Inherited 1961 GMC Suburban

[Dadsktruck]

Hi all,
When I was seven on December 5, 1960 Dad brought home a new 1961 K1001 GMC Suburban. It was chrystal green with a 305 V6 and options including a 4 speed transmission, a heavy duty oil bath air cleaner and a low cut in generator. Dad was a rural mail carrier and part time electrician and the Suburban helped him deliver the mail on snow clogged Nebraska roads and supported his electrical business. He had long been retired from both of those pursuits when he passed away in January of this year at age 100 but kept and still used the Suburban now and then.
It’s now mine and I trailered it back to my home in the Phoenix, AZ area. It’s estimated to have about 100,000 miles and its in good condition considering. For now I’m doing some minor work to get it more drivable and will be scouring this site and posting questions as my restoration efforts move along. Attached is a photo taken when it arrived at its new Ariizona home.

[Ed Snyder]

Originally Posted by Dadsktruck

Hi all,
When I was seven on December 5, 1960 Dad brought home a new 1961 K1001 GMC Suburban. It was chrystal green with a 305 V6 and options including a 4 speed transmission, a heavy duty oil bath air cleaner and a low cut in generator. Dad was a rural mail carrier and part time electrician and the Suburban helped him deliver the mail on snow clogged Nebraska roads and supported his electrical business. He had long been retired from both of those pursuits when he passed away in January of this year at age 100 but kept and still used the Suburban now and then.
It’s now mine and I trailered it back to my home in the Phoenix, AZ area. It’s estimated to have about 100,000 miles and its in good condition considering. For now I’m doing some minor work to get it more drivable and will be scouring this site and posting questions as my restoration efforts move along. Attached is a photo taken when it arrived at its new Arizona home.

Welcome to the forum! My Suburban history is a little bit like yours. In 1965 my Dad bought a one ton panel truck and converted it into a Suburban with four rows of seats for our big family. If you search for "one ton Suburban" on this site, you can read more about it and see photos too. Dad passed it on to me in 2014. After owning it for 10 years myself, I sold it on Bring a Trailer last year. It went to Billings, Montana.
In 1997 I bought my own Suburban, a 1962 K1001 similar to yours. It was sold new to a doctor who lived in the Sierra Nevadas. The guy I bought it from was the second owner, and lived in the Phoenix, AZ area. My son wants it someday, so it's a keeper!

[Funky61]

Welcome Dadsktruck!

Great story and would love to see more photos of your New Suburban.

[LEWISMATKIN]

Welcome to the forum, dadstruck. You will find a great amount of information and assistance here. Some times the help seems gruff at times, but pay it no attention. All of us here on the forum only want to further your enjoyment and longevety of your truck.

[Jim A]

I have the same rust in front of my 1960 1500 doors. California truck with first ten years in Alaska.
I think there are many good miles to go with this one.

[Dadsktruck]

I went to a salvage yard in dry Arizona that had several 60-66 K1000 vehicles and they all had that rust line. So much for my thought that I could get an OEM fender that might be better quality than the after markets. There’s a brace on the back side that almost, but not quite touches the fender behind that rust line. Must be a moisture trap or? I’m betting that many on this forum are all to familiar with this problem. Even though my inherited truck spent time on Nebraska winter roads, that’s the only significant rust except for a some in the ‘eyebrow’ of the left rear fender.