Curt
Sometimes when I close my eyes, I can't see.
1996 Chevrolet K1500 Suburban LS
Here are the current things done to the truck: 4" Pro Comp Lift Kit, 33x12.50x15 BFG Mud-Terrain T/A KM2's, Smittybilt Chrome Nerf Bars, Xenon Fender Flares, 15x10 MB Motoring Polished Aluminum Modular Wheels, Flowmaster Muffler, Leather interior, Color matched rear pillars, Kicker KS Series speakers
You must be registered for see images attach
Here are the current things done to the truck: 4" Pro Comp Lift Kit, 33x12.50x15 BFG Mud-Terrain T/A KM2's, Smittybilt Chrome Nerf Bars, Xenon Fender Flares, 15x10 MB Motoring Polished Aluminum Modular Wheels, Flowmaster Muffler, Leather interior, Color matched rear pillars, Kicker KS Series speakers
Well, I guess it took me long enough to post one of these. As the title states, this is my 1996 Chevrolet K1500 Suburban. It's been in the family since 1997 and I took it over in 2012. I know, you might be thinking, How did this kid "take over" the truck when he was 12? I guess that's a fair question, but I'll get to that in a bit. I love to story tell, so I suggest you grab some popcorn and a drink before you continue to read on, haha. (I'll put the storytelling parts in spoilers so people aren't hit by a huge wall of text.)
The Backstory
The "Take Over"
Here's how the truck sat in 2012 (excuse my poor photo taking skills):
So I'll be updating the thread with pics from the progress from 2012 to current, although I did lose a lot of photos due to a HDD failure in my last computer sadly. I'll be trying my best to update this as fast as I can until I work my way up to current.
The Backstory
Before I get into the "build" I'll give you some backstory of how we acquired this truck.
My dad bought this to replace his white '95 2 door Yukon which he absolutely HATED. Behind the 2 dr Yukon he towed his 21' ski boat, not only did that thing look ridiculous towing a 21 footer, but he said it towed horribly. So, one day my mom was waiting for my dad to come home and he didn't show up after work. She began to joke with my Grandma that he went out and bought a new truck, which she didn't think would happen because they've never made a car purchase without each other and they literally paid off the Yukon a couple days ago. Sure enough, the Suburban turns the corner, and that's where the adventure begins.
Before purchasing the suburban, my dad had been secretly shopping for one to pop up at the local dealership (He used to frequent the Courtesy Chevrolet in San Jose, now known as Momentum Chevrolet). He kept coming in and test driving used suburbans, but never found the right one. One day he test drove a used '95 suburban, but he claimed that it had a ton of electrical problems. He began to walk back to the Yukon when the salesman stopped him and said that there was a fresh trade-in suburban if my dad wanted to try it. The salesman and my dad hopped in a car and he turns the corner into the used car lot of the dealership (Back in the day this dealership was HUGE). As the salesman rolls the fence open, my dad laid his eyes on the suburban and he knew it was the one. The PO had already lifted the truck, but the leafs were sagging a good 1-2" from possibly towing a camper all of its life (that's our guess anyways). It was in a semi-sad state, being that the dealer hadn't even touched it. My dad ended up trading in the Yukon and drove home the Suburban.
Through the years, this Suburban has been to many places: Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, etc. The memories that this truck holds are priceless. It was the first truck I ever "drove" when I was 6 yrs old (I sat on my dad's lap and steered, probably one of the main reasons I'm interested in cars and want to pursue it as a career). This truck fueled my passion as a car/truck enthusiast and I love it with all my heart.
Eventually, the 4L60E gave way and my dad replaced the 4L60E with another one (this truck's purpose was to be a people mover, tow pig, and all around workhorse). Then, the 350 Vortec, which is still currently in the truck, was starting to get worn out and couldn't perform the jobs which were thrown at it as efficiently. The truck was replaced by our new tow pig, which we acquired in 2007, a 2003 Supercharged Hummer H2 (a story for another time). The suburban got parked, and unfortunately the California sun was not kind to the truck.
My dad bought this to replace his white '95 2 door Yukon which he absolutely HATED. Behind the 2 dr Yukon he towed his 21' ski boat, not only did that thing look ridiculous towing a 21 footer, but he said it towed horribly. So, one day my mom was waiting for my dad to come home and he didn't show up after work. She began to joke with my Grandma that he went out and bought a new truck, which she didn't think would happen because they've never made a car purchase without each other and they literally paid off the Yukon a couple days ago. Sure enough, the Suburban turns the corner, and that's where the adventure begins.
Before purchasing the suburban, my dad had been secretly shopping for one to pop up at the local dealership (He used to frequent the Courtesy Chevrolet in San Jose, now known as Momentum Chevrolet). He kept coming in and test driving used suburbans, but never found the right one. One day he test drove a used '95 suburban, but he claimed that it had a ton of electrical problems. He began to walk back to the Yukon when the salesman stopped him and said that there was a fresh trade-in suburban if my dad wanted to try it. The salesman and my dad hopped in a car and he turns the corner into the used car lot of the dealership (Back in the day this dealership was HUGE). As the salesman rolls the fence open, my dad laid his eyes on the suburban and he knew it was the one. The PO had already lifted the truck, but the leafs were sagging a good 1-2" from possibly towing a camper all of its life (that's our guess anyways). It was in a semi-sad state, being that the dealer hadn't even touched it. My dad ended up trading in the Yukon and drove home the Suburban.
Through the years, this Suburban has been to many places: Lake Tahoe, Yosemite, Los Angeles, Palm Springs, etc. The memories that this truck holds are priceless. It was the first truck I ever "drove" when I was 6 yrs old (I sat on my dad's lap and steered, probably one of the main reasons I'm interested in cars and want to pursue it as a career). This truck fueled my passion as a car/truck enthusiast and I love it with all my heart.
Eventually, the 4L60E gave way and my dad replaced the 4L60E with another one (this truck's purpose was to be a people mover, tow pig, and all around workhorse). Then, the 350 Vortec, which is still currently in the truck, was starting to get worn out and couldn't perform the jobs which were thrown at it as efficiently. The truck was replaced by our new tow pig, which we acquired in 2007, a 2003 Supercharged Hummer H2 (a story for another time). The suburban got parked, and unfortunately the California sun was not kind to the truck.
The "Take Over"
After a long while, during the Suburban's sitting period, a new Government program got released which allowed people to trade in their junk cars for cash. Anyone remember the program cash for clunkers? Well, this suburban was almost a piece of that program. My mom was tired of looking at it and begged my dad and I to get rid of this truck. My older brother and sister were on board with getting rid of the truck as well. They wanted to replace it with a 2013 Suburban. Eventually my dad had to cave in and it was a 4v1. Being that I was getting up there in age and will eventually start driving, I convinced my parents to keep the truck and I'll restore the truck to its former glory. Once they agreed, I went to work during the Summer of 2012.
Here's how the truck sat in 2012 (excuse my poor photo taking skills):
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
You must be registered for see images attach
So I'll be updating the thread with pics from the progress from 2012 to current, although I did lose a lot of photos due to a HDD failure in my last computer sadly. I'll be trying my best to update this as fast as I can until I work my way up to current.
Last edited:
