1996 Chevrolet Diesel Suburban 6.5 Turbo Low Miles 3/4 Ton 2500 Chassis No Rust on 2040-cars

Ok folks, up for grabs is a low mileage, 1996 Chevrolet 2500 Diesel Suburban. While GM made lots and lots of suburban’s they didn’t make a lot of 3/4 tons and they made even fewer diesels. The result is a rare truck that can tow like a diesel tows, can haul 8 adults and get 18 MPG on the freeway! This particular one has just over 79,000 miles on it, all original. Not 179,000, but 79,000 actual miles. Mileage may vary a little as Im still driving it some. Im the third owner of this truck, and I bought it to keep. A business opportunity has come along though, and I need funds. Its really clean and doesn’t need anything. Its been very reliable and Ive used it drive from Dallas to St Louis a couple of time, Austin and San Antonio, New Orleans, etc…I wouldn’t hesitate to drive it anywhere.  So how did I manage to find one with such low miles? Ill tell you how and give you some info. It was bought new in 96. It was ordered with the 6.5 turbo diesel, 4l80 auto (not the smaller 4l60), the 14 inch, full floater, dually type rear end, 4:10 gears for towing, a G80 locker, the JD7 brake package (biggest you could get, most 3/4 tons get the JD6, JD7 was more of a one ton braking system) . In short, it was the most heavy duty suburban you could order. In a few short years, you couldn’t even order a suburban with a diesel in it. He bought it new to haul a pop up camper with his grandkids. In a few years, the kids grew up  and the truck sat and only got driven 5 or 6 times a year until 2010 when he sold it to an employee of his. It had 18,000 miles on it at this time. The second owner put new tired on it and had the injection pump and turbo rebuilt.  They both have build tags on them and the dates are correct. It’s the newer DS4 injection pump. He also replaced a leaky AC compressor and added a K and N air filter.  He drove it for 18 months or so and needed a pickup so he sold it to me. It had 50, 400 miles on it in July of 2012. I wanted to keep it long term and I spent quite a bit of time educating myself online about these trucks. Most importantly, I wanted to see if there were any maintenance issues that could lead to breakdowns. The biggest issue is the PMD (Pump mounted solenoid driver) that tend to overheat. The solutions are to get a newer “bullerproof” grey Stanadyne PMD or relocate it with a wiring harness outside the hot parts of the  engine bay. I did both and now the grey standyne is located behind the grill (I have a spare PMD as well). The other issues were oil cooler lines prone to leak and an old harmonic balancer going bad and not doing it job. So I replaced the oil cooler lines with a stainless steel braided over Teflon set, which is what most people opt for. The harmonic balancer and crankshaft pulley was changed out with a new DELCO unit (Not cheap aftermarket ones). I believe I have the original lines and balancer/pulley as well.

While not a reliability issue, the people on these boards also recommended a new exhaust, as the factory ones are kind of restrictive. I put on a complete 4 inch system from Diamond eye and a 2.5 inch crossover (the biggest you can get). I also made a few other upgrades (and in most cases kept the old parts). I went from an 80 GPM water pump to the 1997 and newer 130 GPM. I also went with a dual thermostat housing and installed two genuine delco 190 degree stats. New belts and hoses, brand new Bosch glow plugs, a heavy duty fan clutch and later model duramax fan, and after market electric fan (Definitly overkill but I had it here already from another car I took it off of), new Optima red top batteries and cable ends and a set of gauges. The gauges are Boost, Trans Temp and Exhaust temp (Probe is pre turbo so its most accurate). These are mounted on an A-pillar pod.  I also replaced the front brakes, rotors, seals, bearings and calipers to ensure that it would stop well.

I’ve also changed the fluids religiously. I’m a little OCD about my cars and the tranny fluid, oil and filters get changed regularly. About the only “repairs” Ive had to do (aside from the upgrades) is replace the glow plug relay about a month ago, it was working intermittently, a power window motor, a pitman arm (I replaced the idler arm too) and the alternator had gotten weak so I replaced it.

I did most all this about 18 months ago and its been a wonderful truck. I hate to sell it but sometimes life is like that.

It has a remote start/alarm system. It has lots of features Ive never used, like being able to start and stop to maintain interior temp. I like it because on hot or cold days I can let it get comfortable inside before I even have to go outside. Its set up with a delay for the glow plugs.

The tires are heavy duty 10 plies and have about 6000 miles on them.

The exterior is in good shape. No rust, no wrecks. Has a heavy duty hitch with a 7 pin and a flat four connection. It also has a trailer brake controller with the head unit mounted under the dash.  White paint, still glossy, few little dings here and there from normal use. Frame solid as a rock and been in Texas its whole life minus a few road trips. 42 gallon fuel tank. The grill has two of the little bars sectioned to make room for the electric fan. Not noticeable but wanted to mention it.

The interior has most of the factory options. Leather seats, 3^rd row seats, front and rear air, full gauge package. It has an aftermarket JVC stereo ( I have the original too) and I put some aftermarket speakers in the front doors to replace two broken ones. The rears are still ok and overall the stereo sounds pretty decent. USB plug, aux plug, etc…The carpet shows some wear and a few stains. They could probably be steamed out but I never bothered, they didn’t bug me much. Non smoker. The seats are all in good shape, though the two front shows have some wear on the bottom parts. They haven’t gotten any worse and would be easy to fix if one was so inclined. Compass in the rear view mirror. Power drivers seat, 8 way and lumbar support for both front seats. Original mats. 2^nd row seats folds flat and 3^rd row can be removed. Very comfortable and its been great for hauling a trailer and a crew to trade shows. Window tint on all 8 windows. Power locks, windows and mirrors. Rear defrost.  

Overall, lots of life left in this one. Diesels go forever and the GM 6.5 Turbo is no exception. And this one hasn’t even hit 80,000 miles yet! This is the same motor put in military hummers to this day. I haven’t towed anything real heavy, mostly a 5x8 cargo trailer but I did tow a Pontiac Bonneville on a trailer once and it towed great with no issues.

$500 dollar deposit required within 48 hours and balance due within 7 days. Payment much clear before vehicle is picked up. No warranty expressed or implied, as is/where is, do not pass go, do not collect 200, etc…If you have any additional picture requests or questions ask BEFORE you bid please.  If you don’t intend to buy, please don’t bid. It just makes things difficult for everyone. Contact me if you'd like to come see the truck in person. 

For a short walk around video showing inside, outside and the motor running, copy and paste the following youtube address.

http://youtu.be/wMMUm3If5GM