Vehicle Description
1972 Chevrolet Suburban
By 1967, the Suburban or "carryall" was in its sixth generation and
the recreational vehicle market was steadily increasing. During the
six years of the 6th generation of production, build numbers more
than quadrupled and Suburban's were seen as an adventurous and
roomier alternative to station wagons. Chevrolet could not have
anticipated these early Suburbans would become classic ancestors to
the ubiquitous presence of SUVs on the road today, now used more
for parking lot adventures than mountain treks.
For consignment, a 1972 Chevrolet Suburban, one of 27,000 produced
and now with lots of new parts. A rebuilt 350ci V8 and classic good
looks with two tone paint. Per our consignor, it was built to be a
daily driver but retain classic look. Mission accomplished!
Exterior
Medium Olive Green sandwiches white in a pattern that was common
and popular on trucks in the late'60's and early '70's. Beyond the
paint, what you notice about this vehicle is its sheer size, nearly
216 inches long with a wheelbase of 127 inches. Based on the C/K
line with 8 foot beds, the rear quarter stretches well past the
rear axle and long windows resemble the sneeze guards at Shady
Maple, (PA's largest buffet restaurant), it's a lot of glass to
take in the sights of national parks. Much like early minivans that
came later, back seat occupants had an access door on one side only
and while eventually deemed inconvenient, it sure is a cool design
feature to have asymmetrical doors. While the design is epic and
now rare to see, she's not without some patina and imperfections.
Notable rust on the rocker panels and rust through on a quarter
panel, plenty of bubbling is numerous other places, rust on the
door sill and pillar, several seams with surface issues, pitting in
some of the metal.
Interior
Sheridan design occupies the upper panel of the door panels which
are molded green plastic between body colored steel and all three
doors are in good shape. While the doors are open, we note some
rust through on the window frame and on the rear hatch. The scroll
design continues on the front vinyl bench which also presents in
fine condition. Tubular metal frames hold the second row bench
which mirrors the vinyl pattern and manages to include an ashtray
in the armrests and the pattern repeats in the third row and
everyone has very good leg room. The green plastic steering wheel
has some cracks in it and shares the green column with the shifter
and indicator window. There's a little bit of patina on the black
plastic gauge cluster panel and gauges which include a 100 mph
speedometer and the very basic information needed to operate this
big rig. In the center of the green painted metal dash is a JVC
AM/FM/Cassette unit, the standard A/C levers, and a Terminator
controller and screen for the Holley fuel injection system. The
flat glove box completes the rather utilitarian design of the dash.
Our consignor states the green loop carpet is newer and it looks
good along with the white perforated headliner and overhead vent
system which helps distribute air to the back of the bus. Even with
three rows, there's room in the way back and the carpet there shows
a bit of usage.
Drivetrain
Here's where some big changes were made and when we open the hood,
we see a drivetrain that lacks any patina and in fact, is quite
clean. It's a 350ci V8, rebuilt in 2021 and stuffed with a Comp
Cams camshaft and supplied with a new intake manifold, exhaust
manifolds, radiator and more. It was then topped with a Holly
Terminator X electronic fuel injection system and set into motion
with a 4L80E 4-speed transmission which sends power back to the
rear 12 bolt. Power brakes have a newer master cylinder and brake
lines and consist of discs up front and drums out back.
Undercarriage
Plenty of patina in the form of surface rust, and some of it
pitted, underneath. One crossmember has invasive rust, rather
significant, but the main frame is in good shape. We've got some
caking around the steering knuckles but no visible leaks. Dual
exhaust finds stainless steel mufflers and exits through chrome
tips on each side behind the rear wheel. While underneath, we note
some rust on the bottom of the doors.
Drive-Ability
We light a fire under this Flint born vintage SUV and of course the
fuel injection lights up the V8 without hesitation. We hear a nice
exhaust note in the far distance and roll this vacation vehicle
onto our test loop where the high stance and greenhouse effect
provide king of the road like visibility. The 350 has adequate
power and the brakes work well to slow this behemoth. The A/C is
not working but everything else on board did. While Classic Auto
Mall represents that these functions were working at the time of
our test drive, we cannot guarantee these functions will be working
at the time of your purchase.
The flat face and simple taillight design on this nine passenger
truck, along with the two tone paint make it pure Americana. These
were the station wagons for the more rugged set, the more
adventurous families, and frankly, the families with more kids.
She's gained some patina since 1972 but her engine is equipped with
modern technology and some well sorted mechanicals. We don't get
many sixth generation Suburbans at Classic Auto Mall and this one
is worthy of consideration.
CCE162F158831
C-Chevrolet
C-4x2
E-V8 Gasoline
1-1/2 Ton
6-Suburban
2-1972
F-Flint, MI Assy Plant
158831-Sequential Unit Number
Classic Auto Mall is home to more than 1,000 classic and
collectible vehicles for sale via consignment in a climate
controlled 336,000-square foot showroom (that's more than 8
acres!). The largest single location consignment dealer of classic
and collectible vehicles in the country is located in Morgantown,
Pennsylvania, just 1-hour west of Philadelphia off Exit 298 of the
I-76 Pennsylvania Turnpike. For more information visit
www.classicautomall.com or call us at (888) 227-0914. Contact us
anytime for more information or to come see the vehicle in
person.
With so many great cars, you know we have a lot to talk about, and
we do that each week on the Classic Auto Mall Podcast with host
Stewart Howden. Stewart discusses new inventory as well as trends
in consignments and car prices, while interviewing celebrities and
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