By Troy H.
I found myself looking for a truck to suit my many needs for a vehicle. As per usual, I found myself scrolling through Facebook Marketplace. I needed a truck with 4-wheel drive and towing capabilities; as well as, storage space to keep my tools and equipment safe and dry. When I was a child, my parents drove a suburban and I had one in my teen years, so I’m well aware of what they are capable of. Fortunately, I came across a 95 suburban that seemed to be a very good price. If you know me, then you know I’m always out for the best deal.
I went to check it out, because I wasn’t worried about the rust that I noticed on the fenders. When I got there, the previous owner couldn’t get the Suburban to start, but promised me the issue was the battery. I checked it out and many details caught my attention. The truck was fully equipped with skid plates, auxiliary oil coolers, an over-sized radiator, and the largest gas tank available at the time - not to mention, the truck was already set up to tow! So, we struck up the deal that he buys the battery and if it starts I buy it for $1000. The Suburban fired up, and I drove it home that day. My friend helped me out with a great deal on tires. I gave the old work horse a tune up: new muffler, wheel bearings, shocks, all the fluids, and some old hoses. After that the truck became my daily driver in the winter and for work
This past summer, I wanted to fix the body the proper way. That entailed cutting all the rusty steel out around the rear wheel wells, the gas cap, and replacing both front fenders. I made use of my English wheel and body hammer to make the patch panels for the rear. I purchased front end fenders that I found in good condition at the scrap yard. I removed the paint from the area beside where the rust was cut out, and I tacked on the new panels going front to back and from side to side, so as not to warp the new metal.
Now I am in the final stretch. What I have been working on currently, is sanding down body filler to blend the panels and smooth everything out, which is a process that takes many hours. This step, is when the truck really starts to look whole again. At the same time, the completed sections are getting primer and I am matching the paint using the paint code that I found by decoding the vin number. The vin is made up of a series of numbers that describe the vehicle, such as where it was made, the colour, everything. I have also started painting. This is as far as I’ve gotten now and I just need some nice weather to finish up the project.
When this project is complete, I will have a dependable vehicle that will looks good, and I will own outright a truck that is able to perform any tasks I demand of it. I’ve also got two more big projects on the go: a 4x4 87 Firebird (nicknamed Blazer Bird) and a heavy hauling truck, an 85 F350 Ford.
Check into the website later for the complete restoration.