoe and Suburbans? The pickups are easily bringing 30-40 percent more in my area. Its not uncommon to see early 2000 Suburbans selling for 3,000 dollars or less wheras the trucks are usually $4000 and above. People view large SUV's as family trucksters. Just look at Clark Griswold.

Dont get me wrong. I love how practical my old Burb is. It works great for me. Its existense in my life was predicated by a growing family that no longer fit in my '69 C10 pickup though.

[WyattTX]

Originally Posted by Average Joe

This ^^^^^^^

Car mags pushed older wagons in the later 90's after "the dare to be different" movement. I think that really encouraged people to reconsider wagons as a family hot rod. Power Tour and other events really solidified how functional they are. However the 2 door hard tops are really still king of the hill when it comes to what most people will choose to build. Lighter, sportier, sexier, and better resale that resonates with a wider audience. I think that same logic applies to suvs.

On a similar note, have you guys looked at the '99-05 pickup market versus the 2000-2006 Tahoe and Suburbans? The pickups are easily bringing 30-40 percent more in my area. Its not uncommon to see early 2000 Suburbans selling for 3,000 dollars or less wheras the trucks are usually $4000 and above. People view large SUV's as family trucksters. Just look at Clark Griswold.

Dont get me wrong. I love how practical my old Burb is. It works great for me. Its existense in my life was predicated by a growing family that no longer fit in my '69 C10 pickup though.

It is a shame Suburbans are stuck with this image. They are actually pretty handy, when you realize you can haul your family, pull decent sized trailers, and when the rear seats are folded or removed, you can have 8+ feet of covered cargo storage.

GM doesn't seem to market the Suburban as a "truck" these days. They also go out of their way to give it a unique front clip, and a Hearse like appearance. After seeing much of their current offerings, I'm starting to wonder if GM even cares about aesthetics anymore.

[Ironhorse]

Over the years have had a 72 Blazer, 77 Blazer, 82 Burb, 88 Burb and last one was 91 Burb. All were 4WD because of where we live and a need to get out when need to get out. When truck was down and I had an on going remodel project I used my 91 Burb to haul 15 sheets of 5/8'' plywood and 15 sheets of 1/2'' sheet rock, 8 footers all. Made a load but weather was wet and I was more than glad I had the Burb.

Try that trick in these so called "cross over SUVs" Yes, an exceptional case at the time perhaps but was glad to have a real working/comfortable family truckster. Even now, with just my wife and I, have been thinking for going back from our 4WD Tahoe to a 4WD Burb again. Just her and I now but the room, comfort and safety of a larger vehicle does have it's advantages. Gas mileage be d***ed, I put comfort and safety above that at all costs.

Have to agree on the looks of the newer Burbs looking like a hearse. Thinking a 2006 Burb is about my limit of tolerance for a replacement vehicle.

[Burb]

I loved the thumbs up when my beat up burb was pounding the pavement >

Honestly I think there is a generation gap with the 3 door ... it was built and sold mostly as utility, it was work, unless you had one it just a work truck on the road ...and by the time the family was considered the body style required the 4th door and made more sense and more popularity and the 3 door was gone.
To this day THAT is still the conversation piece, " hey where is your door?"

[mrtoni]

This sold $18300 less mecum fees. I bet similar blazer would’ve brought double

[HO455]

Originally Posted by mrtoni

This sold $18300 less mecum fees. I bet similar blazer would’ve brought double

I hope it wasn't mine!

[72c20customcamper]

Well having owned 4 grands they weren't "better" than their counterparts but jeep knew their market. A 1991 grand msrp was over 29k . Almost twice of a Silverado suburban. They were the Range Rover of the 80's and 90's. And all the people that want them now are the kids of very upper class for the time. So that in of itself will make even the prior year grand more desirable to them.

My last grand was a 87 that my uncle took on trade. Full leather seats front and rear all electric. Every option you could think of ,was it a great car? Not by a long shot but it was the car to have in the Hamptons, Scarsdale and Kennabunkport.

[vectorit]

Growing up with my 1968 K20 Suburban, it was always considered a "tool" by my parents. It was never treated with adoring eyes and care, other than the required maintenance.
I never got thumbs up from others while driving it, until I entered it into the Golden State Truck Parts truck show in 1994.
I only entered it in that show because the counter guys begged me to enter it when I was at their store to buy a mirror, so I entered it only to get preferred parking so my GF and I could park among the show and easily make a day out of it to look look at nice trucks. On top of that, I did not enter it for judging.

Later after the show, the show management approached me to ask why I did not enter the burb since they told me it would have won..

Anyways, it was then I realized that maybe I should try to restore it.

[71meangreenc10]

I think that Burbs are catching on now because for a couple of reasons. One, a bad reason is people want to make a crew cab out of it. Two, aftermarket support is getting better for the burbs so folks are not turning away projects that originally would be over their skill level. I have two and I drive one every other day and I love it. People dig it. I get a lot of looks and offers. My second one has been a journey and will get a full resto down the road. It just has two other projects in line. Once you go through one and fix the window channels along with safety issues they ride really smooth. Mine has bare floors and once it gets covered it will be really quiet. At the moment I don't think I could sell any of my trucks. My list keeps growing....and there are two missing from these pictures....

Smitty

[smokehouse]

Originally Posted by 71meangreenc10

I think that Burbs are catching on now because for a couple of reasons. One, a bad reason is people want to make a crew cab out of it. Two, aftermarket support is getting better for the burbs so folks are not turning away projects that originally would be over their skill level. I have two and I drive one every other day and I love it. People dig it. I get a lot of looks and offers. My second one has been a journey and will get a full resto down the road. It just has two other projects in line. Once you go through one and fix the window channels along with safety issues they ride really smooth. Mine has bare floors and once it gets covered it will be really quiet. At the moment I don't think I could sell any of my trucks. My list keeps growing....and there are two missing from these pictures....

Smitty

well when you got kids and a big dog it makes more since to have a burb that's why i bought one. i really wanted a 3 door that someone didn't put modern seats in it or speaker holes in the doors and wasn't yellow but i couldn't find one so i had to settle for a 78 burb. i think they are catching on to because your whole family can ride together. It's hard to put a whole family in a 3 seater truck. when the magazines starts putting more burbs in them and more pics of really kool burbs online it will start to catch on that's what happened to the vw buses. you can't hardly touch one now. i think we are on the up swing to see the prices going up until then i'm going to enjoy driving my burb with my family.

[BGarza13x]

Originally Posted by smokehouse

well when you got kids and a big dog it makes more since to have a burb that's why i bought one.

That's exactly why I bought mine and am restoring it. All my wife's cousins and uncles, brother, dad have classic cars and trucks. My family wasn't as much of a gearhead family as hers. I have 3 kids, wife and a large pitbull, so I didn't want something we wouldn't all fit in. Then, it was serendipitous that I found my burb about 5 minutes from my house, did more research and bought it. Besides a VW Bus, I don't think many classic vehicles would fit us all as well as the Burb.

[cj847]

I appreciate the comments in this thread. I have a 1960 Willys Wagon and I started a similar thread a year ago on the old willys forum. My complaint was that it is much more financially logical to restore a Chevy or Toyota if there is any chance you are ever going to sell it. My situation is I am going to have 25k in a contraption that would sell for 15-18k max. All while everyone that sees it says "oh, that is cool as hell".
I was looking for a 64-66 Chevy suburban when I found the willys. Even the Chevy suburban (2 door-cooler and smaller than 3 door 67-72) are often selling in the 15-20k range fully restored with LS conversions etc.

Anyway, my point is, only restore a vehicle you really like, because you won't be able to "get your money back". (Unless of course you start with a SWB 71-72 Chevy, FJ40 landcrusier, or Ford Bronco 1st gen)

[CG]

Originally Posted by cj847

Even the Chevy suburban (2 door-cooler and smaller than 3 door 67-72)

Funny thing to say on a part of the board that is specifically for folks that really like the 67-72 suburbans.

Making money on selling any automotive project is “almost” impossible unless you’re some sort of pro or specialty builder. Pretty sure that’s not the end game for most of the enthusiasts here.