The Chevrolet Suburban is a family-sized blank canvas. Sure, these rigs come off the line looking similar to their pickup truck brethren, but people have lifted them, lowered them, diesel-swapped them, and done everything imaginable in them. GM even turns them into Cadillacs. Weirdly, not a whole lot of people have made them ludicrously fast, so when ICON showed off a no-holds-barred pro-touring-inspired restomod Chevrolet Suburban, my eyebrow was thoroughly raised.
This wild SUV comes from the brain of Jonathan Ward, the man behind tasteful restomod outfit ICON. You might know of this shop from its reimagined Broncos, patinated Derelict cars, and serious craftsmanship. This Suburban is part of its Reformer series, a thorough restoration and modernization regimen that encapsulates projects from the ground up, all while looking reasonably original.
On the outside, this ICON Reformer Suburban looks delightfully classic, save for the modern touches of alloy wheels, performance tires, and absolutely dumped ride height. However, things aren’t entirely as they seem.
Chevrolet never made a 1970 Suburban with a driver’s side rear door, so ICON managed to build one from scratch, then graft it onto this vintage family hauler. I’m talking glass, door handles, window tracks, weatherstripping, the works. As a result, this one-off boasts extra practicality over its non-restomodded siblings, a welcome addition in today’s world.
Under the hood of this Suburban sits a Nelson Racing Engines Alien twin-turbocharged seven-liter LS-based engine detuned to 1,000 horsepower. Yes, detuned. This engine alone is an incredible feat of engineering and relatively reasonable at $36,999 to start. In case you aren’t familiar with Nelson Racing Engines, it’s a firm that takes big power and makes it reliable and streetable. There’s a reason you see cars on Hot Rod Power Tour running these engines, and that’s because they work. This Suburban’s built 4L85-E four-speed automatic transmission and Dana 60 rear end should have no difficulty handling this level of power, so the fundamentals here are reassuringly solid.
Mind you, these Suburbans aren’t typically known for exceptional stopping or turning, so this one rides on a custom Art Morrison chassis with four-wheel independent suspension and beefy Brembo brakes. Yeah, that ought to do the trick. In theory, the result should be an old SUV that drives like a new performance vehicle, a tantalizing melding of style and substance.
While the outside of this Suburban is wonderfully discreet, the interior’s a little more showy. It’s a place full of billet pieces, blocky fonts, and modern touches. The metallic dashboard trims and thick gauge bezels come across all horological, while the power window controls are rather cleverly cached to not be obvious. Admittedly, this interior leaves me a bit cold compared to the quaintness of an original 1970 Suburban dashboard, but that’s really a matter of taste.
Before we go all ga-ga over a dream build Suburban, this creation has a bit of a sticking point: It cost $1.1 million. For that sort of money, you could buy the combustion-powered Uberwagon of the moment, the Porsche Panamera Turbo S Sport Turismo, and still have $900,000 left over. Or, if you want to say in the GM family, a Cadillac Escalade-V and have $950,000 left over to do whatever you want. Want to see if someone like Troy Trepanier would take a crack at an Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser? Why not. Fancy a Jaguar XJ220? But of course. A condo in Los Angeles so you can be near some good roads? That too. Don’t get me wrong, a money-no-object dream build is cool, but those projects tend to have limited appeal once you attach a dollar amount to them.
Still, we salute the one customer brave enough to commission a seven-figure twin-turbocharged family hauler. While it isn’t everyone’s first pick for a million-dollar car, it’s one badass Suburban that flies under the radar despite the sheer craftsmanship and engineering that went into it.
(Photo credits: ICON)
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I’m normally a huge fan of Icon builds, but that grille looks way worse than the stock one. I realize it’s a machined grille, which is cool, but stylistically, it ain’t good.
I’m sure there’s somebody out there with more money than brains.
The small wheels and tires makes this thing look like about $10K IMHO. Utter nonsense…
Small wheels and tires? It’s riding on 20″ wheels; that’s huge. The tires are 275mm wide up front and 335mm wide outback; also crazy wide.
I stand corrected. Maybe it’s the way that it is lowered and that there is relatively little rubber as compared to the wheel? I dunno. Still looks silly to me.
Yeah, I think it’d look better with 15″ wheels and some beefy street rubber, but I’m not sure what it has for brakes. I’d be surprised if you could fit anything less than a 18″ or 19″ wheel up front due to brake/wheel interference.
Am I the only one who is getting sick of rich guys (let’s face it, it’s always guys) and their uber expensive restomods that almost certainly get driven about 300 miles a year, just so they can show off how much money they can afford to throw around?
Honestly I like restomods in general, the idea of something that looks vintage but doesn’t drive it is appealing but 1.1 million? Give me an f-ing break.
Congratulations to Ward for clearing about $800,000 in profits on this one.
He claims his profit margins are actually really small. Obviously I can’t independently verify it, but he did a $1.2m 96 Caprice built and I think he said his profit margin was something like 3.5%.
This raises a couple questions…
What’s his pay (and his employees) out of the revenue? If he’s making $20m per year (just throwing numbers out there) and his company is only making 3.5% profits, what’s it to him?
And secondly, if his profits are so small, how the heck is he growing so fast? Clearly he’s bringing in lots of money, so he must be reinvesting a ton of it back into the company, which when you venture that far out of “standard” business growth rates, spending, and profit margins, means a 3.5% claimed profit margin isn’t a very genuine reflection of what the company “makes”.
He has indicated that his profit margins on the “production” vehicles, i.e. the FJ40s, Broncos, Thriftmasters, are a lot higher and they cover the overhead and drive the growth. The development cost on the one-offs is much higher, so they provide a more modest profit and a source of advertising.
Well he’s not going to come out and say his profit margins are 30%.
When Paul Beeston was head of the Blue Jays, he said any good accountant can turn a $3 million profit into a $3 million loss. I suspect ICON has good accountants.
I don’t believe that at all. I just can’t see where anyone spent a million dollars on this Suburban. It’s badass don’t get me wrong, just not a million dollars badass.
Jesus.
I knew ICONs were expensive, but I had no idea they were that expensive.
Noooo thankee. I’d rather have one like this for a couple orders of magnitude less:
https://bringatrailer.com/listing/1970-gmc-suburban/
never knew these were never built in four doors configuration when there is one Brazilian version called Veraneio, seems shorter but I think I like that design and lines better
https://retornar.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/image-7.png
He added the fourth door (the one behind the driver door).
Suburbans look better as square bodies, and already have the 4th door.
Blazers and Pickups look better as the Action Line (which this is from).
This much money though, come on dudes.
Hell no. I’ll take an Action Line Suburban over a squarebody any day of the week.
Problem is that the Action Line’s generally look better from the driverside exactly because of the “missing” rear door. When you add it, it doesn’t look as good.
Personally, I’m a fan of ’60-66 Suburbans (well, ’63-’66 if I’m being picky), but my personal ’65 might be why I’m biased.
Putting the fourth door in removed the coolest thing about old Suburbans, IMHO. And despite all the talk of Mies van der Rohe, the controls do not remind me of any of his buildings.
If they wanted to instill some modernist design, they could have maybe referenced the bent wood furniture of Ray and Charles Eames. They even have some models for upholstery, color and texture in their work that would be a lot more evident than making knobs and the like that are supposed to reflect a brutalist/modernist building. Think about a molded plywood top on that dash. The window winders and door pulls made out of bent and formed plywood, showing it’s grain and laminations.
Could have been inspired, but seems to have destroyed the 3 door coolness and made a cold, stark interior that sure doesn’t feel anything like $1.1M worth of greatness.
This would be a super-weird flex, so I’m assuming someone had FU money, and used some to buy what they wanted. Aside from a Singer, I think I’d like to go back to shitty cars I once had, and make them the way I wanted them then. Like a Hawkeye STI motor&transmission in an 82 Subaru GLF (but rwd only: shenanigans). And a Subaru XT turned into a longroof, slammed, with a twin-charged EJ22 motor—then another, lifted on ATs.
What would you do with that kind of funds?
Mine would be an ’84 hardtop, SOHC EJ22 5-speed and RWD (double the power is enough for me), reinforced and seam welded body, 5-lug conversion for bigger brakes and wheel selection, with some cleaning up of the exterior details and redoing the interior in a little better quality, though not redesigning it and not overdoing it.
> i completely forgot the 5-lug conversion! The lug pattern limited you so freaking much! My BIL got ahold of a set of Peugeot 505 Turbo wheels (the only thing we knew of back then that fit) and put them on a lifted 85 GL wagon. Looked great—but, boy oh boy, did the heavy, oversized tires sap the little OHC motors.
I had a set of OEM alloy 8-spokes that I found in a junkyard for my ‘83 sedan. Alloys were rare enough, but were usually the asymmetrical 4-spokes. Best looking wheels I saw for it and I’ve only seen one other set—on ebay.
I guess I’d also have another 1st gen Legacy wagon, low roof, converted to a 2-door, with fenders flared out a little more, 22B-style, RWD, with an EG33 or EZ30 if that still wouldn’t fit well. Interior improved in quality again, but not changed beyond the steering wheel and shift knob (the former really transformed the steering feel to where it would embarrass most sports cars).
I like the sound of your Legacy there. Manual, non-rotted ones were beyond my means back then, but I love the 22B look. I toy with the idea of converting my Bugeye wrx to it, but I have way less energy now—and prefer to spend my time driving, not wrenching
Same here, which is a big reason I don’t have it. I got rid of my engine cranes and stands about 5 years ago. Not sure how much I liked it in the first place, more that it was cheaper to work on things myself and I don’t trust anyone else.
That was me: had more time & energy than money —plus, at the time—a garage and room to store ‘the next one’ & parts cars. Now I’m much more proficient at wrenching, but lack a garage and motivation. The not trusting anyone else is much stronger now, so I will do what’s needed. I just don’t enjoy it near as much.
The garage I would have taken my stuff to in a pinch had a major fire this year and I don’t think it’s going to reopen 🙁
I like being done, not the doing (though I like the learning) and I like knowing corners weren’t cut or were cut where I wanted them to be. A lot of people who like making custom things or restoring, move onto the next similar project as soon as they’re finished because it’s the process that they like, but I’m (mostly) the opposite. I’m always thinking about the next thing, too, but I like to hang onto what I’ve finished and use it. This ends up pushing me to do different stuff as I only have room for so many of a particular thing (bikes, kayaks, whatever) and, even then, I try to make sure what I make has different purposes (like, I built a road bike, utility bike, cruiser, and restored an antique rather than, say building four mountain bikes). My other problem is that if a project takes too long, I lose interest and cars take a lot of time and a lot of money can be lost before abandoning due to loss of interest. I want to build a small boat, which will be a fairly big project, but with the quick construction method and greater attention span for wood working, I’m pretty sure I can finish that if I can get the chance to get started.
Building a boat? That’s awesome: you certainly have my respect! I worked at a piano restoration shop for years (a bit of woodworking), and moonlighted at a marina a couple season during that, so I have just enough knowledge to know I don’t have the gumption for it.
What are you building?
I worked as a boat mechanic for about a year before a much better paying opportunity came along. Working that is when I decided to build a boat, but as low maintenance as can be reasonable to expect. Nobody makes what I want, so I need to build it in much the same way as the kayaks—fiberglass and marine ply. It’s an 18′ speedboat, narrow for efficiency and because I have no need for a party platform. It will be trailered, have an OB motor, no toilet facilities beyond an emergency bag, no water dispensing accessories or anything else that requires maintenance, well run, protected, and marked electrical, and the bare minimum through-hulls. It will have a sliding canopy like a fighter plane and, similarly, a control stick for steering and motor trim. Single bench seat a little over halfway back, though I might make some removable seats for the area behind it. A lot of custom work for the HVAC, wood/inlay metal dash, and large face gauges (using the guts of standard size units). I’m also doing the upholstery myself. I want it to look really high end and I always loved the old wood speedboats, so there’s a lot of that influence in the cockpit. Even if things keep getting in the way and I never get to build it, though, it inspired me to write a series of YA animal adventure books and get back into illustration a little bit, so I got something out of it already.
I meant the literal meaning of ‘awesome’—and even moreso with the details. Building exactly what you want is a great motivator, and you’ve definitely put thought into it what with keeping complications to a minimum. Are you planning to post a build thread anywhere? If so, please share the link (when the time comes ), cause this would be worth following.
Congrats on the YA books, too!
Thanks! I’m not much of a social media person, but I probably should try to document at least some of it for people who might find it interesting. It’s going to be a few years still, though. I have to pay off house renovations and the damn thing always seems to need something else! I used to always want to build my own cars, but since they are too odd to even use an existing vehicle as a base, they’re way too expensive and things have changed with the roads and driving so much that a boat went from realistic consolation prize to preferred build. I have a design for an even more efficient one that uses half the power based on a micro skiff hull, but where the one I’m building is a bay boat, I wouldn’t use that one outside of fairly calm freshwater, so that’s an if-I-get-the-itch to build another boat situation.
As a owner of a mk4 focus, I would probably try to build the RS that ford never built. I would take the 2.3 ecoboost from a mustang (there are shops in britain that have built these engines to ridiculous amounts of power), I´d try to get the awd from a mk3 focus RS or the awd from a Kuga/Escape since it rides on the same platform as the focus (Ford C2). As per the body of the car I´d try to get it as close as posible to how the mk3 looked.
You get was I was aiming for : “If this just had X, it’d be perfect!”
[ thumbs up emoji ]
You have great taste
Why, thankee kindly, Ma’am!
Right back atcha: I love your name here. I became obsessed with wombats decades ago at the Chicago zoo: their pouch being rear-facing so it doesn’t fill with dirt when they burrow is cool enough, but that they excrete cubic fæces which they then stack to mark their territory…Huh, it seems a couple people even won an Ig Noble Prize for their work on those pooh blocks—that’s over the top!
It’s a classic example of the childhood username sticking around, I was obsessed with wombats in middle school and here we are. I still like the name haha.
ICON stuff doesn’t really grab me, remember that Chevy Caprice they made? With that rattly laptop holder? I think they’ve scrubbed it from their archives and much of the internet because they were embarrassed of it
This one?
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/a30507/icon-chevy-caprice-build-process/
the very same, they used to have a very detailed walk through of the thing on youtube and for a long time it was just…gone. even this article i’m surprised is back up.
Like a pair of designer work boots with the steel toes taken out.
$1.1 million dollars? Why not just leave it at a cool mil? I guess the extra $100k is the insult added to injury.
That much power and no headrests? This is a garage queen.
Thomas, 3 door suburbans already come with a rolldown window, tracks, weather stripping, etc. The construction of a 4th door is not an insane job. While not crazy common, there are various forum garage builds with a 4th door on them, built by regular joes.
I’d still take a Singer every time for that kind of money.
I can’t get over the gauges. For $1.1 million I expect something that looks at least a little bit period appropriate.
The 3 door suburban was 67-72 only, it was a weird feature that is unique and honestly kinda cool. Adding the 4th door makes it less cool, but maybe that’s just me.
And to think, up until the mid-90s, one could buy a dropped, high-performance, better-handling Suburban directly from four GM brands.
Maybe three brands, but still.
I’m confused, what are you talking about?
He’s implying the Caprice, Roadmaster,etc are no more than lowered Suburbans.
Also higher-performance and better-handling.
Now you having me waiting to see an Icon Roadmaster
The Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser is a weird one because it’s the rarest but because it lacks an LT1 it can’t be a Holy Grail. I suppose if you were doing a restomod B-body it would be a fun starting point?
Maybe the Olds is an exception if the 5.7 was not available, but my overall point is that it’s unfortunate that high-performance (at least straight line) station wagons (which this Suburban was effectively converted to) used to be commonplace from OEMs, and now require a highly custom build.
I was mostly just musing about what you could do with it, though the Olds was done in 1992 so it didn’t live long enough to see the best engine.
There’s no tax on wealth in the US, but it sure does seem like some people have figured out a way to do it themselves
If I had a bergillion dollars I’d love to have Icon build something since their attention to detail is next level. I’ll never have that kinda money to spend on a car though.
Honestly surprised they didn’t pick a Blazer to do this with.
They’ve done a Blazer and a Jimmy in the past. I’m not sure if whatever they are calling “Reformer” level modifications is the same as this, but eh.
https://www.icon4x4.com/reformer/pastprojects/25
https://www.icon4x4.com/reformer/pastprojects/26
I see this as pointless excess. The custom chassis, drive train etc. mean this bears about as much resemblance to an actual Suburban as an IMSA GT Mustang resembles a 4 cylinder LX. I also hate the left rear door since it erases a signature feature just to show off.
Yup. I respect the amount of time, effort, and skill it likely took to create the rear door, but I hate it.
The price is realistic for how much went into it.
They say a car is worth more than the sum of its parts. Not here no how no way. Can’t DD it. It would suck on a track. And it would be cheaper to get a bumper sticker saying “I have more money than brains” so why waste $1 million?
Why couldn’t you DD this?
Well several reasons
1. Overpowered idle would be like 40mph
2. I guess 1 mile per gallon is worse than the worst EV.
3. OH YEAH IT IS $1.1 MILLION one little accident and it’s gone. No insurance company is going to insure this as a daily driver.
1.Well I would assume if it came with better power train controls if they exist they would mention them.
2.A 1,000 hp engine at idle will use more fuel just like a V8 uses more than a V6
3.limited miles pretty much means no DD.
I must have missed where the article said it idled at 40 mph?
Does a 600+ horsepower 6 cylinder use more fuel at idle than a 300 hp V8? I don’t know, but I certainly know the answer isn’t as simple as “more power = worse fuel economy” or “more cylinders = worse fuel economy”
Do you just not understand how engines or modern fuel management work? Like at all?
A thousand HP engine is only a thousand HP engine when it is ingesting enough fuel and air to produce one thousand HP.
The old ‘brakes can’t hold it at idle’ or ‘idles at 40’ thing is a holdover from when the fuel, air and boost metering meant that huge carburetors and roots-type blowers were your options for hitting that kind of number. That thing just drops the boost and chokes the air and fuel on it and it will sip fuel and idle down drive just like a meek little motor.
I don’t know how far in the past you live but come join us in the future; it’s nice here.
I mean, I’ve watched the news, it could be nicer.
But a 1,000 hp motor without 12 gears needs it split up. Now I never saw a 600hp 6 cylinder please post. But at 1,000 hp you need a 12 gear commercial tranny so even then 10mpg ang slow to go.
I mean it is a small Dragster motor.
600 hp 6 cylinder, you say?
https://www.nissanusa.com/vehicles/sports-cars/gt-r/nismo.html
Yes thanks for the link I learned something today.
Buddy, you can buy a streetable 1000 hp car directly from Dodge that passes emissions and has a warranty.
I’m not sure which decade your ideas are stuck in, but I assure you, modern engine management is a marvel.
Some people also think a powerglide is the only transmission. It’s tough to get good information these days.
Just when I start thinking I’m a stubborn idiot and that maybe I should just shut my mouth more and listen, I see posts like this guy you’re replying to, and I realize that I’m not bad at all.
Lol.
I’m genuinely curious what this gentleman’s most recent experience with an actual fast car was. I own something that some consider fast, and I’ve ridden in cars that are faster than mine. I’ve met people who street drive 2500 rwhp Vipers. I’ve never in my life experienced anything like what he’s talking about, and if I spent $40,000 on a Nelson engine that drove anything like he’s describing, I would throw a fit.
I don’t pretend to know everything, and I welcome corrections to my comments, but I do enjoy the back and forth as a nice diversion to my workday.
Sorry I don’t lay out all the science I assume readers and members have some modicum of knowledge and common sense.
But one step 1,000hp doesn’t need a semi transmission but a 12 gear transmission on the higher ends. Try fast takeoff and speed building in a 5 speed manual tranny. First 3 gears are handling start to 45 mph. Now you have 800 hp split in 2 gears 400 hp, so that would operate in the equivalent of going low to 5th gear. Bog down much. Also you may be able to use it a short time but I bet it doesn’t last. What are the warranties or does it just void the warranty?
READ THE FINE PRINT
What the heck are you talking about dude. You clearly have no idea how engines, transmissions, or gearing work at all. It’s commical.
Yes and it can do 140mph but you can’t use most of the power accept on a track and those are less accessible than a class 2 EV Charger in the middle of Nebraska. And most don’t allow people to rip around very cheap.
What, pray tell, is a ’12 gear commercial tranny?’ You mean like from a semi-tractor?
I do not think you understand the kind of power dragster motors make or the differences between different types of boost and fuel management.
Serious question; are you 12?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAoUnwk-S40
Don’t listen to him, the future is somehow going downhill from a pandemic! Stay anywhen before 2015!
I disagree. $35K engine, $15K for trans, $8K for rear end, maybe, what $65K for the Art Morrison Chassis? So if those are accurate, we are at $120-ish grand in parts effectively? $10K to buy a non rusted suburban?
Lets call it $150K in parts.
So that leaves $950K in labor and production basically. If they spent 2000 man hours on this, that allows them to charge nearly $500 an hour. Icon is cool, but I will never be convinced that they are worth that amount. What people pay for is an ICON. Christian Louboutin shoes don’t cost $9000 to make, but they sell for $10K all day long. This is the same scenario. This could be duplicated by another shop for $350K, which is still way too much.
You’re forgetting all interior parts, wiring, glass, paint, plumbing, HVAC, part prices add up quicker than you think, especially for one offs. Then there’s engineering, labor, shop time, shop space, etc… ICON doesn’t halfass things and yes there is profit margin, but it’s a business and priced accordingly.
I’m not forgetting those parts at all. Those are all parts for one of the most restored chassis on earth. Seats, glass, wiring harness, I guarantee are all aftermarket catalog parts. Why? Because this is a business and top shelf parts already exist, so why recreate the wheel. You might be surprised just how familiar with the effort required for a build like this some of us are.
For one off parts, you are paying for the LABOR, going back to my original point. The labor charges. I didn’t say they weren’t good. I said I can never be convinced they are worth it. I guarantee their profit margin is huge compared to “regular” shops capable of comparable work. Because people are now paying for ICON, not just parts and labor.
General labor cost is $150/hr. One man year is 2000 hours. That’s $300,000. The BEST person in the world could not do this in 2 years alone. I can see the price being what it is after profit is tacked on.
Agreed with this guy^^ if the $1.1m was comparable to $50k for me, I’m all in. You can bring the friends and family, and a cooler of beer and easy ups with your drag radials and jack to track and get ALL the looks 🙂