Project Polar Bear: '89 V2500 Suburban

[campfire]

Looks beautiful! How'd that snow run turn out?

 

[Larry]

Looks beautiful! How'd that snow run turn out?

No go yet My buddies and I haven’t had a chance to get together for a day trip to the mountains. Hopefully soon

 

[pma4x4]

Larry, were you still looking for another Warn front winch bumper?

 

[Larry]

Larry, were you still looking for another Warn front winch bumper?

Maybe

I am sitting on 3 of them now but always keeping my eye out cleaner ones. Do you have a lead on one? I’m looking forward to seeing your bumper in person at Expo this year.

 

[pma4x4]

This one is a little rough. I just didn't know how hard up you were for finding one.

 

[Larry]

Ah, I have one nice one for the Burb but it is not an actual WARN brand bumper. Not sure of its actual manufacturer but it seems to be built better than a true WARN. It is already drilled for the ’81-’91 frame, it is even painted white to boot. I also have a true WARN that Mosesburb found for me but it is pretty rough too. I could salvage it but I just haven’t gotten around to messing with it yet. Not sure what I want to do on the front of the K10 as I have a hard time moving away from the stock bumper and period correct Hickey Sidewinder front winch. That winch isn’t very strong but the SOB always works. Can’t say that for the POS Smittybilt 10K winch on the rear bumper. It is always broke!

Then about 2 months ago I found another winch bumper that was advertised as a WARN. This one is not a true WARN either but it very well built. The only problem is it is chrome and seems a bit narrow for an old square body truck. For $50 I figured I would drag it home anyway. I might be dragging home a ’77 Jeep J20 so maybe one of these bumpers will work on it.

If it is no hassle to snap a picture and email me the one you have a lead on I wouldn’t mind seeing it. Just not sure how I would get it up here.

 

[pma4x4]

I'm still trying to get it. Its actually the 8274 that's bolted to It in trying to get. I'll get a picture of it tomorrow.

 

[Larry]

Cool! Thanks

 

[muddysub]

I like those warn bumpers, I'd run one if I could find one...

 

[Larry]

I just bought this Heep this morning so it will probably be getting one of the winch bumpers I have laying around so I might be needing more bumpers soon

Going to make a wrecker out of this thing!

 

[y5mgisi]

Sweet! Can't wait to see progress on that!

 

[pma4x4]

Ahh... either way it got sold

 

[Larry]

Ahh... either way it got sold

WOW! that looks decent! You'll have to email me the details as far as how much. Not sure how I would get it home. We are not coming straight home after the expo and I don't have room in or on the camper to carry it along. I'd sand blast that thing and paint it satin black and use the hell out of it

 

[Larry]

Sweet! Can't wait to see progress on that!

It will be a fun project. Don’t plan on seeing anything too elaborate with it though. It’s just going to be a beater truck although there are a few things I eventually want to do to it. First being SOA in the front and heavier spring packs in the rear and add the slide in wrecker pieces from my dad’s old wrecker. Probably eventually add the Q78 Super swampers on the Burb now on this J20. Someday it could gain GM power as I just picked up an L96 6.0L. Who knows what will become of this thing...

Short term it needs a clutch and interior work as well as a lot of body clean up (remove PO’s ugly front bumper and some scary wiring) then it can be a driver.

This is the wrecker stuff that will eventually go on it. I hated to scrap my dad’s ’78 K20 that he bought new but it was too far gone to try to salvage. It killed me to scrap it. Hell, I learned how to drive in this truck as a kid. The frame was broke in 2 spots. The steering gear and a huge crack in the frame on the RH side right in the middle between the two spring hangers. Damn near broke in half.

I still want to cry when I look at these pictures. Sniff, sniff

Back in the hayday and before it became a wrecker. This was probably around 1978 or 79

I’m the little kid holding the dog. This was on a deer hunting trip

Being a typical teen age kid screwing around behind my dad’s shop back in the late 80’s. It really killed me to scrap this thing

Then my buddy Bill used to have a 1974 J20 just like the one I just bought, except his had a TH400 instead of a manual trans. His was even the same color too but he later painted it a late 90’s Dodge Solar yellow. We both miss that truck! Glad I found one like it! J-trucks are so underated and hard to find these days.

So between my dad’s old wrecker and my buddy’s J20 legacies this new truck will fill the gap of two old trucks that aren't around anymore and also give me something to use to drag more Craigslist crap home

My buddy’s old J20. The front bumper on this J20 is now the rear bumper on my K10. He kicks himself in the butt all the time for selling this J20. It was a '74 with a '80s Waggy grille.

 

[azblazer]

Which wench....

I have a unrestored Sidewinder in Montrose along with a likewise Ramsey with the hide away mounts for the 81 up chevy's. I need to call him and see about getting those two refurbed.

 

[pma4x4]

Sad about the wrecker, but it sounds like it had a good life.

As for the front bumper if you notice above the picture I mentioned it got sold. went for 200 both bumper and winch. Just bad timing for me as I just bought truck parts and was fresh out of free cash.

 

[COCHEV]

Awesome on the FSJ! Love those. My dad had a 70 with a Buick 350. Spent most of my childhood in the middle of the bench seat shifting gears for dad

 

[Larry]

Sad about the wrecker, but it sounds like it had a good life.

As for the front bumper if you notice above the picture I mentioned it got sold. went for 200 both bumper and winch. Just bad timing for me as I just bought truck parts and was fresh out of free cash.

Ah, yeah…..at first glance I thought it was a typo that said it was "solid". Well, in that case thanks for cluttering up my thread with pictures of junk that isn't even for sale anymore

Awesome on the FSJ! Love those. My dad had a 70 with a Buick 350. Spent most of my childhood in the middle of the bench seat shifting gears for dad

That’s cool. Seems the Jeep J-trucks were the bastard trucks back in the day. Not nearly as many sold as GM and Ford. Kinda like the Titan and Tundra today although J trucks are much cooler! Wish this one had a Buick engine instead of an AMC 360. I think the Buick engines were dropped from the FSJs back in the late 60's.

 

[Larry]

Well she isn’t pretty but she’s home! We had a little problem with it though….. The old man I got it from dropped it when he removed it from the jack stands then the engine fell forward (because there is no trans in it right now) and took out the fan shroud and radiator. On top of that the hood slammed shut and jammed when it fell and he couldn’t figure out how to open it so he proceeded to chop away at the grill! Errr! This old guy is like 80 years old and deaf as a door knob. I told him Monday he could wait and my brother and I would take it off the stands for him. Lucky he didn’t kill himself.

Oh, well he gave me an extra set of 8 lug factory wheels and a near mint grill and headlight bezels from a Wagoneer parked next to it as well as $100 cash. So really, I still feel like I got a decent deal on the truck. $400 is all I have in to this thing plus several hours in jocking it around his yard to load it on the trailer in 100 MPH winds!

Here she is! First order of business is to replace the trans release bearing retainer and throw a fresh clutch in it as well as new engine mounts….and now a different radiator. Once I get it running I plan to replace the rusted driver’s floor board and go from there. The body has some dents and dings but no rust anywhere other than the driver’s floor board has a lot of perforations. Easy fixer

This is where he dropped it from. It was up on old implement axles or something like that.

After an hour of fiddling around to get it on the trailer. Oh man, the wind was horrible!

You can see how much dust is in the air from the crazy winds. We usually have over 300 days of clear blue skies. Not this day!

Can't wait to get that grill and bumper replaced!

For $400 I think it is a hell of a deal. Not sure my wife agrees though

 

[COCHEV]

Nice start

You should do an old school grill on it like the ones from the late 60s...Just my preference tho. Looks fun!