“Gramps” - Jacob Noffsinger’s 1979 GMC Suburban
The Suburban is truly the world’s first SUV. Known for its large seating capacity, towing capabilities and versatility, the Suburban is arguably the ideal SUV for large families and for those in need of a rugged vehicle for towing campers or boats through tough terrain. But for Jacob Noffsinger and his 1979 GMC Suburban nicknamed “Gramps”, the vehicle has a completely different purpose – to gap unsuspecting racers. Noffsinger, of Akron, Ohio, has completely transformed his ’79 into a high-powered throw-you-back-in-your-seat street machine.
“Gramps” joined the Noffsinger family when Jacob was just 8 years old. His father, Matt, purchased the Suburban off Craigslist from an older gentleman who employed it as a mule to haul his 38’ camper back and forth from Ohio to New York. While the ’79 had a factory 454 big block, it was replaced with a high torque 502 crate engine prior to the Noffsinger’s purchase after the 454 took its last breath on a haul through the mountains. For the first several years in the Noffsinger family, “Gramps” was used as a daily driver, transporting Jacob and his siblings to baseball practice and carrying the family on camping and fishing trips. Once gas prices rose enough to make the Suburban less than ideal for daily driving, “Gramps” was shelved for some time before Jacob started its transformation. When Jacob turned 16, he was eager to find a car to race but didn’t yet have the means to purchase a race car. Inspired by stories his dad had shared of dusting off Audi’s and factory sports cars in “Gramps”, combined with the fact that Jacob longed for a race car that would be unique, he decided to acquire the ’79 from his dad to begin its radical transformation.
In his quest for horsepower and quick ET’s, Jacob put some serious work into the 502 big block Chevy engine. Performing nearly all of the engine work at his dad’s shop, “Red Dog’s Garage”, Jacob only employed Canton Automotive Machine for the 4.500” bore. The engine was fitted with JE pistons, Liberty Performance Components Billet I Beam 6.535” rods with L19 ARP fasteners, Brodix cylinder heads, a Molnar 4.25” crank, a General Kinetics solid roller cam, all stainless-steel valves and retainers, PAC dual valve springs, Harland Sharp rockers and Brodix girdles. For a power adder, Jacob installed an Induction Solutions Saturday Night Special with a 4500 billet plate. “Gramps” was also equipped with a 1050 Dominator E85 carburetor, an MSD digital programmable 6AL ignition control, Mad Dog Fenderwell exit headers with 2 ¼” primaries and 4” collectors and 4” Dynomax Bullets. The final result was a 502 that is a force to reckoned with, boasting 540 cubic inches of displacement with a 13:1 compression ratio and enough horsepower to lift the front end of the 5,000+lb “Gramps” at launch.
To ensure every horse hits the wheels, Jacob upgraded the drivetrain. He installed a turbo 400 transmission with a TCI Pro tranny brake and a Gear Vendors overdrive. He also added a custom billet converter crafted by 501 Perfect Converter Company. Jacob then went to work on the rear axle, installing a Quick Performance 9” Pro Fab housing, 40 spline Moser Axles, a Strange Engineering spool and a nodular iron center section with Quick Performance 4.11 street gears and a 35 spline pinion. As for suspension, the front remains factory while the rear was upgraded with TRZ ladder bars and an anti-roll bar. Jacob also added QA1 double adjustable shocks to ensure a smooth ride down the track.
Besides the massive upgrades under the hood and beneath this ’79, “Gramps” appears to be somewhat stock, creating the sleeper that Jacob desired. The Weld Pro Star wheels and Hoosier slicks are some of the only visible upgrades to the exterior. The interior of the Suburban is also mostly factory, with the exception of a B&M Pro Stick shifter, 4-point harness seatbelts and of course, the 12 point roll cage.
With Jacob’s dream for a unique racer realized, he’s been turning heads and knocking out impressive ET’s with what has to be the most unsuspecting former daily driver on the street. In addition to some mostly 1/8th mile bracket racing and grudge races, Jacob also competed in two hard tire no-prep contests over the past year, advancing to the semi-finals in the second race. Prior to the transformation of Gramps, the ’79 cruised the ¼ mile at a leisurely 16.80s at 78mph. After a number of high-performance modifications, Jacob pulled a 10.90s with a 1.35s 60’ in the naturally aspirated 502. Jacob’s sights are now set on blasting “Gramps” into the 9’s with its first passes backed by the 540 nitrous motor.
Jacob credits his brothers, Dalty and Casey, his dad, Matt Noffsinger, and his friend, Larry Portman, for helping him with the build, providing endless support, chasing down parts, and offering numerous life lessons along the way. Jacob is now looking forward to testing the limits of “Gramps” with the bottle and is aspiring to compete in Drag Week in the coming years.