Although the Suburban is known primarily as a Chevy nameplate, GMC also had a rather lengthy run with it, with the GMC Suburban produced between 1937 and 1999 before it was rebranded as the GMC Yukon XL. Now, we’re checking out this fun-loving 1972 GMC Suburban, which is hitting the street with a fresh LS-swap under the hood.
Coming to us from aftermarket performance suspension company QA1, the video is a little under 8 minutes long, and showcases the 1972 GMC Suburban in question with a walkaround and a little driving fun at the end.
From the out, this thing looks pretty rough around the edges, but that just gives it that extra character expected from an enthusiast build. According to the owner, most of the bottom of the vehicle was “rusted and completely gone” when he purchased it from the previous owner In Wisconsin, with “closet rod, hangers, fiberglass, hopes and dreams holding it together.”
Luckily, the owner could fall back on his technical skills to overhaul all that rust, and to that end, the floor was removed and the body was taken off, while the mechanical bits underneath were replaced as well. Outside, a 1968 front end was added, but overall, the owner didn’t really worry about the body work – in fact, this GMC Suburban doesn’t even have a windshield, and parts literally fall off of it when the door is opened.
Under the skin, however, we find a brand-new engine and drivetrain, including a 6.0L LS V8, which was upgraded with a Stage 2 Brian Tooley Racing truck cam, Fitech fuel injection, and CBF Racing accessory drive. Funny enough, the owner says he procured the engine and transmission at a blackjack table at SEMA.
Of course, this GMC Suburban is now running a full QA1 suspension upgrade front to back, with double adjustable shocks to make it handle “like a go-kart.”
“It’s so much fun, even not going too fast but being able to dive into a corner day to day,” the owner states.
Check out the full video right here:
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Comments
Very cool. Bad @ss. So when are you bringing to SEMA? Love the Suburban. A GM success story since 1937.
The fact that it’s a GMC is even cooler.
My only suggestion for this ride is to retrofit it with a vintage full sized deep cushioned bench seat out of a sixties or seventies Cadillac or Lincoln. Reapolster the bench seat in a white leather hide.
My ex brother-in-law took a front bench seat out of a 1972 Lincoln and retrofitted it into his Ford F250 work truck and it made a super comfortable big front seat.
Try to find a vintage bench seat from a Caddy. That would be really cool.