How rare is my Diesel Suburban?

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gordy318

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I purchased it about a month ago blind from a municipal auction site. When I picked it up I heard the clatter of the diesel and I thought something was wrong until I got in and it said Diesel fuel only. I thought oh this is cute the auto gods were looking out for me as I wanted to pull and it wasn't listed as a diesel. I filled it up and reset the trip odometer. It was already almost full. I traveled home 208 miles and filled up again. It only shut off at 8.5 gallons. I was thinking that can't be right. In the end I got another half gallon or so in there so it took 9.1 gallons. That is over 22MPG. I was thinking how is that possible? This thing has to weigh 7K. So I researched when I got home and found others that had similar mileage.

The next trip I took was to DeQueen arkansas. Again reset my trip and 304 miles round trip. Filled up again when I got home. This time it took 12.6 gallons.

My final out of town trip was back to dallas to pick up a crown victoria and a impala I had purchased at another municipal auction. On the way there it was 224 miles and I used 10.2 gallons. On the way back I am sure with trailer, tow dolly, impala, and crown vic I was well over 12,000 I was pulling. Granted 2 of the impala wheels were on the ground. When I got back home it was 239 miles (blew a tire on the trailer extra mileage). It took 16.7 gallons to fill back up. A little over 14MPG. I am OK with that!

After doing lots of research I find there are not a lot of these Suburbans on the road. I cannot find any actual numbers because they are mixed in with Gas powered models.

I did further research and simply put diesel with suburban on many of the auto finding sites and only found a handful. NONE with as few miles as this one. None even on E of the bay.

With this kind of MPG's why did people not eat these up when they were new? I was perfectly content to have a gas model getting 15MPG at best 10-11 in town. This should have sold circles around the gas model!

So the question is how rare is this vehicle?

How many have you seen personally?

How much do you think it is worth to someone who knows them? (book values are non exsistant)

Here are a couple of pics from the auction. Since these pics I painted the wheels black (didn't like the red) and added a Chevy steering wheel cover.

On a side note I have been a Ford and Dodge man my whole life. I would commonly mock the old commercial with the bob segar "like a rock" song by following "like a rock" its usually just sitting there "like a rock" mostly sitting there. No offense to anyone this is my first GM venture.
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90halfton

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The 6.5s we're real hit and miss as far as reliability. If you're going to use it as a car it will probably serve you well, as you've seen with the mileage. If you live your life with a 20k lb trailer behind you, a 6.5 will f### your wallet to death.
The reason they aren't mass numbers of them out there is because most of them have been parked in a tree row for 10 years. And because they couldn't hold a candle to the 5.9 cummins and 7.3 power stroke of their era.
If you want a Chevy, pre Duramax to tow with, your best bet it a big block. But like I said, they're hit and miss, some of the 6.5s are good pickups
 

deejaaa

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guessing it's a 96. looks clean. if you want a serious answer, you need to go to the diesel site as there're a lot of diesel haters here.
try diesel place or the truck stop.
there are stickies that post what to look out for, how/where to relocate the PMD, what oil cooler lines to get, what to do...not to do.
 

GarrettGmc

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Oddly enough not to rare around here. There's one for sell about hour north of me for 5k, seen a couple others around town but the best is the guy who lives around the corner, older guy who takes care of everything, I'd trade my 1500 gas for it anyday. But those diesels are hit an miss, some can be good others are crap
 

Goose 3406

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I would take it for the mileage you're getting with it. But I too have heard the 6.5 horror stories, as well as I cant justify getting a burban since its only ever me and my fiance in the truck
 

Jorge6.5

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Yep great motors for fuel mileage. But, they need some upgrades to be made reliable. Pmd relocation, bigger exhaust, free flowing exhaust, etc
 

Supercharged111

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guessing it's a 96. looks clean. if you want a serious answer, you need to go to the diesel site as there're a lot of diesel haters here.

That's cuz GMT400 diesels suck! In a sick way I still kind of want one, but I wouldn't get rid of my gassers. I think it'd make a good winter beater with a plow hanging off the front. Just don't forget to plug the ****** in.
 

Goose 3406

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That's cuz GMT400 diesels suck! In a sick way I still kind of want one, but I wouldn't get rid of my gassers. I think it'd make a good winter beater with a plow hanging off the front. Just don't forget to plug the ****** in.
Do GMT400 diesels still suck if its a Cummins swap? Or maybe a 453t with twin turbskies? Or, here's one I wanna do, a 3208 or 3116 cat swap
 
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