My project S10 beater

[Angrybird 12]

Well I bought an old 96 S10 to use to haul junk around in, I really thought I could just get an old beat up truck for around $2,000 and not do anything to it. Well I was wrong.
First I bought this truck, no tailgate, 2 missing center caps on some ugly eagle alloys with tires 3 sizes to big that made the little 4 cylinder drive like I had an anchor attached. Also the AC didn't work.

[Angrybird 12]

Then I took it and had the AC fixed, then searched the junkyards for a decent tailgate. Of course the paint didn't match.

[Stew]

Prices for used vehicles are crazy, sounds like my Lumina haha. No, I did not pay that much for it, but still too much IMHO.

[Angrybird 12]

Then then i replaced the tires with the correct size and I got some wheel centers off EBay. When I tried cleaning the wheels they were pitted and corroded so I sprayed them with plastidip.

[Angrybird 12]

Well the bed was flawless so I decided to get a bed liner. I opted for a rhinoliner because I got a really good deal on sale, it wasn't much more than a drop in.

[Angrybird 12]

I found a chrome grille at the junk yard, Then I got some cheap vent shades off eBay and found an old set of Chrome Tri-Bar spinners I had from another car and put them on and then added a red stripe to the wheel rim. That is where I am at today. My $2,000 truck is now my $3,500 truck.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Stew

Prices for used vehicles are crazy, sounds like my Lumina haha. No, I did not pay that much for it, but still too much IMHO.

You wouldn't believe the prices for used S10s around here. It took me over a month to find one that wasn't a complete rust bucket for under $3,000.

[Stew]

Same here, I looked at them when I was looking a few months ago and it was shocking how much even 1st gens sell for.

Good job BTW that looks really good.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by Stew

Same here, I looked at them when I was looking a few months ago and it was shocking how much even 1st gens sell for.

Good job BTW that looks really good.

Thanks.

Yeah I looked at a couple first gens, both were beat up and rusty, one was a 92 they wanted $4,500 for, and the other was a 93 and they wanted $5,000 for it. I found this one in the local online classifides he was asking $2,800 for it and I talked him down to $2,000.

[CamaroSkooter]

Not bad. My 1995 S-10 Blazer just turned over 258,000 miles

[G-Oil Guy]

I look at it this way: you made minimal investment to make sure that the truck could continue to serve your needs. You really do need a tailgate so that's acceptable. Depending on your health, living location and needs, fixing the AC is reasonable and so you didn't spend money on new rims you protected the old rims. All acceptable.

The vent shades are the only thing that could be considered "unnecessary" in my opinion.

Aside from that nice little truck. Sadly "midsize" trucks today are the size of full sizes back when I was a kid. I always liked that model of S10.

[Angrybird 12]

Originally Posted by G-Oil Guy

I look at it this way: you made minimal investment to make sure that the truck could continue to serve your needs. You really do need a tailgate so that's acceptable. Depending on your health, living location and needs, fixing the AC is reasonable and so you didn't spend money on new rims you protected the old rims. All acceptable.

The vent shades are the only thing that could be considered "unnecessary" in my opinion.

Aside from that nice little truck. Sadly "midsize" trucks today are the size of full sizes back when I was a kid. I always liked that model of S10.

Thanks, I am enjoying the little truck. I have been using it the last week to take junk I have collected in my utility building to the dump. I couldn't believe what a pack rat I have been...

I got the vent shades so I could leave the windows down like I used to back when I had my last S10 back in the 80's. it helps keep the temp down inside.