What to do with my Suburban

[LeftVentricle]

So since I didn't get the Lumina I talked about in this thread, I've decided to stop trying to buy a car and just get my truck fixed up and keep it. I'll just have to live with the poor fuel economy. But that's neither here nor there. My question is this:

I've searched the internet pretty thoroughly and I cannot find any sites or forums dedicated to Suburban owners of any generation, let alone ways to make them faster or more powerful. So I'm asking the members of the 60degreev6 forum to assist me in this endeavor. I know it's a pretty narrow niche, but so is this place. I'll keep looking, but for now I'd like to know if anyone here knows of or frequents another site/forum that focuses on the Suburban.

Or even better, what is known here about the 350 small block of the eighties? I know it's pretty underpowered compared to previous/subsequent iterations, especially in an 8000 pound tank... but my dream is to make this an SS Suburban (go ahead and laugh), the only one that'll run a 14 sec e/t at the track. Really looking forward to making a fool of some ricers in this beast.

Thanks in advance.

[geoffinbc]

Personally if the cash is avalible then swap in a LS block or a newer Vortec block. They are much more eficient and powerful engines and you get all the benefits of the new engines.

What year is this thing? I am asuming it is TBI fuel injection right? Well thoes engines are sad to say the least. they had 8:1 compression and heads that flow pitiful amounts of air.

As far as forums go just join a fullsize forum. Tats all suburbans are

[patgizz]

chevytalk.com

[WhiteRaider]

Why don't you just buy an old Cavy, Beretta, or other 3.1l /3x00 car with a bad engine. In Las Vegas, I'm sure there are tons of cars with great bodies and crappy engines. Swap in one of the low cost/low mileage 3x00 engines.

Better yet, if you want to eat some ricers for dinner, buy an old MG or Triumph convertible and throw a 3x00 in it. An 1800 lb car with 200 HP would smoke a lot of cars out there. Just hang onto your Suburban long enough to haul your parts until you're built up.

[LeftVentricle]

Personally if the cash is avalible then swap in a LS block or a newer Vortec block. They are much more eficient and powerful engines and you get all the benefits of the new engines.

What year is this thing? I am asuming it is TBI fuel injection right? Well thoes engines are sad to say the least. they had 8:1 compression and heads that flow pitiful amounts of air.

As far as forums go just join a fullsize forum. Tats all suburbans are

It's 1986, which is the last year the Quadrajet carburetor was used in the Silverado-based trucks and Suburbans. This monster is totally stock, and I was surprised that it got 19.2 @ 70 mph when I took it to the track, the slowest by far but quicker than I expected. So I'm hoping for the unrealistic, a five second drop in that time... But I don't know if that'll happen. It's really heavy with an underpowered engine. But a man can dream, right?

I could join a fullsize forum, but they probably don't have anything regarding the trucks of the 80s, and would probably laugh me out for trying to make a Suburban into a racer. But there's only one way to find out...

[geoffinbc]

You'd be suprised. I bet more people will be dealing with the old trucks as they are the ones needing the most TLC.

[patgizz]

chevytalk.com has a huge 73-87 following...

i gave my burb to my dad, it was extremely quick for a big truck(beat my 3.4 dohc lumina = quick for a burb). i had ~340hp of full roller vortec head fuel injected 355 in it(with that much power/torque i want it in something light, so i put it in my car). he put it back stock. he's around 17mpg average w/ a stock TBI 350, 700r4, and 3.73's