>> '84-'86 were carbureted and had the better early version of the 4spd
>> auto. '88-'91 were TBI which got a little better MPG. All were solid
>> axle/leaf spring front suspension. With front bench and 3rd row seat they
>> would haul 9 in relative comfort. with front buckets, 8. In either form,
>> there was a good bit of room behind the 3rd row seat. If you plan to do
>> any med or better towing go for the 3/4T which would hurt MPG a bit. For
>> light-med towing and/or a driver the 1/2T would do fine. For some reason
>> the stronger 12bolt rear was dropped for the
>> barely-enough-for-a-passenger-car 10bolt. I have 12bolts swapped into my
>> '85 and '88 Suburbans and plan to put HD 3/4T axles into my '88. I'm sure
>> there are a few 305 powered Suburbans, but I would NEVER want a 305 in
>> anything. I had one and was disgusted with it. Little power and poor
>> economy even in a Blazer which is over 1500lbs lighter than a Suburban. A
>> 350 is the minimum to run.
>
>
> The suburban was only offered in the 350, 454 and 6.2 diesel (in the 70's it
> was offered with a 400). If I were you get a 90 or a 91 they are old enough
> to find for a good price, new enough to find parts and new enough that you
> can ask for help when a problem pops up. Just be sure to get the barn doors
> (no tailgate) because the rear floor cross member rusts out and the tailgate
> will not open (or close) after a while. Also look at the rear wheel wells
> they rust open and the owners just ignore them. The front wheel wells also
> rust out but only cost $37 to get new wells so they are not a concern. I
> looked at a 90 with a 454 for $3k and the rear wells had holes large enough
> to put your fist through...was a shame the rest of the truck was spotless.
> Therefore, pre-91 700R4 trans, post-91 4L60E for half ton and 4L80E for the
> 3/4 ton, the engine are the same. Pre-91 mechanical speedo, post 91
> electronic... Try to find something with no more then 100k if it is your
> primary vehicle or travel truck, try to find something less then 150k if you
> are just driving the kids to practice or you to work. If the wife is
> driving it then get a suburban less then a few years old (the first time it
> breaks down you will never hear the end of it). We have a 96 at school that
> is basically the same drive train as the 91 but a newer body style so that
> would be a better choice if you don't want a truck to play with...and you
> probably can pick up a 96-97 for less then 10k. My 91 gets about 13-14 mpg
> the 96 at school gets 15-16 so anything with a throttle body and the old
> style rotating distributor should be able to be repaired at home with a
> little talent. I would not bother with anything less then the 90's because
> there just is going to be too much rust. However, I bet you could go into
> the late 90's and still meet you criteria. I would also try to stay with a
> 3/4ton truck. They were a little more heavy duty and (environmentalists
> stop reading here) are allowed a little more leeway with the emissions. >
>
>
> You could also pick up a late 90's with a 6.5 diesel but they are a premium
> so if you find one grab it! They are easy to work on, will run for ever and
> get good gas mileage.
>
>
> good luck,
> mark
>
>
Thank you and the other posters for a nice introduction to Suburbans. After reading and trying to digest all this I looked around, ebay was one source, and now I am intrigued with the Diesel version Mark mentioned.
Most of what came up was the 80s though. I guess they have a mechanical FI so they should get better mileage (one seller claimed 20mpg) and one might still find an older one (to keep the price low).
I'll be looking for a while, that¹s for sure.
Uwe