The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network







Register or Log In To remove these advertisements.

Go Back   The 1947 - Present Chevrolet & GMC Truck Message Board Network > 47 - Current classic GM Trucks > The 1988 - 1998 GMT400 Chevy & GMC Pickups Message Board > projects and builds 88-98

Web 67-72chevytrucks.com


Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 02-17-2017, 12:26 AM   #1
gearheads78
Registered User
 
gearheads78's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 563
99 Suburban 2500 minor project

After finding out about some significant unexpected medical expenses my wife and I decided the quickest way without going deeper in debt is I will sell my 88 R30 crew.

In the mean time I needed something cheap that could still haul my family and a loaded trailer. I have several possibilities in mind and after a few months kicking tires I settled for a 454 4l80e 4.10 99 burb. Will be a semi-daily driver / weekend hauler.

Its got 150K miles and a little rough around the edges but over all a good solid truck.

So far I am pleasantly surprised. Got it up in a rack and checked out everything and someone replaced ball joints and brakes are still good. No major leaks.

Started buy changing all the fluids to get a baseline for future maintenance. The 2nd day I drove to work the fuel pump took a crap so that was the first major purchase. The the tow, pump, truck, all fluids, and registration I am right at $3000.00 total so far.

Going fix it up a little at a time. First thing it needs is lights. I can't see in the dark at all. Those are ordered and hopefully in tomorrow.

Next will be mirrors because ever without a trailer they suck.
Attached Images
     
gearheads78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-23-2017, 12:57 AM   #2
gearheads78
Registered User
 
gearheads78's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 563
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

First little improvement but what a huge difference. The first time I drove it at night I could not see anything where there was no light around.

I ordered new GM lights from Gmpartsdirect and HIR1 and 2 bulbs. The bulbs have to be slightly modified for the GM housings but nothing a few seconds on the band saw could not fix.

Here is before and after in bright mode and the bulb before and after trimmed bulbs. Its truly a night and day difference in person.
Attached Images
     
gearheads78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-23-2017, 09:33 AM   #3
hawgfanman
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Midlothian, TX
Posts: 29
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

That's a good looking rig. I just bought a 98 ECSB and have new lights ordered too. What did you have to do to the HIR bulbs to make them fit?
hawgfanman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-23-2017, 09:17 PM   #4
gearheads78
Registered User
 
gearheads78's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 563
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

Quote:
Originally Posted by hawgfanman View Post
That's a good looking rig. I just bought a 98 ECSB and have new lights ordered too. What did you have to do to the HIR bulbs to make them fit?
Thanks here is a diagram and the before and after of a bulb
Attached Images
   
gearheads78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-23-2017, 10:52 PM   #5
hawgfanman
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: Midlothian, TX
Posts: 29
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

Thanks
hawgfanman is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2017, 12:09 AM   #6
gearheads78
Registered User
 
gearheads78's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 563
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

Quote:
Originally Posted by hawgfanman View Post
Thanks
no problem
gearheads78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2017, 03:36 PM   #7
LT7A
Registered User
 
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: PNW
Posts: 3,472
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

Any more progress on this one? I was hoping you were going to paint it to match your Jeep in post number 2, haha.
LT7A is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-12-2017, 10:04 PM   #8
gearheads78
Registered User
 
gearheads78's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 563
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

Not really been my daily driver / weekend tow rig for almost a year now. Took the family to Colorado over the summer. Its been a great truck so far. Only real problem was a shorted injector harness that was there when I bought it. (and probably the reason it was sold in the first place since two separate techs tell me it was an internal engine issue) I tracked it down on my own after a tune up fixed it for 2 weeks but came right back. Turned out when you touched the engine harness the short to ground causing a misfire would fix itself for a while.

The only thing I am still not used to s not having a pickup bed. Tonight I need to load up 2 transmissions and a few weeks ago a motor. It fit but the cherry picker amost hit the roof. I think I need a little trailer. Its a pain to hook up a 20ft car hauler to haul items I used just toss in the back of a bed.
Attached Images
 
gearheads78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-13-2017, 09:43 AM   #9
MalibuSSwagon
Registered User
 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Weare,NH
Posts: 1,589
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

Since my C10 has been under the knife for awhile I got a utility trailer to haul smaller things around with the burb. Comes in handy
MalibuSSwagon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 12-14-2017, 12:47 AM   #10
gearheads78
Registered User
 
gearheads78's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Location: Dallas TX
Posts: 563
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

Quote:
Originally Posted by MalibuSSwagon View Post
Since my C10 has been under the knife for awhile I got a utility trailer to haul smaller things around with the burb. Comes in handy
I need to do the same
gearheads78 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 03-04-2018, 11:00 PM   #11
manimal
Registered User
 
manimal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Southern Kalifornia
Posts: 3,066
Re: 99 Suburban 2500 minor project

Thats a sweet Suburban. I had one exactly like yours, but it was a 96...I LOVED that thing. now I have a 94 Suburban 2500, love it too
__________________
------------------------------------------------------
-Lance
2000 Chevy C2500, 5.7, 4L80e
1999 Suburban K2500, 7.4, 4L80e
1980 Camaro..son's car...PROJECT
manimal is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:14 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.11
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions Inc.
Copyright 1997-2022 67-72chevytrucks.com