In 1967, GM introduced the modern-day Suburban, and for the first time in nearly 40 years, the Suburban had three doors, one on the driver’s side and two on the passenger side. This odd configuration was only the beginning, though, as the massive ’67 Suburban also had quite a few never-before-seen conveniences. Owners could now order A/C, tilt steering, a 400ci big block and an automatic transmission. The big plus for the Suburban, however, was the massive amount of space inside the cabin. Equipped with either a single bench seat or buckets up front and a smaller bench seat in the rear, the Suburban offered room for up to six adult passengers, not to mention an additional 4 feet in the rear for cargo. This interior improvement makes the Suburban quite a massive vehicle with a 127-inch wheelbase.

After purchasing this ’69 Chevy Suburban a few years ago, Mike Dempsey decided that while he enjoyed all the interior space, the overall size of the Suburban was just too much. Besides being more difficult to park, Dempsey’s Suburban barely fit inside the family garage. So after several renderings, he finalized a concept that shortened the Suburban to that of a vintage-style Tahoe. The initial plan for the Tahoe-inspired Suburban included a 12-inch wheelbase reduction, and the removal of 8 inches from the rear of the body (beyond the wheels). To make the entire package work well together, he would remove 20 inches from the roof. This was no easy task, but it was necessary to complete the overall package reduction. Overall, this reduction in size would give the Suburban a new wheelbase of 115 inches.

So after more than a year of planning, Dempsey began to tackle the arduous task of shortening the full-size Chevy. To shorten this classic, he had to fabricate several new mounts using several specialized tools. A welder, a cutting tool, several clamps and levels, along with basic hand tools and a knowledge in chassis fabrication is recommended when performing this task, and if you have chassis building experience that’s all the better. Since the body modification requires that the frame be cut, reinforced and rewelded, we strongly recommend that a certified welder handle this task if you plan to attempt a job like this on your own. In order to reinforce the frame, Dempsey purchased a set of frame stiffening reinforcements from Early Classic Enterprises. Since they cost only $35, this improvement will be cheap insurance down the road, as these reinforcement plates help to restore the integrity of the frame once it is cut. Since he removed 20 inches from the roof to complete the job, Dempsey also purchased new custom rear-quarter glass and weatherstripping. Dempsey finished off the shortened Suburban with a set of 18-inch and 20-inch polished Coys. This transformation took several weekends to complete, but the result speaks for itself. Now follow along as Dempsey transforms this vintage Suburban into a phantom ’69 Tahoe that never existed.

Those who longed for their engines to look as they did back in the old days of multiple-carb setups were out of luck. Cool as they were to look at, there are lots of reasons why the multi-carb setup fell out of favor, and most of them had to do with the fact that they were a bear to sync. The advent of the four-barrel carb was the death for these systems, though the purists among us prayed for a breakthrough.   

Thanks to Ken Farrell and his company, Retro Tek, those prayers have been answered. Farrell started off converting old mechanical fuel injection systems (Hilborn & Enderle) when the first aftermarket EFI systems became available. His new system, which uses the latest in EFI mated together with the classic Stromburg 97 design, came about when Farrell saw that there was interest in the benefits of EFI, but he also knew that they were lacking in the looks department. The idea was simple take the best aspects of both and add them together.

One of the problems with the EFI systems was the need for an engineering degree just to get them to work. Retro Tek has addressed that, as its new Injection Logic ECU was designed to give the novice a chance to get with the program. The Retro Tek QTC brings the tech stuff to real terms so that any person who can tune a carb can understand how to work the new system. Retro Tek says that its new PC software takes the ease of tuning to a new level.

While this customer wanted to use an external coiled HEI GM distributor, the Retro Tek system will work with the majority of factory and aftermarket ignition systems. For those with an LS1 engine, operating systems will be available soon, so call for information.

For those who want to have the muscle car look, Retro Tek also has a new 2×4 system that will fit on any existing four-barrel manifold, and 2×4 intakes are available new and used. It is a similar bolt-on using the same ECU, but the regulator is built in and the fuel system is a low-pressure design. According to Farrell, dyno results at Westech have been exceptional, and this is a great kit for a budget-minded build ranging from $1,200 for a single to $2,500 for a polished 2×4 setup.  

We were on hand as the crew at Barry White s Street Rod Repair Company installed the system onto this  40 Ford pickup. The truck has been equipped with a Chevy engine, but the Retro Tek system will work on any engine. The install took only about half a day, and it is one that most folks can do in their own garages.

Retro Tek is a family-owned business with Ken as the engineer, Susan Farrell handling the phones and computer programming, and Ken, Jr. and Rebecca helping out where they can.