Death of a Plainsman
 

Well this truck just gets more interesting.But i figure i'll start a thread as i'm gonna start doin work on the truck,

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

So far fixed electrical stuff,rear end,new deer lights ,got 6 lights for the roof but went with the 4 on bumper after seeing some get torn off.Seats back broke,i fixed them,they broke,i switched them,tubes are to thin.Decided blue will do for now.

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

had to weld in the inner brackets from my 89 for the front buckets

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

uhhhh nice project but that kinda looks like a dead body in the trash bag behind the dog !!!ya gotta hide that stuff before ya take the pictures man ha ha!!

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

It's ok none of my ex's are missing lol

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

ha ha good

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

? Where would someone find the serial numbers on a frame of this truck,and i've tried to get the number off the back of the block......can't get close tried tinfoil.....any other tricks

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

When i bought this truck i never thought about the tbi other than i was the same as my 87 4x4 sub.It smokes when it starts after sitting a week or so.....till it warms up.i've been told that this truck should not have a tbi in it.It was ordered from the factory by Vacation Customs from Texas with 1 rpo"rear seat not desired"2nd row.the seats that came were all custom made.......anybody else seen a rather factory looking tbi in a 85

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

What is the 8th digit of the VIN number? If it is a K then this is a TBI 350 from the factory.

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

W no it just looks factory like my 87 it's registered as a C20 ,this is why i wana know where to check the frame #s

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

Top side of the driver side frame rail right about where the steering gear box is should be a partial VIN that you can get to easily. Could be the other side instead, not enough caffeine yet this morning.

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

W is a 454 VIN so it looks like somebody swapped out the drivetrain, most likely the whole chassis as it should be 8-lug too if it is registered as a C20.

Who knows what was going on in this things history but as long as it works and has a clean title it doesn't really matter.

Someone may have bought it as a drivetrain donor to convert their truck to 3/4-ton and upgrade to a 454 too and just put all their parts into the Suburban to make it whole again and get some of their money back. I have seriously considered doing this with my 78 K20 to get EFI and overdrive plus more street friendly gearing.

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

visited a few gm truck dealers round here today told shhh.Customs musta missed that but they have seen it before from custom conversion places or aftermarket setups with the year being even earlier but not a C for a K ,but to consider myself lucky as the "etest exemptions finish up here with the use of carbs(86),and are still required with TBI(87)"and they cannot reccomend bypassing any smoggy"but that tbi is better then carb".............................................after using/breaking the nice custom seat backs i would switch the seat around to another and repair it later, but with not all that thick tubing "if i could rebuild the fronts and put a catch/ratchet on both sides and a few more springs",till i sat on the factory blues ,much better now i'll just find factory brown...........the glue holding the house carpet they used baked and burnt explains that funny burning smell,but thats a tall hump my 89 short hump carpet didn't fit............and it had a rpo codes for front bench/ and rear seat not desired,so no belts or seat catches when they flip back or supports to lean forward,used 89 stuff cleaned up.all front/rear custom seat bases were drilled where needed and bolted threw the rear support factory holes,wait till ya see the third row attach with no belts even anywhere a sign ,if a part was not required by rpo i found a bolt tho on the sides,and belt bolts but the installed lappers were again with washers and bolts .......

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

wondering if these marks are norm,i can see writing says eng change 51?Can't remember if my blues had all of those,i know it had some.check out the 3rd seat hookup.

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

So it would seem a vin switch has occured,i can't risk investing in it till this is cleared up.Called P.O. said thats what he bought 4x4 never questioned it till getting safety done to sell it, garage ordered by vin and tuneup etc were wrong.Vin says 454 3/4 ton..........truck is 4X4 1/2 ton.Went to three gm dealers told no numbers on frame/yes there is hard to find they have an wide area to look.one told me just call gm they will do it......after giving my vin ,name ,phone#,said there is #s but only gm trained can find them and i would threw them setup appointment to have the numbers checked at my local dealer.....yup ok i'll get right on that

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

yup we got vin issues here,when i bought the truck i got a used info package,with 3 other owners.the second prev owner was called bla bla bla "no the truck wasn't gold"says the wife i'll get my husband to call you back tonight.........now 48 hours no call back

this vin plate sure looks replaced,and someone told me this sticker should have a vin in it?

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

The VIN plate is attached with rosette style rivets, which normally is a good sign (because they are not readily available).

VIN decodes as follows:

1 - Country of origin - USA (make sense, since all Suburbans were built in Flint MI)
G - General Motors
8 - Seems like this should be a "C" for Chevrolet
G - Brake system 8100 - 9000
C - series, 2wd
2 - 3/4 ton
6 - Suburban
W - engine code (I didn't check)
4 - check digit (randomly calculated value)
F - model year, 1985
F - Assembly plant - Flint MI
numerical portion of VIN corresponds to build sequence number




The sticker has been messed with; pulled off and replaced. You can tell because the "typed" notes should be legible, and yes it should show the same VIN as above.

To answer your earlier question: no TBIs on fullsize trucks in '85. We've had this discussion before and I can answer with confidence, because I 've had conversation with the GM Powertrain guys who did the calibrations for these TBI engines. They have said no TBIs until 1987 model year.

K

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

Those marks are specific to the door trim panel. Date codes, part numbers, mold cavity numbers, etc specific to that base part.

In this context "Eng Change" means that the door trim panel had undergone some Engineering Change (almost all parts do) and is documenting the part change level. Could have been a hole size, trim edge, etc.

It is not "Engine Change" if that's what you were thinking.

K

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

I believe that's the previous generation of trucks (67-72).

For these, IIRC - it's on the horizontal top portion of the frame rail, in the vicinity of under the second row seat and I want to say drivers' side (although could be passenger side). Probably gonna take a mirror to see it or ideally take the body off. :(

K

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

yeap passenger side frame rail second row seats

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

got appointment wensday morning at my gm dealer ,or the police,lol or a frame off body job lol will be performed in that order ,if i still have the truck..........found an 83 for sale 2000........but its 2x,but gona go clean out the tool box

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

Just a thought as I went through something similar with my truck.

It is very possible that the tub with the VIN is from a different truck all together. And that it was a body swap job that never had all the proper paper work completed on.

I have a truck that was bought as an 87 4wd 1/2t . . . however the frame VIN and body VIN didn't match. But I still got a clean title.
It has an 88 1/2t 4wd frame and driveline, but an 87 tub and the title was for the 87.
Now I have an 89 3/4t 2wd tub on it with the 88 1/2t 4wd frame and driveline.

It can be a serious headache to get it all sorted out and get a clean title . . . I opted for a slightly less difficult procedure and have a clean '00 self assembled title now . . . which allowed me to register it and insure it as normal.

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

If the truck was a Texas native the title stays with the body VIN and a frame and engine swap would not change the title in any way. I did a full body swap on a vehicle and the shop I went to cut and welded the dash into the new body to transfer the VIN.

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

i have come to realize this is not likely a swap other then the vin plate.the truck was never 2 wheel,or had a 454,or was a 3/4 ton.What i was told is that it is not legal (here in Ont .Ca)to have it regestered to carry more weight then it should.It is still regestered 3/4 ton but only a 1/2 ton,4X4.I was told this truck could be seized on the road or crossing the border as things don't match.With the door Vin # missing and the rpo sticker with the vin removed

Re: 1985 TBI Canadian Plainsman
 

Thanks ,could it be kept the with the same vin would it be done ok in the USA.
Someone said GM can reissue vins?
lol if it works out maybe this will be the first and only one.
Being ordered for a conversion from the factory.
i just didn't worry bout the engine change etc till NOW




Hope this an't buddys first and last ride