Project Polar Bear: '89 V2500 Suburban

[muddysub]

Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind. I am so used to working alone I wouldn’t know what to do with help

Same here. When help is offered I get confused for a second.

 

[azblazer]

I really like how the flairs accent the white. Perhaps a small lower rocker panel application of bed liner to finish it off? Mr. headlight looks out of adjustment btw. I went with the LMC replacements on my jimmy. Wasn't thrilled with the lights that came with even after the harness treatment so i plan on nailing down bulb numbers and ebay shopping for a HID kit. I also have to replace those 3 big ass (8") LaPaz series offroad lights with a 30" rigid led bar. It is just stunning the amount of light output modern day Led's produce...makes everything else look like turn of the century lamps used for the first automotive lights.

 

[Larry]

I really like how the flairs accent the white. Perhaps a small lower rocker panel application of bed liner to finish it off? Mr. headlight looks out of adjustment btw. I went with the LMC replacements on my jimmy. Wasn't thrilled with the lights that came with even after the harness treatment so i plan on nailing down bulb numbers and ebay shopping for a HID kit. I also have to replace those 3 big ass (8") LaPaz series offroad lights with a 30" rigid led bar. It is just stunning the amount of light output modern day Led's produce...makes everything else look like turn of the century lamps used for the first automotive lights.

Thanks! I thought about having the rockers done in Rhinolining or something like my K10 but after I resprayed the white paint I really like it solid white without any black on the rockers. The black accents of the molding and flares are just about right.

Ah, the headlights…..there is an interesting story. Actually, I installed a set of HID’s last year and did not like them. The HID light that came out pissed off all incoming traffic where everybody was flashing me no matter how I adjusted the lamps. The cop that that pulled me over at 4 AM on my way to the airport to tell me my headlights were against the law didn’t help much either. Can’t say I was real fond of the lighting coming out of them either as it just looked weird so I got a LMC headlight wiring kit and run 9005XS bulbs in new eurolamps.com lamp housings in the low-beam position then moved the HID’s in a matching pair of eurolamps.com lamp housings to the high-beam position. I am much happier with having the HID’s when I need them (highbeam) but using low-beams with the LMC 12V harness and 9005XS bulbs for normal night driving. That said, the high-beam lamp adjustment looks off but with the lamps pointed downward actually throws off a lot of light way out in the distance where if I point them any further up I don’t have any HID lighting in front of the truck. Just odd how the HID’s dissipate light through these particular glass lamp housings. I'm still on the fence about HID’s. Probably wouldn’t ever install them on another vehicle.

LMC Harness. I covered it in black split loom to cover up the ugly yellow casing LMC puts it in

eurolamps.com HID kit. These pictures were before I moved the HID’s to the high-beam position. I feel that eurolamps.com HID kit is a great kit, just not something I personally like. So far, I don’t mind them in the high-beam position though but I haven't driven it enough at night with the high-beams on to know for sure. There is one of these boxes on both sides.

 

[noJeepshere]

Yeah HID's in a lens not designed for them are really annoying and dangerous to other drivers. That and I don't feel people need that much lighting power for the low beams, there's a reason manufacturers came up with the idea of high beams. I'm going to do the same thing you've done Larry, HID's in the highs only, except that my auxiliary lights will also be HID.

 

[Larry]

Yeah HID's in a lens not designed for them are really annoying and dangerous to other drivers. That and I don't feel people need that much lighting power for the low beams, there's a reason manufacturers came up with the idea of high beams. I'm going to do the same thing you've done Larry, HID's in the highs only, except that my auxiliary lights will also be HID.

I agree 100%. Interestingly enough, the lamp housings are supposed to be for HID's. At least that is what eurolamps.com sells them as

 

[eclipse85k10]

hid in the high beams only i like that idea.

 

[Larry]

I really ought to stay away from Craigslist! I’ve been keeping a lookout for a CUCV M1009 Blazer the last few years, which is what I was actually looking for when I ran across the Polar Bear in the first place. This time I found this turd that I just had to have the second I saw the Craigslist add. A bare bones ex-government 1991 K5 roller originally equipped with a TBI 5.7L/700R4 automatic/NP241 tcase. The engine is gone but everything else is there. It is not a true CUCV Blazer but somewhat close to it and I really couldn’t pass it up for a few hundred bucks. Hell, I could probably make money on it just by hauling it to straight to the scrap metal place from where my buddy Bill and I picked it up. The only options it has are the up-level quad headlight grill, tow hooks and electric rear window. Other than that, it is complete base model like a CUCV but without the neat bumpers and rattley underpowered 6.2L diesel engine. Whatever government agency had this even painted it the desert tan like many of the CUCV trucks were painted. It is also 100% rust free! There isn't a hole or bubble to be found anywhere but it is going to need a hood as the one on it now is bent like a taco. Oh! and the original vinyl rear seat looks like brand new!

How you like those redneck roof mounted fog lights? No light bar or anything, just some big honkin holes drilled straight into the roof. You should have seen the guy we got this mess from He probably used an air hammer to punch the holes in the roof.

Ugly! Looks like someone used a jackhammer and a pitch fork to pry the old engine out then only left an exhaust Y-pipe behind

Don’t plan on seeing any progress happening on this one real soon. The immediate plan is to power wash everything before it comes off the trailer and gets squirrelled away in storage behind the garage. Oh, and I just have to remove those stupid fog lights just because! The long-term plan at the moment is to use the 5.7L from the Polar Bear after it gets its 8.1L (and after the 5.7L gets some love to address its oil habit). With the new baby, the 8.1L for the Burb could now be next spring/summer the way time is looking. At this point, I am not sure if this K5 will be a fixer and flipper or a keeper to use as a local beater. Either way, I finally got a K5 to complete my trifecta of square bodies GM trucks (’78 K10 truck, ’89 Suburban, and now ’91 K5 Blazer). All I need now to complete the collection of square body ’73-’87 (91 in Blazers and Burbs) GM trucks is a crew cab dually! No, no,, no….my wife will kill me if I drug one of those home too!

At least our new little 7 week old Hannah likes it! Well, at least I think she does…..she smiled when I told her about it

 

[y5mgisi]

Cant wait to see what direction you go with it!

 

[pma4x4]

What are you thinking of doing with it?

 

[Larry]

Cant wait to see what direction you go with it!

Haha, me too!

What are you thinking of doing with it?

Not sure yet. Nothing will happen with it anytime too soon as I have too many irons in the fire now although I do plan on power washing the entire thing this weekend. I might fix it and flip it or just fix it and use it as a beater. Who knows. For the price I couldn’t pass it up and would even make money hauling it to the scrap iron place if it comes to it. It did come with a title too

 

[natemc]

Been awhile since I checked the thread. Looks good and congrats on the new baby.

 

[amsantos]

Where did you buy the starter?

 

[Larry]

Where did you buy the starter?

They are usually sold by parts outlets that cater to the fleet world for commercial grade parts although I believe Napa and the typical jobber type part stores can order them. I purchased both of mine through work. MSRP on these is usually around $350. These guys are advertising them for $309. Pretty pricy for a starter but I tell ya, there is no better starter motor on the market. UPS uses these for their package delivery vans that start and stop hundreds of times each day where a Delco Remy starter only lasts a few months, the Denso will go for practically forever but in severe applications like UPS they will eat up flywheels before the starter dies as the Rockwell hardness on the starter drive gear is 55 and the Rockwell hardness of the typical GM flexplate is around 38-45.

In other news, the Polar Bear got treated to a set of 4:56 rear cogs yesterday. What a noticeable difference over the 4:10’s! 4:56 and 315 tires with a NV4500 is such a sweet combo. I love the 4:56/315 tire/NV4500 in my 8.1L K10. The Polar Bear will really run well once it gets its 8.1L.

 

[y5mgisi]

Awesome!

 

[muddysub]

awesome! 4.56s are the plan for Dasiy as well.

 

[amsantos]

4.56 gears made a world of difference in my rig too. Now I just need a motor to replace the tired stock motor! Maybe an 8.1L ?

 

[Larry]

I have a little day trip over Medano Pass to the Sand Dunes coming up with a few friends which was the motivation I needed to wire up 12V power in the back of the Burb for the National Luna refrigerator borrowed from the Phoenix camper on the K10. I’ve gotten spoiled having cold pop and food in the K10 so I had to make accommodations for the fridge in the Suburban too because you know, you can’t go on a day trip without cold pop

You would think stringing 12V power to the back of the Burb would be a short project….nope, not at this garage. 3 night’s worth of project

I am a junction block junkie! I love these junction blocks GM used on the firewall of 73-91 square body trucks as they are so useful to use everywhere. I added one of these junction blocks to the RH fender to carry the power to the rear of the burb. For this location I removed the cross bar and added a fuse.

Pinch mount stand-off bracket just forward of the RH wheel well as the power lead goes up into the cargo area. All the wiring is 10 gauge wire slid inside 7/32 vacuum hose. I like to run single power leads inside vacuum hose for added chaff protection.

Gave the pass through a good soaking of undercoating

Added another junction block in the right rear quarter panel just forward of the wheel well. I was able to gain access to this spot by way of a speaker hole. It was a tight hole to conduct business!

All that work for 3 damn little 12V outlets!

Left to right: Hella plug for the National Luna refrigerator, 2 port USB outlet and regular 12V outlet

Also added some tied downs to the floor while I was at it. Can’t have that refrigerator bouncing around bonking people on the head

With that, I think we can properly go on a day trip now once I borrow the tires and wheels off the K10 as well

 

[Big Ray]

nice....as usual

 

[y5mgisi]

lol your funny Larry. But you do great work!

 

[mosesburb]

Looks good Larry. I have a grip of those to install in various places in my truck as well, but time has not allowed me to get to it yet--nor does it look like it will be in the near future either with Lance's truck coming in next weekend and all.

I find it kind of funny how things change. I loaded the truck tonight for an overnight tomorrow and I looked at the pile on the living room floor and had to laugh at the amount of stuff "needed" for an overnight anymore with just me and the boy. Ten years ago my wife an I would have thrown a sleeping bag in the truck, implements of self protection, maybe an air mattress and a cooler and been down the road. Now, granted, the comfort level has increased dramatically (I actually get some real good sleep in the truck now), but it sure seems to take a lot of "stuff" to do it.

I like those junction blocks as well. I tried ordering some awhile back from my guy at GM and found they were disco'd, so every time I go to the U-Steal-It yards I grab as many as I can find. Way cheaper there anyways.

What kind of fridge is Bill running??