Volcano Vehicle: The Chevy Suburban from ‘Dante’s Peak’ is undergoing restoration after years of deterioration.

      Greg's Restorations/YouTube

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      I can’t be the only millennial car enthusiast who developed an appreciation for the Chevy Suburban after watching Dante’s Peak in 1997. In fact, I know I’m not alone, as Greg Ward from Greg’s Restorations recently shared his excitement about discovering one in a barn in Massachusetts. Now, it’s getting the restoration it truly deserves.

      In the late ’90s, America was captivated by disaster films (with titles like Deep Impact, Twister, Armageddon, and Volcano all hitting theaters around that time), but Dante’s Peak remains my top choice. For those needing a refresher, Dante’s Peak is a fictional tale inspired by the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, which resulted in nearly 60 fatalities in Skamania County, Washington.

      The plot follows a small mountain town that is threatened by an unrecognized volcano, which eventually erupts. A dashing USGS volcanologist, portrayed by Pierce Brosnan, rushes in to save some townsfolk using a vividly accessorized seventh-generation Chevy Suburban.

      The truck features prominently in the film, standing out with its bright orange color, a substantial lift, an array of lights, a winch bumper, and oversized tires. It's easy to see why the studio opted for this vintage model over the GMT400, which would have been the contemporary style in ’97—the seventh-gen vehicle shares a design similar to the more rugged K5 Blazer.

      A video that surfaced last year provided some interesting details about the film’s vehicle, including behind-the-scenes production insights (the miniature bridge model is worth a look). If you’d like a quick contextual detour, watch this:

      One more quick note before we dive into the latest—Dante’s Peak also included an ’80s-era Chevy truck with a service body, which is equally impressive. You can see it dramatically crossing lava in this clip:

      Anyway, what became of the Suburban post-production remains somewhat unclear, but it was reportedly sold on eBay about a decade ago, ultimately finding its way to a barn on the East Coast.

      Recently, the truck made another appearance on Greg Ward’s YouTube channel, Greg’s Restorations. Ward undertakes various classic car projects from his Rutland, Massachusetts shop and boasts an extensive portfolio of completed restorations. He is well-versed in working on movie vehicles; his shop has handled a screen-used Back To The Future Toyota, and he can build you a replica of Marty McFly’s black 4×4 if you desire.

      In the opening minutes of the video, Ward explores the Suburban in a dim corner of a nondescript barn where he claims it was found. He mentions that it took “a couple of months” to finalize the deal to bring it to his shop. The weather appears much more enjoyable in the final moments of the video.

      Ward expresses plans to get the truck operational and enjoy it for a bit before embarking on a full restoration, which seems reasonable. “We have a lot of experience with this type of work, especially here in New England where rust is prevalent. So many of our projects are rust-orations.” Essentially, once the restoration begins, the truck will likely be in the workshop for an extended period before emerging again. I can relate; returning to New York from California has been quite a disappointment every time I look under a car frame.

      Greg’s Restorations/YouTube

      Though this old Suburban appears quite rusty, Ward points out that almost every body panel is available through an LMC Truck catalog. Most importantly, all the quirky movie accessories are intact. The only piece that seems absent is the winch, which should be easy to replace. The front brush guard is, in my opinion, the most peculiar accessory, featuring unusual louvers that I've never encountered in such a location.

      In the comments section under Ward’s video, someone claimed to recognize the vehicle from their previous work on it. Reportedly, it was procured by Cinema Vehicle Services, but it seems it may have been modified by an Arizona shop. From @jdunereaper1 on YouTube [sic]:

      “I’m pretty sure I worked on that Suburban right after it was sold when filming concluded. It was taken to the off-road shop I worked at in Cave Creek, Arizona, for a suspension lift. The production team originally used stock leaf springs with welded blocks under the front end to elevate it, which was incredibly unsafe. I believe we ultimately installed a 6-inch lift with 35-inch tires and the wheels that are now on it. It originally had factory rallies with 33-inch Goodyear m/t tires from the movie. Everyone there was thrilled to be working on a ‘movie’ truck, but also disappointed that the snorkel was merely for show and never actually connected.”