[vectorit]

I thought that I should start a thread that can stay in the FAQ on the things to pay attention to when out looking for a Suburban.

Here are my top five things I look at:

1. Rust, all trucks get it. But Suburbans due to availability of parts, one needs to be aware otherwise it could break the bank on a builders budget.
Probably the most important places to look, are the rear doors, since they are doors they are difficult and or cost prohibitive to repair. Replacing them can be a daunting task as well, and can really slow down a restoration project. If you do find solid ones to replace yours, they are going to be expensive to purchase and to ship. To my knowledge, there are no vendors reproducing them at this time.

2. Glass, all of the glass from the wind wings back - are burb specific. Replacing glass tends to be expensive, and locating originals can be tough as well. Not to mention the trouble in getting your new old glass onto your truck with out breaking it.

3. Trim, if you are planing on going the route of stock or mostly stock and want to keep side trim. 67/68 side trim from the front doors back are burb specific, and at the time of this post no vendors are reproducing replacements. There are companies out there that can restore what you have, so the prospect of having like new looking bright trim is possible.

4. Door mechanisms, the third door and the rear door/gate have burb specific guts and mechanical latches. No vendors at this time reproduce these parts, and you will be forced to scrounge for them. Which again equates to time/money added to your project.

5. Bench seats, it's better to have them included in your prospective new burb. Since they are large, and too expensive to ship when you are trying to add them to a burb that is missing them. The mounting brackets are tough to find, and they can be expensive when you do find them used. To my knowledge no vendors are reproducing them at the time of this post.

What are your top 5?