# Chevy S10



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

I am just wondering what is the take on Chevy S10. I am looking to get one and am wondering are they reliable, good trucks, or are they a disadvantage. I don't mean so much power but how much do they have. What is your experience or hear say of them. Would it be a good truck to buy or aren't they that good? Just wondering, if you know anything about them please reply.


----------



## callofthewild (Sep 7, 2007)

i drove one for years one of the first vehicles i had. the only problem i ever had with it was when i went on my mission and my parents let my younger bro. drive it. never saw it again after that, enough said. great little trucks but not meant to be driven by idiots.


----------



## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

I have owned several trucks similar to S10's, only they have more power, last longer, you can't hear them rust and they say Toyota instead of Chevy on them.


----------



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

> I have owned several trucks similar to S10's, only they have more power, last longer, you can't hear them rust and they say Toyota instead of Chevy on them.


If you have only owned trucks similar to them how do you know? (Simple Question)

As you may can tell from previouse posts of mine on other threads, I drive Chevy's and am just looking for one that is a little better on gas, and would like to stay within the chevy box.

_*Few more questions, please answer if you can:*_

How long do they last? (Miles)
How good are they on gas?
How reliable are they?
Do they have many problems? (High mantenance)
Will it pay for its self?
Do they have power?
What year would you get? (I was thinking 1993-1998 about)
How do they do in the mountains?
How do they do as work trucks?
Just plain, Are they good trucks?

( I understand that a lot of these questions kinda depend on the previouse owner,but I am just looking for a good general answer)

______________________________________________________________________________


> Just plain, Are they good trucks?


What I mean by that is I have driven many full sized Chevrolet and GMC pickups, did chevy do as good on the S10 as they did on the full sized.
_____________________________________________________________________
Basically what do you have to say about this truck? (not the one below specifically the chevy S10 in general)


----------



## Treehugnhuntr (Sep 7, 2007)

#1DEER 1-I said:


> > I have owned several trucks similar to S10's, only they have more power, last longer, you can't hear them rust and they say Toyota instead of Chevy on them.
> 
> 
> If you have only owned trucks similar to them how do you know? (Simple Question)
> ...


What I mean by that is I have driven many full sized Chevrolet and GMC pickups, did chevy do as good on the S10 as they did on the full sized.[/quote:2qgcp8ty]

I'm just givin you a hard time 1-eye. I hope you find the real answers. (It's Toyota  )


----------



## milenine (Nov 25, 2007)

i am currently driving a 98, 2wd. It gets decent gas millage (25mpg) and has 120k miles on it. I have had no mechanical issues with this vehicle yet. It is a 4 cyl. and very gutless. I don't mind since I just use it to drive back and forth to work. The interior is comfortable and looks like a much newer vehicle than it is. If you have any specific questions I can answer let me know. One of the best things about getting a used one of these is that they don't hold their value like a toyota does. That sounds bad, but isn't to the guy buying one used. I picked mine up for less than 3k and it looks quite new. good luck.


----------



## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

fatbass said:


> I came very close to buying one. I have several coworkers and friends that drive S-10's and they all love them. 2 friends have S-10's with over 200K on them and neither one uses oil yet. As long as you don't try and tow more than 1,000 lbs, they will do just fine. This info isn't scientific, just anecdotal, but from what I've seen S-10 is a good little truck. The "little" part is the only reason I didn't buy one. I'm 6'1" and 240 lbs and I just gotta have a full size truck.


Fatbass...your 6'1" and 240 ? I'm 5'4" and 240....If I can't fit in my mini-Cooper, I doubt I could fit in a S-10


----------



## BRL1 (Sep 12, 2007)

My wife bought a 2002 S10 in July with 100,000 miles on it. 4.3L V-6 4X4 she has put 4,000 miles on it so far. All I have had to do is change the oil, all filters, plugs, cap and rotor. Seems like a good little truck for her to go back and forth to work in. Not impressed with the 16 miles to the gallon it is getting.


----------



## callofthewild (Sep 7, 2007)

.45 it is a **** good thing you bought the convertible mini. :lol:


----------



## proutdoors (Sep 24, 2007)

Chevy S-10, the choice of road hunters everywhere! Get in will an automatic tranny so you don't over work your left leg. :mrgreen: 

PRO


----------



## chet (Sep 7, 2007)

I currently employ an s10, it's nowhere near the truck as my rangers, but yes the one and only toyota I had was probably the best overall. 
I keep buyin the rangers cuz they're cheaper and these **** drivers just crash em anyway! :evil:


----------



## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

I grew up around a 1985 S-10 Tahoe edition. It was the only vehicle my Dad ever bought brand new. We finally sold it to a helicopter mechanic in 2002, I think. It was a great truck for the first 12 years, but it started falling apart after that. There was a pretty big leak in the main seal that would've been really spendy to fix. The steering assembly started to take on a personality of its own, too. That can be pretty scary at times. It stayed in a straight line under 50, but it got a little squirrelly after that. It was really loud, too. Not the engine, the transmission would whine like a banshee going down the road.

The emissions were horrible and every year, the mechanics would have to really tweak some things around to get it passed. Every year they told us it was the truck's last year...It just wouldn't die. In fact, we were pretty sure that the whole front end was going to come unbuttoned and fold up under the truck while going down the road. It just wouldn't die.

But all that bad crap happened after the truck had served us well in many situations. The Tahoe edition was similar to the ZR-2 that they have nowadays; Factory lift, beefier suspension, better tranny. It could dig pretty well and it was hard to find a place where we couldn't turn around. It's size was quite advantageous.

It was a great climber. I remember sitting in the bed while my Dad took us up some really steep hills...I thought I was going to fall out and then the truck would tip back on me. Never happened.

I'd say it was an overall good truck. Once we knew it was on its last legs, it still didn't let us down. I don't remember ever having it in the shop for more than regular maintenance.

It didn't get the best mileage, but that's because it had the bigger V-6 and bigger tires to throw.
_____________________________________________________________________________
Other S-10's:

I was a delivery driver for a time and our shop had a 94 and a 96 S-10. They were 2WD, but they were great little trucks. Never missed a beat and got excellent gas mileage. I drove those little trucks really hard, but they wouldn't give up...Even after I totaled one from a slip on some black ice (pinged in the frame), a guy at the shop bought it, straightened it up and kept it. I'm sure it's still driving.

My only complaint about those trucks would have to be the governor. I couldn't go faster than 90mph. :evil: Being a delivery driver, every task was a race and sometimes there were long straight stretches of empty highway that could've been crossed a little faster.

That's okay...I just spent most of the day at 89. :mrgreen: 

If I were to buy any 4X4 today, I'd look for a Chevy ZR-2. Mostly because I like the off road capabilities (which I feel are better than big trucks), mileage, and they just look great. IMO

Plus, you can actually park them!

However, I think a Toy would outdo the Chevy in just about every area. They seem to be great little trucks...Just Japanese.

I really like the truck you have pictured. I also like the Blazer of the same style and year.

I'm no expert (at all), but I say go for it with the S-10...Or swallow your pride and buy a Toyota. :wink:


----------



## IcatchEm (Sep 11, 2007)

I had one and got rid of it, I would not buy the ZR2 or any 4WD S-10.If you want a small truck that the S-10 should be, get a Tacoma. Spend some time reading here before you buy... http://www.zr2usa.com/mboard/ - http://www.zr2usa.com/home.php


----------



## redleg (Dec 5, 2007)

Mine gets 18 miles to a gallon. and required almost no repairs the first 100K. It is designed to be too difficult to fix yourself. to change the spark plugs you have to pull both front wheels. transfer case and diff use some exotic juice that can only be found at the dealer. a 39 minute job like changing the fuel pump requires 3 hours at a shop and costs $600. -)O(-


----------



## #1DEER 1-I (Sep 10, 2007)

Well got one it is a small 1994 standard cab with about 130,000 miles on it seems to be a good little truck, got up in the hills a little with it 4WD works fine but didn't need it. For all you Toyota lovers out there I took it across our bench where I live to look at deer and it got across it with about 6 inches of snow and where I would normally get out and turn in the hubs on a Toyota, it spun a little but kept on crawling along in 2WD and never had to put it in 4WD,happy with it so far dosen't have any mechanical problems other than it needs new brakes


> I had one and got rid of it, I would not buy the ZR2 or any 4WD S-10.If you want a small truck that the S-10 should be, get a Tacoma. Spend some time reading here before you buy...


 As for that I don't know mine dose fine, I do have a small Toyota pickup with a 4-cyl. in it but this little S-10 V6 out dose it in every way except the Toyota can probably take a little more abuse than it and not as good MPG but I guess thats what you get with an automatic.


----------



## Riverrat77 (Sep 7, 2007)

An old S-10 Tahoe was my first truck... it was an 85 as well. Just a little auto 2WD but it was good for running around in. We never had any trouble with it... that is until somebody ran a stopsign and we broadsided him in his Ford dually. That thing was about twice the size of our little pickup and none of us were hurt, thankfully.... After that I moved on to bigger trucks and have now gone back to a little rice burner. Gotta love that about the foreign stuff... they seem to get pretty good mileage.... although I do like the sporty little S-10s like the one in the picture.


----------



## cornstar (Jan 16, 2008)

I have owned 4 s10's (86 pickup, 92 blazer, 94 jimmy I still drive, 98 blazer I still drive)and for the money they are unbeatable. More leg and shoulder room and smoother ride than Jeep or Toyota and they depreciate faster so you win if you buy one used. You can get one that is 5-7 years old with less than 80k miles in babied shape for under $5000 because they are abundant in Utah and always hundreds for sale if you look around. S10's are affordable and easy to replace I will probably have the kids driving the ones we have now in a few years and buy some newer ones for us. 
I have a buddy who does general remodeling and home building who just bought a 2004 S10 extended cab to replace his new wrecked F150 and loves the S10. He drives from Tooele to Honeyville every day for work and sometimes other places probably about 300 miles daily with his tools in the back and he says that he still gets 22 mpg. And another buddy that works at Kenecott who has a ZR2 he bought new in 2000 and still loves it even though he could afford to drive anything.

*How long do they last?* owned first 2 each for years and drove both to over 250k on original drivetrain till one stolen and one wrecked. The 2 I still own will be there in a few years and then I will buy an 2004 or 2005 model, my 1994 has 170K and the 1998 is at 80k with over 30,000 miles put on this past year alone.

*How good are they on gas?* not bad 18-22mpg, until you put mudder 31's on then only 16-19 mpg but I drive very fast. I feel comfortable letting letting my girlfriend take these out on snowy days and with the kids because they grab the road well and the push button 4wd is easy for her to operate at critical moments with good performance.

*How reliable are they?* maybe not Toyota level but better than you would expect for American with affordable parts and easy repairs if something does go out. I Always change trans fluid in the automatics I own at recommended intervals I have been told by a shop that your trans will go out if you don't. Buy A ZR2 with the 5-spd manual and the factory lift if you can live with a 2-door. Pre 95 models have ****ty dash lights.

*Do they have many problems?* Seem to have replaced a fuel pump on all but one(94) but only $180 and 4 hours work in the driveway. I put Bosch platinum plugs in every car I own because they last for 80,000 miles and on V6 S10's plugs are not something you want to change often. Somehow I cracked a lower A-arm on the 98 this year which should be impossible because I don't jump it or get too crazy off road but whatever It still drove fine and I didn't even know till I looked at it for a lift. My older model s10's rusted real bad though but I only wash my vehicles a few times a year because they are constantly. Front end bushings, wheel bearings, and joints get loose around 150k so plan on spending some money and time for that then and replace them all.

*Do they have power?* Plenty of power in the Vortec V6, I have used all but the 94 as work vehicles and often pull loaded trailers or go off road for fishing and hunting. The 1986 was a $400 2wd pickup 5sp with 4cyl that I drove 3800 miles to Alaska fully loaded to the gills and it amazingly had enough power to do that made me a believer for life.

*What year would you get?* (I was thinking 1993-1998 about)get a 97 or newer. Better all disc brakes, better ride, spare underneath, new body also you can run bigger tires on these without a lift I run 31x10.5 x-terrains currently.

*How do they do in the mountains?* I take mine places on the deer hunt that only modified jeeps and 4 wheelers tend to go and plan on putting a 3" Rancho lift on for $600 this spring a winch, and air locker. I also go ice fishing often and have not gotten stuck yet.
*
How do they do as work trucks?* great, Look for a deluxe model with heavy duty tow package, limited slip rear, and the 3.73 gear ratio(GT4 rpo code) hard to find but worth it over the standard 3.42 ratio.

*Just plain, Are they good trucks?* I highly recommend and will continue to buy these vehicles and in a few years will buy a 2004 or 2005 model with low miles that has depreciated. Not to rip on Toyota's because I love those vehicles also, but I would rather use money I keep for all of the fishing and hunting I get to do because I bought a S10 instead.


----------



## BRL1 (Sep 12, 2007)

cornstar said:


> then I will buy an 2004 or 2005 model,


Will have to be 2004 or older they replaced them with the Colorado in 2005.

But I agree the S10 has been a good little truck.


----------



## redleg (Dec 5, 2007)

My S-10s heater core and water pump just went out. It will cost me another thousand $. when it was newer, it never needed repairs, now that it needs them, they are more expensive because it is engineered so it can only be fixed in the shop. forget about back yard auto repairs. :evil:


----------



## huntnbum (Nov 8, 2007)

I bought this one new in 1986
Still drive it to work and on a few fishing or hunting excursions.

[attachment=0:d17tn6z5]86_S10_173000 miles_1000 OBO.JPG[/attachment:d17tn6z5]


----------



## mateo (Nov 12, 2007)

I had a 93 s10 Blazer that I bought used in 98. In 100,000 miles I had to perform the usual repairs: water pump, battery, brake shoes/pads, tires, fuel pump and muffler. I got stuck twice, and both times I was hopelessly high centered. IMHO, it was a very, very reliable vehicle. I wouldn't have sold it, except that I needed something with more seating, so I bought a mini van.


----------



## mateo (Nov 12, 2007)

redleg said:


> My S-10s heater core and water pump just went out. It will cost me another thousand $. when it was newer, it never needed repairs, now that it needs them, they are more expensive because it is engineered so it can only be fixed in the shop. forget about back yard auto repairs. :evil:


I replaced both the heater core and water pump on mine. On the 4.3 it isn't any more difficult than with a 5.7. Pretty simple repairs as far as repairs go.


----------



## BRL1 (Sep 12, 2007)

Replaced the water pump on my wife's 02 with the 4.3 two weeks ago. One of the symptoms was the heater quit blowing hot air. Not a bad job to do yourself cost me less than $80. 

Now I just have to figure out why not matter where the selector is set, it only blows air out the vents nothing on the floor or defrost.


----------

