- a well-kept, one-owner classic truck has found its way out of hiding and onto the bring a trailer auction site with a current bid of $12,500.
- you won't find many old suburbans anywhere, and especially not ones with a three-speed, column-mounted manual transmission with a 350-cubic-inch v-8 engine under the hood. add in the decent amount of upkeep that was done over the years, and you've got yourself an unusual opportunity here.
- options that the original buyer chose include power steering, chrome bumpers, and a 32-gallon fuel tank. and am radio, of course.
older vehicle in great shape? check. spiraling demand for classic cars during a pandemic? check. one more owner ready to take advantage of the situation? checkmate. the vehicle auction site bring a trailer currently has a listing for a 1976 gmc suburban sierra c1500 in what appears to be incredible shape, and the current bid is sitting at $12,500. the current seller is a dealer in new jersey, and the auction ends in four days.
this shiny black suburban was apparently owned by a single owner from its original purchase in march 1976 at thorpe's pontiac in tannersville, new york, until some time in 2020. the original cost, after fees and discounts, came to $5577.60, thanks to an unusual combination of options. there's a 350-cubic-inch v-8 engine (not a straight-six, as some might prefer) paired with a column-mounted three-speed manual transmission. the truck was ordered with power steering, chrome bumpers, and a 32-gallon fuel tank. inside, the suburban's front and rear bench seats are covered in classic plaid saddle vinyl (the rear seats fold up), and the truck also comes with rubber floor mats and wood-grain trim. occupants will be able to enjoy the rich, authentic sounds of am radio as they cruise around in this beast of a truck.
the 15-inch wheels currently use 235/75 goodyear wrangler trailrunner a/t tires, and the wheel cylinders were reportedly replaced in april 2021. the brake master cylinder was also replaced at some point. other repairs done over the years include repainting the inner rear tailgate and some dent repair on the exterior of the rear tailgate. there is some water on the front seat bottoms and part of the rear cargo area shows rust. the coolant temperature gauge doesn't work. the five-digit odometer currently displays just under 24,000 miles, but it has rolled over at least once, and the total mileage is unknown.
the owner's manual, miscellaneous gmc promotional booklets, and maintenance records are included in the sale.
it's difficult to compare today's prices with those of even a few years ago, given how the pandemic and other factors have ramped up prices for various collectibles and used cars, but it's worth at least looking at other figures. classic.com sales results for seventh-generation suburbans (built between 1973 and 1991) averaged $13,624 over 34 sales in the past five years. this average includes plenty of suburbans that were not kept up to stay as nice as the current example, but it's at least something to keep in mind. there's also a 1977 gmc chevrolet suburban sierra classic with three rows of seats and running boards currently on ebay with a buy-it-now price of $14,995.