'89 GMC 'Burb grill swap questions

[Thesiger]

I'm looking at an '89 GMC Suburban. Very clean, only issue is, I hate the late GMC grill style. So my question is, is it easy, hard or impossible with chopping and unique tools to do a 'non-invasive' (No major cutting) swap to, say, a '81 GMC grill? or an '86 Chevrolet grill? how different are the connectors? are the headlight bezel holes similar? If there's someone with that knowledge I'd greatly appreciate it if you'd share. Thanks.

 

[Strick]

If I had an '89 GMC with the dual headlamps I wouldn't even try to mess up that greatness. '89-91 clip swaps are what many people desire. I wouldn't hack the grille up, I'd just replace with another from '89-91 Chevy or an aftermarket that doesn't have lettering. It's going to be a real pain to try and swap in a grille from an '88 and older truck too.

Strickland

 

[Thesiger]

Thank you for your replay, I see. To each his own I guess! I have an 86 chevy pickup now, and I guess I've just grown to love that style. I've looked a little at aftermarket grilles for the 89 year, I guess they're a little better. BUT, you are saying its possible? I don't want to cut it up at all, and if I would have to do cutting to do a change, I probably would drop the idea. So then if I would ever go to resell it, I could put it back to its "Former glory".

 

[Strick]

The Chevy '85-87 grille is my favorite because of the body color strip and silver instead of the darker argent like the '83-84 have. All the chrome and that dual horizontal instead of vertical stack on the '89-91 is very desirable to most Square owners though. I would not try any modifications if I had a grille and headlamp doors that were in good shape...IF it were mine. You may be able to source a chromed tube style or billet aluminum to replace the factory grille though.

Strickland

 

[Originalthor]

Unfortunately its a whole rad support swap.
Wiring, There would be some modifications needed.

 

[Thesiger]

Good information, thanks guys. I'll probably have to do what Strick is suggesting. Otherwise I'd be getting into a pretty big project. But, you said assuming the grill is in good shape, I haven't had a great look at it, so we'll see... Thanks again

 

[Thesiger]

Oh, I guess one more question then, what about an 1987 pickup to 1989 suburban grille swap? Much closer years, same make? I just think the 4 bar styling of the pickup is more (Subjectively) handsome than the 'burbs. If not, no issue I guess, but thought I'd ask while you're here.

I also noticed this different style for the 89 year: What's up with that? I'm new to this stuff. The one I'm looking at is a "Trail Boss" model, What does that entail? I hear its a slightly more rugged version?

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[gmbellew]

Good information, thanks guys. I'll probably have to do what Strick is suggesting. Otherwise I'd be getting into a pretty big project. But, you said assuming the grill is in good shape, I haven't had a great look at it, so we'll see... Thanks again

if you get rid of the grill, and it is in good shape, I might be interested in it as a spare for my 1990 GMC burb. let me know!

 

[Strick]

Oh, I guess one more question then, what about an 1987 pickup to 1989 suburban grille swap? Must closer years, same make? I just think the 4 bar styling of the pickup is more (Subjectively) handsome than the 'burbs. If not, no issue I guess, but thought I'd ask while you're here.

'88 Burb should look like the '87 truck essentially. The '89-91 has the different headlamp and grille arrangement in both the entry level and upper level trucks. It's just the "Silverado" trim that is super-sharp and gives the older Square a more refined look for the last decade of the last century of the last millennium. My old Crew has the round headlamps and because it was my dad's that he bought new; it will stay looking as such. If I had a good front clip from an '89-91 I would definitely swap it on the '82 K15 that I'm currently building.

Strickland

 

[gmbellew]

Oh, I guess one more question then, what about an 1987 pickup to 1989 suburban grille swap? Much closer years, same make? I just think the 4 bar styling of the pickup is more (Subjectively) handsome than the 'burbs. If not, no issue I guess, but thought I'd ask while you're here.

I also noticed this different style for the 89 year: What's up with that? I'm new to this stuff. The one I'm looking at is a "Trail Boss" model, What does that entail? I hear its a slightly more rugged version?

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this is the single headlight version. I think it was on lower level trim, vs the double 150mm lights on the higher trim levels.

not familiar with "trail boss" except on the current chevy truck line. not sure that was a real package on squarebodies.

 

[Originalthor]

Oh, I guess one more question then, what about an 1987 pickup to 1989 suburban grille swap? Much closer years, same make? I just think the 4 bar styling of the pickup is more (Subjectively) handsome than the 'burbs. If not, no issue I guess, but thought I'd ask while you're here.

I also noticed this different style for the 89 year: What's up with that? I'm new to this stuff. The one I'm looking at is a "Trail Boss" model, What does that entail? I hear its a slightly more rugged version?

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That the grill i had. So happy to remove. But I did it the hard way cause there's nothing but rusted out rad supports around here.

 

[Thesiger]

This this the Burb in question I've been talking about. Notice the unique striping, and the black "Trail Boss" letters on the side, pretty sure this was an actual package, I did a little research and found a very few similar "trail Boss" Burbs, just with different color stripes. Thoughts?

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[skysurfer]

GM has license to use the Trail Boss name, but I couldn't find reference to any vehicles produced with that option until 2016, starting with the Colorado pickup. I found a few Trail Boss Suburbans online and they all had similar pedigrees, namely, late 80's 1/2 tons located in the Pacific Northwest. This has me thinking that there was a dealer in the Washington State area doing these as a dealer-installed option, using a third-party vendor to do an interior makeover and custom exterior paint similar to the van conversions that were so popular back then. The running boards were different than the standard DeeZee boards that most Suburbans came with, and the roof racks were shorter in length but taller than oem racks. This all tells me there were probably late 80's vans running around Washington with similar equipment, installed by the same vendor.

Here's a couple pics I found. This first one screams van conversion.

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Only a couple of exterior pics of this white one, but the burned-through paint looks familiar. It's like this one and Thesiger's were painted by the same guy.

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Here's an interesting one. An '87 from Washington (again) that isn't a Trail Boss, but has similar aftermarket features. Maybe this was an earlier version that gave the dealer an idea to create the Trail Boss option. A lot of similarities in the woodwork on this one to the black one above.

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[Frankenchevy]

As previously stated, you have to swap the core support. Not a huge deal, just some bolts and minor wiring.

I’m with you, I’m not a fan of the 88-91 front end. Since you are from the Midwest, a used core support in decent shape may be harder to come by.

 

[RecklessWOT]

The 89-91 grille might be desirable to some, but for me personally (and a lot of people I know) I wouldn't be able to rip that thing off a truck fast enough. It looks like an afterthought (because it was), the standard cab pickups had already switched over to the GMT400 platform (very uninspiring looking trucks IMO) and to try to make the nearly 20 year old bodystyle still being used on the burbs/blazers/crew cabs look "current" GM slapped in a grille that kind of mimicked the look of the newer trucks. It's cheap and plasticy looking, modeled after a truck that already doesn't look great, and slapped onto a vehicle on which it does not belong as a last resort to try to make a truck from the '70s look like it belongs in the early 90s, oh boy! lol

I cringe every time I see a standard cab pickup with that grille swapped on because you know it didn't come like that and someone went through all the work just to make it look more like a cheesy GMT400.

I say good on you for wanting it gone. If it really is so desirable (and I know to a select crowd it really is desirable, for reasons I never will personally understand but hey to each their own I will respect it) then you should have no problem selling or even trading your parts to cover the cost of your swap, and then some maybe.