1987 marked the year when the classic Square Body Chevrolet Suburban was put to rest, having made its debut in 1973. The 1973 Suburban marked a complete departure from the previous generation’s design, the first apparent change being the shift from a two-door to a four-door vehicle. The vehicle’s new chassis design then went ahead to dominate the Suburban’s identity for the next 19 years, going largely unchanged save for enhancements added in subtlety. This fell perfectly in line with the core design values of Chevrolet, which were largely centered around uniqueness that could set them apart from other vehicle manufacturers.

While the body shape was barely up-scaled within that extended period of time, the square body Suburban did undergo a multitude of changes in engine design, interior make-up, and mechanical aspects. This so to it that the Chevrolet Suburban kept mauling the competition, which was mostly the Ford Bronco and the Jeep Wagoneer at the time.

In the 80s, the ½ ton Suburbans started out at slightly over $12,000, while the ¾ ton Suburbans would attract just over $14,000, which is just over $32,000 in today’s money. Let’s take a look at how much you would need to shell out to restore a classic Square Body Chevrolet Suburban today.

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The 19-year Heritage Of The Square Body Chevrolet’s Design Cannot Be Unwritten

Black Square Body Chevrolet Suburban
Via: Hemmings.com

The 1973 Suburban launched the debut of the 7th generation of Suburbans whose ancestry can be traced all the way to 1935, a period of time during which the US was still trying to wade out of the Great Depression. Chevrolet introduced the 1st generation Suburban as a heavy-duty vehicle and maintained that premise for all the generations leading up to the 7th. From 1973, the 7th Generation Suburban, which was the 3rd generation of the Chevrolet C/K lineup, the company brought the design of the vehicle closer to SUV-Esque design coupled with the look of a station wagon. Chevrolet described the new Suburban as “a broad-shouldered and tough vehicle that looks more like a station-wagon, rides more like a station wagon, but still tough like a truck”.

The Square Body Suburban dropped the rounded lines from other generations and maintained this for the next 19 years, which made the 7th generation the longest-running generation of the entire Suburban lineup. The Suburban was available till 1991 in ½ ton and ¼ ton chassis. This square body inspired the design of models from companies like Ford, seeing that as of 1978 the Ford Bronco, while being smaller than the Suburban and still a two-door vehicle, seemed suspiciously similarly shaped as the Suburban.

Atop the new clear-cut edge design and the addition of 2 extra doors to the 7th generation Suburban, Chevrolet broadened the vehicle’s shoulders and increased the wheel-base of the vehicle, making it a comparatively larger truck.

The Square Body Chevrolet Improved Upon Its Performance With Each Year

1987 Chevrolet Silverado with an open hood
Via: Chevy Truck Forums

The new generation Suburban was packed with novel technology and mechanics. The vehicle’s base engine was scaled up to the 250cid inline-six with a small-block V8, but buyers could opt for a 454 cid big-block V8 which could put out 240 horsepower. Over the next 2 decades, engine models came and went on the Suburban, with the company finally settling for the 350 cu, 454 cu, and the 6.2l diesel engines in 1988 up until the generation’s close in 1991.

Chevrolet also changed the vehicle’s transmission to a 4-speed automatic in 1981 and introduced automatic-locking front wheel hubs which gave drivers access to shift-on-the-fly four-wheel-drive engagement. While Chevrolet had been using carburetors for fuel delivery to the engines, 1987 saw the Suburban finally endorse electronic fuel injection.

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You Can Fit 3 Generations Of Your Family Into The Square Body Suburban

1978 Chevrolet Suburban Interior
Via: CarGurus

The Square Body Suburban is like a hall on wheels. With 144 cubic feet of load-space, the vehicle can seat 9 people! The car comes with a folding seat that creates room for 3 people, and an extra removable seat. The extra load barely puts up a challenge, seeing as the Chevrolet Suburban is rated at 14,000lb carrying capacity. For those long family vacations, this car would be perfect as you can hitch up a travel trailer, your 9-person family, and luggage for everyone.

While roomy, the Suburban is certainly not empty! It comes with a four-season, two-unit air conditioning system, which can is located at the front console, with an optional roof-mounted air conditioner. The instrument panel at the front console also dons an AM/FM radio and next to the steering wheel is the automatic transmission.

The Cost Of Owning A Square Body Chevrolet In The 21st Century

Restored 5 door Chevrolet Suburban
Via: Outstanding Cars

The Suburban steps into the 21st Century as an overlanding, rock-crawling, grocery-getting truck. You probably won’t see it taking home any trophies from a muscle car awards event, but what it can do, it does well. Tune up the Suburban well, and it will give you between 10mpg and 17mpg on the highway. Very conveniently, GM parts are littered all over the place, and so long you can find a person who can turn a wrench, you’ll be up and running in no time.

A fully functional, pristine Square Body Chevrolet Suburban will set you back anywhere between $12,000 and $60,000, with the average price of driving one home coming in at around $16,000. Maintenance costs with this vehicle are a breeze.

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