Older Body Styles?

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Which years Suburban, Yukon, Blazer, etc. body styles had two swing doors instead of a lift up or drop down tailgate?

Were they an option or just eliminated in a certain year?

 

[pauldun170]

Barn doors were up until the 2006 model year

 

[herm0016]

01 to 06 had them as an option, with a lift gate. before that you could get a tail gate style or the "barn doors" I like the barn doors better than the tail gate, but the lift gate better than any of the other options.

my work/farm/ tow truck is an 01 2500 suburban with the 8.1L 496 cubic inch big block. fantastic truck, super heavy duty running gear, full float 14 bolt rear dif, 4l85 trans with upgraded 5 pinion planetaries and more clutch plates, hardened shells. and the beast of an engine. 207k miles and runs great.

they built the 2500s until 2014. the gmt800 01-06 version of the suburban 2500 is one of the best and heaviest built of any suburban generation.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

If I go that way, I want the doors. I'm tired of replacing gas cylinders on liftgates and trunk lids.

There is a Yukon for sale not too far from me, but it has the liftgate and rust over the rear wheels. No year or odometer stated, but they only want $6K. Not planning on biting.

I need to watch length though. The Suburbans are close to 20' which is about two feet too long for my garage.

I don't drive enough for fuel economy to matter all that much. I want the enclosed area rather than an open pick up.

 

[herm0016]

the best built and most reliable generations are the 92-99 and 00 to 06 avoid any 5.3L that has active fuel management which started in 07. 00-06 that has been taken care of in the past should last a good long time in the future. biggest issue is usually the abs and park brake lights on or intermittent and that is the abs module on the frame rail, the solder joints crack after some age. only other issue is pump rub in the transfer case and its milage dependent replacement transfer cases should have the updated part to prevent the oil pump from wearing on the case.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Saw what I think I want today. Short body Yukon with barn doors. Sucka' was super clean too. Not a scratch or ding anywhere that I could see. Four rectangular headlights above the parking/turn signals if that helps anyone with a year.

It was in a parking lot of a store and I thought it was a customer's so I didn't want to nose around it too much. When I drove back past the place a couple of hours later, it was still there so possibly an employee. Didn't have time to stop back in though.

 

[NutBucket]

double headlights is GMT400 IIRC ('88-'98 approximately)

 

[mindless1]

Not trying to talk you out of it, but liftgate struts are not difficult or expensive to DIY replace, as long as it's not a motorized, power liftgate... just put a set on my aunt's Highlander a week ago, took 5 minutes and $30 a pair.

It just isn't a criteria up there near practically anything else that would make me choose an old GM gas guzzler even if I didn't drive it a lot, which I don't my oldest SUV but even so, it would make more than $30 difference a year and struts tend to last a few years.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

The ones on my wagon have been pretty good. Only have had to replace them once. But I've been through three sets on my Sebring trunk and that trunk lid is heavy enough to do very serious damage if it falls on your hand.

If I find one for sale in decent shape that has doors, that's what I want. I don't drive enough for gas mileage to be an issue and I need something to pull a trailer with a 2,000 pound load on it.

I'd freaking LOVE to have the one I saw the other day. Or at least I think I would not having heard it run or knowing anything else about it mechanically.

I can't use a full sized one since my garage space is only about 18 feet at most. From the specs I've read, the full sized ones are closer to 20 feet and this one I saw should have been under 17.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Dannggit, if this was closer, I'd be all over it.

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[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Drool .....

https://www.carsforsale.com/vehicle/details/91812283

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Guess I forgot to post .....






And yeah, it's got the barn doors.

.

 

[mindless1]

I still don't see the fascination... 15 hwy fuel economy, granted my older SUV doesn't do long trips so it's the utility, not the fuel economy that maters.

The thing is, even if it's in a low rust region, a vehicle that age can require a lot of nickel and dime TLC and it's only nickel and dime if prepared to DIY.

If rust is off the table, it may still need suspension components replaced, many if not all fluids flushed, radiator, water pump, hoses, vac lines, wiring, etc. Not trying to discourage it but trying to get a vehicle that age ready for a new tour of duty can be an investment in time and labor as well as some money.

Barn doors? It's still the last thing that would be on my mind on a > 20 y/o vehicle. BUT, if it makes you happy to have barn doors, and it makes it worth the effort to semi-restore it, then you should have what you want.

193K miles though, I would never pay over $1K for any vehicle with that high a mileage, unless it was a diesel truck that size or larger, unless I had some special plan to reuse the chassis and do some resto-mod something. That does not mean someone else couldn't find value in it for $4K, depends a lot on the true state of wear of tranny and engine in particular, considering how much full sized trucks/SUVs cost today.

 

[NutBucket]

Why do people love 20 year old trucks? They're stupid easy to fix and there's a lot less crap to go wrong.