1989 suburban info

[wanna12]

looking into purchasing a 89 suburban....350 engine...400 turbo 2500 series...180,000 kms tranny...is there any thing I should be looking at ?...problems?

what are the general thoughts for this year suburban are they worth buying or are they junk...hints will help an amateur like me

Thanks

[dirty dan]

I've got an '89 1500 that's going to turn 260,000 this month. My friend has an 89, 2500 4X4 that has close to 250,000 now. Both are 5.7's and both are good vehicles. The 2500 has the Turbo 400 tranny instead of the 700R4. I like the Turbo 400 better but your gas milage will probably be in the 10 MPG range. The 700R4's of this vintage have been known to eat torque converters regularly, but it is an overdrive. I'm currently fighting a problem with my ECM controls which I can't pinpoint.
Only other problems I've had overall are replaced 1 window motor, A/C compressor died at about 180,000 so I switched over to R12. Replaced radiator at 200,000. Other than that most has been routine maintenance.

[sub006]

I have 370,000 original miles on my '90.

Yes, the 700R4 trans can be weak. Rebuild with heavy-duty (more, thinner clutch discs on intermediate gears, etc.), add a REAL oil cooler and use ONLY Red Line D4 ATF, ten bucks a quart and worth every penny. Then you're looking at 250-300,000 miles at 15 or more mpg.

I refuse to buy anything newer than 91. A new Suburban has 131 cubic feet of cargo room with all seats out/down. Our old R/V (73-91) models have 165!!!

I don't care for leather seats or airbags, so why buy a new one? Told my dealer he won't see me for a few years. When they come out with a 50/50 hybrid that gets 30 in the city and 25 highway, I'll buy..........and keep the old one for towing!!

[J-Ri]

Actually, from what I've heard, the full size hybrids will have more towing power that a standard truck. The engine and motor will both drive the wheels, unlike the prius which basically has an engine that drives a generator which powers a motor.