1987 Chevrolet Suburban

From Ashes to Asphalt:

A Movie Truck Returns

We’re thrilled to share one of the most exciting automotive barn finds ever: the actual screen-used 1987 Chevrolet Suburban V10 Custom 4×4 from Dante’s Peak, starring Pierce Brosnan as volcanologist Harry Dalton. This iconic truck has rightfully earned its place as one of the most recognizable and beloved movie vehicles in cinema history!

In the film, this Suburban served as Harry’s USGS scout vehicle, built to reach some of the most remote and dangerous locations in the country. Dante’s Peak, set in Wallace, Idaho and inspired by the real-life 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption, is part of the golden era of ’90s disaster films like Twister, Armageddon, and Volcano. The Suburban features heavily throughout the movie, ultimately becoming a heroic bug-out vehicle during the volcanic eruption before being engulfed by lava in a dramatic mountain rescue scene trying to save Rachels two children.

Build Partners:

Are you interested in donating parts for this build? Contact us today for sponsorship opportunities!

Breaking Down the Legendary Dante’s Peak Suburban

The Ultimate ’90s Disaster Movie Vehicle

These Suburbans originally started out as black vehicles before being painted orange, as shown in our YouTube video. They were outfitted with a wide range of aftermarket and custom accessories to achieve their rugged, on-screen look.

Up front, each truck featured a Warn Trans4mer bumper with a custom-fabricated grille guard, a Warn 10,000 lb winch, and four Dick Cepek 6″ round off-road spotlights. On the roof, they were equipped with a Dick Cepek light bar holding five 6×9 off-road search lights, a Con-Ferr roof rack, and a Safari Snorkel. Interestingly, the snorkel was never designed for a Suburban—it was originally intended for an FJ80 Land Cruiser, as was the Con-Ferr rack.

For performance, the trucks received a modest 2″ suspension lift and ran on oversized 33×12.5×15 Goodyear Wrangler MT tires mounted on factory silver wheels, with a full-size spare mounted on the back using a Hickey Enterprises aftermarket tire carrier. Beyond these modifications, the drivetrain remained mostly stock, powered by a factory 350 V8 engine paired with a 700R4 automatic transmission.

Movie Accessories

WARN Trans4mer Bumper	Custom Grille Guard	Valley Industries Spare Tire Carrier
WARN 9,000lb Winch	Dick Cepek Light Bar	Con-Ferr Roof Rack
Safari Snorkel	2″ Suspension Lift	33×12.5×15 Goodyear Wrangler MT’s
Custom Red Paint	Dick Cepek Off Road Lights 6″x9″ (5) & 6″ (4)	Cobra CB Radio & Antennas

WARN Trans4mer Bumper
Custom Grille Guard
Valley Industries Spare Tire Carrier
WARN 9,000lb Winch
Dick Cepek Light Bar
Con-Ferr Roof Rack
Safari Snorkel
2″ Suspension Lift
33×12.5×15 Goodyear Wrangler MT’s
Custom Red Paint
Dick Cepek Off Road Lights 6″x9″ (5) & 6″ (4)
Cobra CB Radio & Antennas

Behind The Scenes

Thanks to the devoted efforts of a previous Dante’s Peak Suburban Facebook Page—we are able to also show a rich trove of rare behind-the-scenes snapshots. These captivating BTS photos offer a peek into the preparation and action that went into turning a vintage SUV into an unforgettable cinematic icon!

Every Detail Matters

Reclaiming Its Place in Movie History

Tracking down authentic photos and screen captures is critical when restoring a movie vehicle—every detail matters. Without reliable references, it’s easy to overlook subtle modifications that made the on-screen version iconic. Thankfully, enthusiasts like @mightaswellk5 from the CK5.com forum had the foresight to save photos from the original eBay listing when Cinema Vehicle Services first sold the Dante’s Peak Suburban years ago. Those images shown below will be an invaluable resource in helping us accurately bring this legendary truck back to life!

How We Found It

The Suburban That Escaped the Volcano

This is believed to be the only surviving Dante’s Peak Suburban left in the world of the 4 or 5 trucks used during the film’s production. According to production history, one truck was destroyed in a roll over during the river crossing scene, another was repurposed for use in other films, a third ended up at Universal Studios Beijing, and the fourth was sold into private ownership. We’re thrilled to have tracked down that fourth truck—though it was used as a daily driver for many years and is now in need of significant restoration to return it to its former glory. We’ll be documenting the full restoration process in a build series on our YouTube channel, where we’ll share all the work going into bringing this iconic vehicle back to life—plus a few fun surprises along the way.