What would you do with a free S-10

[gmcdawg]

I can tell you exactly what I would do, and have been looking for a truck to do it with!!  Bear with me....I have a 49 Chevy Fleetline Deluxe car that my wifes great grandfather bought new.  Last on the road in 1970, and has all the stainless trim and doors shut like a bank vault.  Minimal rust, but the family wanted to have it hauled away from the old homeplace.  I jumped at the chance to grab it.  Factory engine was a straight six, 216 cu.  These engines had "babbit bearings", which are poured bearings and make this engine basically far too cost prohibitive to rebuild.  So, I lucked into a 56 235 straight 6 from a one owner family 56 pickup to go in the 49.  But, I want the 49 to be a driver, and the 235 isn't all that powerful and can't be built to be.  So, still wanting to be different than the V8 SBC crowd, I got a Chevy straight 6 292 for it.  So now, I have this great low mileage 235 inline six - can ya tell I just love these old straight sixes?

 

There's one guy on an S10 forum that did exactly this - put an old straight 6 into an S10, and that's what I wanna do.  Lightweight truck, reliable and basic straight 6 with plenty of torque to move it along nicely.  Also have a T5 to put behind it, which obviously fits nicely with the idea of finding an S10 manual truck for the swap.  Won't be like that same ole thing everybody else does with a SBC.  Neat lil daily driver or fun around town truck, be fun to take to a car show and freak folks out.

 

So, if you decide not to build it - which I am NOT trying to talk you out of doing, don't trash it!!!!  Call me and I'll be on the way from Bham AL with a trailer!!  

[N.Penley]

Quick update:

Well as everyone knows 2020 was a hectic year for us all. My family has been very blessed this year and I understand many have faced the most difficult times in their lives. I was promoted and have been working from home and and going into the office periodically. My wife was also promoted and returned to work early after having our 2nd daughter. She worked most of the year from home and our oldest spent the majority of the school year at our dinning room table. 

 

the s10 still haven’t moved but once the COVID pandemic is pasT us I will get on it. A local shop replaced a 5.3 motor in my old 02 Silverado and did a great job in my opinion. I will probably load the truck up on my trailer and tell them to get it running, driving, and stopping on the cheap then do the interior myself since there is so little to do there. Next will be the body work. Can corners both have very minor rust. They are fairly cheap to replace and I know a few excellent welders that will be glad to help out. I really want to paint this sucker myself for some reason but that may also change. I have a couple paint schemes in mind. One is red with black accents to match my new trail boss and my father in laws C8. The other is a little more militaristic and would be more fitting with the slow 2.8. 

 

I would love to do a V8 swap but from my research it would be costly and challenging to have a 4x4 V8 s-10. 

[Black02Silverado]

3 hours ago, N.Penley said:

Quick update:

Well as everyone knows 2020 was a hectic year for us all. My family has been very blessed this year and I understand many have faced the most difficult times in their lives. I was promoted and have been working from home and and going into the office periodically. My wife was also promoted and returned to work early after having our 2nd daughter. She worked most of the year from home and our oldest spent the majority of the school year at our dinning room table. 

 

the s10 still haven’t moved but once the COVID pandemic is pasT us I will get on it. A local shop replaced a 5.3 motor in my old 02 Silverado and did a great job in my opinion. I will probably load the truck up on my trailer and tell them to get it running, driving, and stopping on the cheap then do the interior myself since there is so little to do there. Next will be the body work. Can corners both have very minor rust. They are fairly cheap to replace and I know a few excellent welders that will be glad to help out. I really want to paint this sucker myself for some reason but that may also change. I have a couple paint schemes in mind. One is red with black accents to match my new trail boss and my father in laws C8. The other is a little more militaristic and would be more fitting with the slow 2.8. 

 

I would love to do a V8 swap but from my research it would be costly and challenging to have a 4x4 V8 s-10. 

Good to hear that 2020 was not as bad for you as some.  That is a plus.  Sounds like you got a plan for the S10, not to just stick with it.  Yeah, a V8 swap into a 4x4 isn't as easy as a 2wd.  I bet it is going to be a great little truck.

[N.Penley]

I’ve done a little research and the junkyard 5.3s are surprisingly cheaper than the 350/5.7s (COOL). The LS swap on these trucks is a lot more difficult from my research. Especially if I want to stick with a manual trans and 4x4 (NOT SO COOL). I have looked here and elsewhere and haven’t found a similar build thread that was completed.

I may eventually go this route but for now I just want it running, driving, and stopping.


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[Jsdirt]

I just happened upon this one - sorry for being a year late, lol.

 

I've had alot of this platform from 1st to 2nd generation in both the pickup and Blazer/Jimmy body styles. I had a '89 S10 Blazer I bought from a suburb of NYC - this thing was well worn out, despite the low mileage claims on eBay. It burned oil BAD. We drove it like this for a year, but quickly tired of dumping a quart of 20w-50 in every 50 miles in the dead of winter. I grabbed the 4.3 V6 out of the '00 Jimmy we had that was the biggest lemon besides my current '07 (GMT-900) Silverado 1500, stripped all the failure prone electronics off it and went old school. Edelbrock intake manifold, 500 CFM manual choke carburetor, and a HEI distributor off eBay (never buy distributors here - there's a reason they're cheap!). After some trial and error, I got that thing running beautifully. My wife commuted 65+ miles per day in it all winter long for years. It was a ton of fun to drive, and there weren't too many fitment issues. Consistently got 17.5 MPG hand-calculated at every fill up. The chinese eBay distributor caused a period of doubt, due to my lack of an oscilloscope, but I eventually figured out I was chasing an ignition problem instead of a fuel problem. After that we drove it for 6 solid years, trouble free!

 

Sounds like you already have a plan for it, but I just wanted to throw this out there just in case, to give you another idea. The newer 4.3's are pretty stout in that light vehicle when you go carbureted. 

 

Here's a link to my build on the Blazer Forum - hard to believe it's been almost 10 years!  https://blazerforum.com/forum/general-chat-34/00-jimmy-4-3-into-89-s10-blazer-project-begins-63094/

[N.Penley]

Thanks for the suggestion. I had a 4.3 in a 93 s-10 that ran great. I just figured that if I have to do a full swap I better go ahead and get the V8 sound and power that I know I’d want in the future. This old truck will just be a toy and not a daily driver. It will probably just be something I jump in once a week to run errands when I can have the windows down, radio up, and a jet ski or quad in the bed.

On a side note this thing would be finished a year ago if I could break my stand up jet ski habit.... anyone have any for sale? Haha


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[Daly]

I've been following this guy for a bit. He's swapping a 3.0l 4cyl boat engine (which he's putting a turbo on), corvette independent rear suspension, and 6 speed out of same corvette in to his S10. It's not a standard build which is why I like it. 

 

https://youtu.be/gsUd6wxoPlQ

 

 

 

 

[Jsdirt]

31 minutes ago, N.Penley said:

Thanks for the suggestion. I had a 4.3 in a 93 s-10 that ran great. I just figured that if I have to do a full swap I better go ahead and get the V8 sound and power that I know I’d want in the future. This old truck will just be a toy and not a daily driver. It will probably just be something I jump in once a week to run errands when I can have the windows down, radio up, and a jet ski or quad in the bed.

On a side note this thing would be finished a year ago if I could break my stand up jet ski habit.... anyone have any for sale? Haha


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Yeah, if I didn't have the Jimmy laying around in pieces at that time, I'd have definitely went the V8 route. There's just so much more torque, and a much better sound. That would make a great hauling rig. Right now I've got a '94 S10 pickup I use for plowing. It's hurtin' underneath - LOADS of RUST. It's BAD. Does the job, though. Thing gets up and goes damn good with a 4.3, 5-speed, even with that heavy plow up front. It's not a full-sized plow - just a cheap homeowner grade Western. I've patched and welded that thing about 100 times over the years, lol.

 

I haven't seen a stand-up ski around in years, but I know my buddy has had a Kawasaki one sitting in his shop for at least 20 years now. I think the main issue was someone yanked the serial numbers off the back of it, otherwise we'd have got it running decades ago. He'd probably sell it real cheap if he still has it, but we're quite a ways southeast of you - at least a 6 hour drive, if not more. I can ask him if he's still got it if you're interested.

[Jsdirt]

25 minutes ago, Daly said:

I've been following this guy for a bit. He's swapping a 3.0l 4cyl boat engine (which he's putting a turbo on), corvette independent rear suspension, and 6 speed out of same corvette in to his S10. It's not a standard build which is why I like it. 

 

https://youtu.be/gsUd6wxoPlQ

 

 

 

 

Nice - that's going to be a sweet build. So much room with a straight 4 on either side to put a turbo on. The thing should rip pretty good with that setup. 

[N.Penley]

Yeah, if I didn't have the Jimmy laying around in pieces at that time, I'd have definitely went the V8 route. There's just so much more torque, and a much better sound. That would make a great hauling rig. Right now I've got a '94 S10 pickup I use for plowing. It's hurtin' underneath - LOADS of RUST. It's BAD. Does the job, though. Thing gets up and goes damn good with a 4.3, 5-speed, even with that heavy plow up front. It's not a full-sized plow - just a cheap homeowner grade Western. I've patched and welded that thing about 100 times over the years, lol.
 
I haven't seen a stand-up ski around in years, but I know my buddy has had a Kawasaki one sitting in his shop for at least 20 years now. I think the main issue was someone yanked the serial numbers off the back of it, otherwise we'd have got it running decades ago. He'd probably sell it real cheap if he still has it, but we're quite a ways southeast of you - at least a 6 hour drive, if not more. I can ask him if he's still got it if you're interested.

Awesome! PM me fo my contact info if he wants to let it go. I’m always up for a road trip if it’s a fair deal. Thanks.


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[Swofford]

History, and memories are intrinsic values that only the beholder can set...and they come with limits... The truck holds fond lasting memories for you as you grew up. It does not hold the same for anyone else who did not experience the same thing. Your wife's input is necessary to the discussion, as to do anything with the truck will require money and time, both of which are not only yours to commit.

 

It may be that you need to decide if there is a part or two that is VERY special to you and that is reasonable for you to remove and hold on to, at least for a while.

 

I still have a gear shift knob sitting on my desk that honestly means NOTHING to anyone else but me. It is from a 1959 Bulldog Mack triple-speed rear end truck that was used for tractor-trailer work. My father had me drive it around the oil distributorship yard as a young man to make sure I was ready to 'help'...After I had successfully done what was required, he removed the gearshift knob from the truck and gave it to me, to remember my accomplishment...and to this day, when I see it, I remember that accomplishment, my father, and many of the values that he taught me.

 

Good luck with your decision... 

[Jsdirt]

1 hour ago, N.Penley said:

Awesome! PM me fo my contact info if he wants to let it go. I’m always up for a road trip if it’s a fair deal. Thanks.


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Will do - I sent him a text earlier, but he works 3rd shift, so his hours are screwy. I'll shoot you a PM whenever he gets back to me. 

 

Oh, and I screwed up on the drive time there - for some reason I thought you were in Ontario, Canada. My bad. I must've looked at the wrong poster's info. You're in the 15 hour range, I would imagine.

Edited January 27, 2021 by Jsdirt

[N.Penley]

Will do - I sent him a text earlier, but he works 3rd shift, so his hours are screwy. I'll shoot you a PM whenever he gets back to me. 

 

Oh, and I screwed up on the drive time there - for some reason I thought you were in Ontario, Canada. My bad. I must've looked at the wrong poster's info. You're in the 15 hour range, I would imagine.

Where are you located? I use Tapatalk and it doesn’t show locations in profiles.

 

I have a guy that can pickup anywhere in the New England area. He travels the East cost regularly.

 

 

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[Jsdirt]

I sent you a PM.

[N.Penley]

I sent you a PM.

Well thanks to this thread I received another jet ski last night. Thanks for setting up the deal Jsdirt. It’s too dang cold to fool with it this week but I’ll see what I have soon enough.

Now back to the truck.... looks like it has been postponed for another month or three.


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