Find or Sell Used Cars, Trucks, and SUVs in USA

4x4, 4spd -- All American Tow How - K10 3 Door Rare Collector Truck Mkt Gem on 2040-cars

US $13,500.00
Year:1970 Mileage:57600 Color:
Location:

Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Kansas City, Missouri, United States

1970 Chevy Suburban “Carryall”

The Suburban began life way back in 1935.  It was frequently marketed as the "Carryall" Suburban clear through 1972.   Since they are still being made and I believe that makes it the longest running model in automotive history.

The 2nd generation C/K trucks (1967-72 model years) are revered by the collector market, arguably above all other comers.  No doubt this is owing to a very modern design for it’s time that turned out to be timeless in its simplicity.  However, the 127 inch wheel base was all business and practicality giving credence to the phrase “form follows function”.  And, what form it is, particularly in this unique 3 door outline.

What a beast.  With a granny gear and 4wd low, you could probably pull middle earth out of the ground with this truck!  Even though this series is given credit for a very early indication of the sport utility craze that would follow, this is not your average soccer mom truck.  4 wheel drive models in this series were built with heavy duty leaf springs.  Rugged, practical and reliable, but don’t expect to be floating on air!

You are bidding on a vehicle that has undergone an extensive restoration.  The goal was to provide a very presentable, useable work/farm truck.  It seems to have spent its entire life on the farm and certainly looks at home in that backdrop.  My seven year old son offered that it could “be the tent”.  You know, dad, just use the body and park it in the country and go camping.  The cubic feet of interior space inspired a pretty clever idea!


Exterior - Links to more Pics

The paint job during restoration was very thorough.  Windshield was removed and interior trimmed down prior to the job.  The body work was not done to a show quality, but again seems to be very thorough.  The roughest area is the driver’s rear corner.  There are a few imperfections in the paint near the taillight and the lower body panel could be straighter.  Not noticeable unless you really examine it (see pics), but I certainly wanted to point it out.

 

Link to all pics -- http://slickpic.us/505931N4AN

Link to slide show -- http://slickpic.us/505931N4AN?play

A careful eye will notice the front grill is not original to the model/year.  It is period correct and brand new.  The previous owner felt the integrated turn signal lights and rugged lines of this grill were the high water mark of design for the series.  He may just be right about that.

Not all Suburbans came with the “Barn Doors” in the rear.  I have always felt they suit the vehicle best.  During these years, a niche market was to equip them as ambulances.  The clever dual latch system and gigantic hinges (see pics link) allowed these doors to splay open fully making it possible to slide in a gurney.  In more common terms, it provides a pretty awesome opening to bring the outdoors in.

Also note the factory trim work inspired striping.  This model had only the lower side molding.  The originals come with the truck but are in pretty rough shape and may not be a complete set.  The striping ads a modest customization to this vehicle and really flows with the overall look – out to in.

Wheels – period correct rally wheels are fresh from metal blasting and powder coating.  The center caps are brand new.  The tires have use left in them, but are nothing special.  This is a good opportunity for the new owner to match rubber to the driving conditions of their environment and intended use.


Undercarriage and Engine Bay

The undercarriage and engine bay were treated to be brought to a condition as good if not better than new.  All trucks of this vintage provide plenty of room to work in the engine bay, but I haven’t seen many (unless they were show trucks) that allowed for this level of grease and grime free work.  Get out your white gloves!

The frame was painted during restoration and the undercarriage treated with undercoating.  It may not win in the show class, but you can feel a bit more comfortable plowing down a gravel road!  An argument could be made that restored classic trucks should all have this level of treatment if, they are to be driven.

 

Interior Highlights

The interior was fitted with black vinyl mats from front to rear.  Standard model trucks of this era had mats instead of carpets.  It not only suits the work nature of the vehicle, but seems more fitting than carpet if you are entering with a bit of mud on your boots, don’t you think?

The door panels are factory correct steel panels without vinyl covering.  The unique 3 door nature of this series means the rear door panels (remember the driver’s side rear is a faux door) are not available in reproduction parts and nearly impossible to find in any condition.  These were reworked and repainted and show some wear, but are original and separate this truck from quite a few restored suburban’s of the era.

Seats and rear panels – the seats do not appear to be original to the truck, but are period correct and have a practicality to them that suits it perfectly.  Front seats sit on a frame with a center console mounted to it.  It couldn’t capture rugged simplicity any better.  The rear seat latches release with clever handles (sees rear cargo & seat pics).  They could use a bit of adjustment, btw, but what a cool rugged design.  The overall mechanical simplicity of this truck makes it feel ready for anything.

The rear panels were custom made to match the design elements of the overall interior.  Like the door panels, these are unique to the Suburban and much rarer as a result.  These are brand new and look great in the truck.

The headliner has been with the truck for as long as any ownership can recall, but is not factory original.  It fits well and was just recovered by an upholstery shop.  The dome light was wired to the factory plug when installed, but may not be wired all the way to the fuse panel. 


Mechanicals

As you can probably tell from the engine bay pictures, nearly everything that bolts onto this engine is new.  It has a new brake booster (thank goodness these trucks have power steering and brakes), battery, alternator, voltage regulator, the list goes on.  It pulls like a beast.  The only issues I’ve noticed is the accelerator can get stuck on occasion.  It easily recovers when you feather the pedal.  Could be owing to the brand new rubber pedal, or it could be somewhere in the linkage.

Brakes were gone through completely.  Brand new hoses in the front and new cables in the rear for the parking brake were installed. New shoes were installed all the way around and other internal mechanicals replaced in the process (like wheel cylinders in the front).  With a truck of this girth, it’s certainly nice to know it stops well.  In fact, the new brake booster allows you to stop in a hurry.

There are a few wiring anomalies on this truck.  Rack that up to some farmer ingenuity along the way.  Depending on your intended use, it may not even need to be addressed.  Since it only sees occasional use, I disconnect the negative terminal when stored.  I had an electronics system check done by my mechanic (while getting brakes done).   All systems checked out fine, but I thought I’d mention it.  Fortunately, the cult like following for these trucks means everything needed to keep them on the road is readily available and very reasonably priced. 

The collector truck market is as hot as any segment with 1967-72 series at the front of the pack.  3 door Suburban’s are quite rare compared to trucks.  The 4spd 4wd drive is rarer still.  The market is showing its appreciation.  I believe collector trucks with strong following like these and the F series get an additional boost because they are so easy to keep on the road (or off as the case may be!).


Shipping, Bidding & Q&A

Shipping is the responsibility of the buyer, but I will help in any way I can.  I will certainly make it as easy as possible to load. 

The reserve price will be kept in confidence out of respect for the bidding process.  Simply respect the bidding process and pledge the amount you feel comfortable investing is a classic truck restored to this level of presentation and usability (or click "Buy it Now" and own it!).

I’ve tried to capture the vehicle very thoroughly through photos and my description.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.  My cell is (816) 786-7534.  Thanks for looking and good luck in your quest for a classic truck!

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Auto blog

Body shop manager stole over $500,000 worth of government trucks and parts

Fri, Jan 27 2017

The US Department of Justice announced yesterday that the manager of a collision and restoration business in Virginia admitted he helped misappropriate and sell vehicles and parts from the State Department. Specifically, he sold 12 Chevrolet Suburbans, a Hummer, and $7,500 worth of tires and wheels. He pled guilty to charges to commit theft of government property and wire fraud. He will likely see 18 to 20 months in prison, a fine of $4,000 to $40,000, and has already agreed to pay restitution of $416,020 and asset forfeiture of the same amount. According to the Department of Justice, the body shop manager, James Ratcliffe, worked with the owner of the business and a State Department official, both unnamed, to obtain the property. It started with the wheels and tires, which were delivered and sold on two occasions, one in 2011 and another in 2012. The trucks came later, and were sold throughout 2011 and 2013. Ratcliffe and the shop owner kept most of the profits, and shared some of the leftovers with the government official. In addition to the vehicles that were sold, the government official also gave Ratcliffe a pair of Suburbans for his own personal use. The Department of Justice estimated the total value of the SUVs at $96,400. In total, the group misappropriated $512,420 worth of property. Related Video:

Opel pulls out of Russia, GM to focus on Cadillac, 'iconic' Chevys

Wed, Mar 18 2015

General Motors is going to realign its priorities in the struggling Russian marketplace, withdrawing its Opel brand and pulling out mainstream Chevrolet models. Instead, the General will take aim at Russia's well-established oligarchy, pushing Cadillac as well as "iconic" Chevrolet models, like the Corvette, Camaro and Tahoe. "This change in our business model in Russia is part of our global strategy to ensure long-term sustainability in markets where we operate," GM president Dan Ammann said in a statement. "This decision avoids significant investment into a market that has very challenging long-term prospects." Russian customers interested in an Opel or mainstream Chevys like the Spark, Aveo (the US market Sonic), Cobalt (shown above), Cruze, Orlando and the like have until December to snap up a car before the brands are pulled. "We do not have the appropriate localization level for important vehicles built in Russia and the market environment does not justify a major investment to further localize." Opel Group CEO Karl-Thomas Neumann said. GM will continue to offer service to customers in Russia. "We can assure our customers that we will continue to provide warranty, parts and services for their Chevrolet and Opel vehicles," Neumann said. Beyond realigning its brands in Russia, GM also announced that it would also be idling the company's factory in the country's second-largest city, St. Petersburg. This is the second time the St. Petersburg factory has been in the news – GM announced that it'd be idled for roughly two months back in February. Scroll down for the official press release from GM. GM to Change Business Model in Russia 2015-03-18 Focus on Cadillac and iconic Chevrolet vehicles Wind down Opel brand and sale of mainstream Chevrolet cars Idle GM Auto manufacturing facility in St. Petersburg Part of GM's strategy to ensure long-term sustainability in global markets DETROIT – General Motors today announced plans to change its business model in Russia. GM will focus on the premium segment of the Russian market with Cadillac and U.S.-built iconic Chevrolet products such as the Corvette, Camaro and Tahoe. The Chevrolet brand will minimize its presence in Russia and the Opel brand will leave the market by December 2015. "This change in our business model in Russia is part of our global strategy to ensure long-term sustainability in markets where we operate," said GM President Dan Ammann.

GM recalls 83,572 SUVs for ignition switch issue

Sun, Jan 4 2015

General Motors is recalling 83,572 SUVs from the 2011 and 2012 model years over a potential ignition lock actuator issue. In affected vehicles, the actuator isn't the right size, which could cause the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position, and then either due to a jarring event or a "cool interior temperature" the ignition could switch back to the "Accessory" position. Doing so would cause a loss of power assistance and the airbags might not deploy. This is a different ignition issue than the one that's been ongoing for the past year. GM said it expects that less than 500 vehicles suffer from the problem, but that the pool could include vehicles from 2007 through to 2014 that have already been fixed, but with defective parts. The 2011-2012 SUVs included in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration notice: Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. GM will notify owners and dealers will inspect the ignition lock housing to see if it needs a free replacement. RECALL Subject : Ignition Lock Actuator may Bind Report Receipt Date: DEC 30, 2014 NHTSA Campaign Number: 14V827000 Component(s): ELECTRICAL SYSTEM Manufacturer: General Motors LLC SUMMARY: General Motors LLC (GM) is recalling certain model year 2011-2012 Cadillac Escalade, Escalade ESV, Escalade EXT, Chevrolet Avalanche, Silverado HD, Silverado LD, Suburban, Tahoe, GMC Sierra LD, Sierra HD, Yukon, and Yukon XL vehicles. In the affected vehicles, the ignition lock actuator may bind, making turning the key difficult or causing the ignition to get stuck in the "Start" position. CONSEQUENCE: If stuck in the "Start" position, the ignition may suddenly snap back into the "Accessory" position, causing a loss of engine, steering, and braking power, increasing the risk of a vehicle crash. If the vehicle is in a crash, the air bags may not deploy, increasing the risk of occupant injury. REMEDY: GM will notify owners, and dealers will inspect and replace the ignition lock housing, as necessary, free of charge. The manufacturer has not yet provided a notification schedule. Owners may contact GM customer service at 1-800-458-8006 (Cadillac), 1-800-222-1020 (Chevrolet), or 1-800-462-8782 (GMC). GM's number for this recall is 14696 for the original equipment, and 14912 for the service replacement parts.