--- title: "This Big-Block Manual 1999 Chevy Suburban 2500 Is a Lot of Truck for $5,000" date: "2025-01-19" modified: "2025-01-19" authors: - name: "Beverly Braga" job_title: "Weekend Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/beverly-braga" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/this-big-block-manual-1999-chevy-suburban-2500-is-a-lot-of-truck-for-5000" categories: - "Culture" - "For Sale" - "News" tags: - "Chevrolet" - "Suburban" - "suv/crossover" --- # This Big-Block Manual 1999 Chevy Suburban 2500 Is a Lot of Truck for $5,000 ![]() *\Noreen Ayers via Facebook Marketplace\* Today, [stick shifts]() are found in increasingly small numbers and, aside from the occasional [Toyota Tacoma](), found in small cars. But if you want something heavier to row gears in, might we interest you in a low-mileage, three-quarter-ton [Chevrolet Suburban]() for 5,000 bucks? This weekend's [Facebook Marketplace find]() hails from Union City, New Jersey, just a short hop over the Hudson River from Manhattan. The 1999 [Chevy]() Suburban 2500 4WD on sale is outfitted with an optional 7.4-liter V8 that produces 290 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque. So, there's noticeably more oomph than the standard 5.7L V8.'s 255 hp and 330 lb-ft of torque. The kicker, though, is that it's also equipped with a five-speed manual. Factory-built Suburbans with a stick shift are rare. In fact, for this model year, Chevy outfitted its three-row SUV only with a four-speed automatic. At least for public consumption. According to a [*GM Truck Club*]() thread, a number of manual-equipped Suburbans were [produced for military duty]() or commercial clients. However, the vast majority of the manuals are transmission swaps, especially with the [NV4500]() transmission mentioned in the [Marketplace]() listing. The seller doesn't specify whether this stick shift is a swap or a special build, but it's likely the former based on the vehicle's added lift kit. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Nevertheless, there's a manual in there! And for a 26-year-old Chevy, the [vintage Suburban]() looks clean for its age and location. The seller says there is "very little rust." The images were taken from wonky angles, but from what I can see, rust is minimal. There are obvious rusted patches on the tow hitch and the bottom edge of the left-side rear door, plus some paint fade areas on the hood, but the overall body panels are unfazed by time. No image was provided of the roof or the undercarriage, though, so I could be wrong. The leather interior is also in surprisingly good shape for two-plus decades as a people hauler. I'd expect to see scratches, stains, or shredded bits, but glaring damage like that is either genuinely absent or cropped out. A photo of the odometer shows 125,335 miles. That's an annual average of less than 5,000 miles, way less than the national average, even back then. Of course, there are questions, such as how many owners the Suburban has had and if it's been a lifelong Jersey native. The seller did provide their contact info and appeared open to calls or texts. Keep in mind that it's first come, first served, on what could be a heck of a deal on an unexpectedly epic Suburban spec. *Got a tip? Email us at tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Born and raised in Hawaii, Beverly has been a prolific and published creative writer since her teens. As a contributor to The Drive, Beverly covers the weekend shift, blogging about all things automotive, mobility, transportation, and topics in-between. Currently a digital nomad, Beverly's only constant is her car, a second-generation Mazdaspeed3. Even though she's never in one place for too long, her hot hatch always feels like home. ### Author social links [Instagram]() [LinkedIn]()