What are running s10's worth?

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mikec4193

Well-known member
Joined
Nov 13, 2007
Messages
668
Location
mechanicville ny (upstate ny)
Hi Everyone

I am trying to purchase a 1991 S10 truck from a local fellow. It runs and drives has V6 and a 5 speed in it. The guy claims he had clutch put in it and a bunch of other new parts too....body is typical New York State rust and rot...looks like a short bed to me.
The guy wants $795.00 and he wont budge any lower. I am thinking I can use all of it for my next full fendered rat rod. The auto-parts stores seem to carry a lot of the common parts for it and I am thinking pollution controls should be minimal too. Electric fuel pump in the fuel tank should not be a problem either...
I have about $600.00 into a cab and fenders I bought last fall...would love to get something in my garage for a winter project. Good MPG's too...easy interstate gear ratio too...

Any thoughts would be wonderful..

MikeC
 
I bought my 89 for $800. Had a tick in the top end. The pistons were so carboned up, they were hitting the heads. 4.3L - all the gas guzzling of a 350 with 3/4 the power. Not particularly great on MPG, but then, mine could use the TBI worked over too. I get about 17 on the country roads.
 
A co-worker bought an older s-10 4X4 with serious body rust for under $500and didn't think the rust was an issue until he found that the main frame rails were rotted out, too. Check it out good.

Blue
 
Maybe I'm a cheap ass but I think it's to much $$$. I wouldn't want to give more $4-500 for a donor.
 
Hi Everyone

The Fellow that owns it is of foreign decent so he is hard to talk to but I have already found some frame rail rot that I wanna show him when I go try and drive on Monday night. He says he doesn't really wanna sell it as he has 2 other vehicles already. I am looking at it as this could be all the basic parts I need to do my build except maybe some 15" steel wheels (and some new taller 15" tires)...the rot once the body is off and the gas tank is gone it should not be that hard to do some surgery on the frame rails...upstate NY salt use usually takes the bottom frame rail out....nothing that some 1/8" thick steel plate couldnt fix...we will see really soon....I would love to get it for like $500.00 but I am not sure he will do that price...

thanks guys for all the input...I really appreciate it...

MikeC
 
Here is the way I look at something like that. If I want and need something I won't let a few hundred bucks lose the deal for me. I just bought a wrecked Caddy for parts and the guy wanted $500, I offered $400 and he said "Nope". Rather than walk I gladly paid the extra $100.

Same with your deal, if there are enough parts to justify it and it runs, plus has a title, why lose it for couple of hundred bucks ?

Don
 
Go for it !

I bought a 1990 S10 for $900. V6,5 speed truck. It had all new brakes, wheel bearings, battery and a few other things I could use. So far I've got $600 of it back from selling parts I don't need.....plus parts are dirt cheap on the S10s if anything needs to be replaced.
 
Another opinion! Don't be so cheap that you miss this opportunity. You will get a motor, 5 speed trans, rear-end [geared right for the transmission] and a frame for that small amount. Now, you might just use the steering box, steering column and wheel, and all of the switches in the column, [signal lights, dimmer, windshield wipers]. Maybe the gauges, indicator lights, idiot lights, bright light indicator and some of the switches. What about robbing the radio, the windshield wipers and motor, [I even used the glove box of my donor to cover the wiper motor and quiet it down some] and the dome light. You may rob the seats from the donor, or the three pedals, maybe one bumper. Maybe you'll find that it's easier to get the licence for the finished car if you have some legal paperwork.
Don't miss this opportunity just because you would like to beat the seller down in price. That should not be a priority in your life.
End of rant.
 
The price is excellent. $800 for a running driving vehicle that you can use a lot of parts from is extremely reasonable. The only reason I would suggest to maybe hold out is to find one without frame rust. On my '46 I used the complete S-10 frame and rear end, steering column, master cylinder and booster, dash brace (for column and booster), emergency brake pedal and cable, seat, and probably some other items I'm forgetting. You can use a lot of parts off of the S-10, so that makes that $800 pretty cheap in my opinion.
 
I bought my 89 s10 rolling frame for $200. But an engine, tranny and assorted stuff (if your running it) would be worth it.
 

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