Why is it.....

[Bamamav]

People fuss and cuss about how awful the S-10 and Dodge Dakota pickups are/were, then they want to run out and get the frame out from under one for their next project? [S If they were that bad, wouldn't the frames be junk, too? Or am I missing something other than them being the right size? [S[P

 

[Sam_Fear]

Compared to my wife's 2011 F150, yeah, my 89 S10 is a piece of junk.

I've been driving it off and on for about a 2 years - owned about 4 years The cab is too small, and the 4.3L sucks gas for as small as the truck is. Basically the ride is better than my 63 F100. Seems to be fairly reliable, but looks and feels cheaply made.

I think the chassis is basically the same quality as most any Chevy car with some parts even interchanging.

 

[jfg455]

Not sure why they were / are bashed. The 2WD ones were darn near bullet proof. Had an 89 v6 5spd that went 289K miles before I sold it. My father in law is driving a 94 with 364K miles on it every day. [S

 

[dmw56]

I had an 82 S10 Sport. First new vehicle I ever purchased. I had it for 14 years and loved it. Only sold it because I needed an bigger vehicle to haul stuff even though I used the S10 to pull my car trailer.

 

[30sx]

because they fit , the motors for the most part are junk, the bodies rot off the frame, but gm made a million of them, the parts are cheap, easy to find, from 82 til 2000 they are pretty well all the same ,oh did i mention that they are cheap to buy,and they have modern supension and brakes,kind of like the pinto front end, the only good part on the car but sure used a lot of them

 

[Willowbilly3]

Same reason they use a Mustang 2 front suspension from one of the crappiest cars ever made. "They" not meaning me.

 

[Bamamav]

I just think it's funny so many people down them, then run all over themselves to use the frame. I had two, an 82 and a 84, both had the junky 2.8 V6's. Headgaskets on the first one, number three rod bearing on the other one....twice! And that was with two different cranks.

 

[Ol Blue]

I've had 3 S series trucks from '85-'99, all bought used, and now have a '08 Colorado I bought new. The S series trucks are all-around better.

Blue

 

[26Troadster]

i got a 88 jimmy, had the 2.8 700r4 lite duty had over 200000 on it and still running when i decided it needed more power, now has a 305 ho 700r4 and stays parked in the back yard. i believe i'm gonna do some body work, and paint then put a for sale sign in the windshield.

 

[bruno]

Had a 82 pu and an 88 blazer never had any major problems from either of them.

 

[Dirtyrat]

Well, there is a ton of aftermarket support for those trucks, so its not crazy that a lot of people go that route...

 

[GJunktionMike]

I had a 98 s10 other then motor problems it was a great ride.

 

[smallfoot]

I drove one for 10 years as a daily driver. Really didn't get all that good mileage. Motor blew at 155,000. The one thing I hated about it was trying to get to anything. I had trouble getting my hands anywhere to work on anything. It was pretty dependable and the reason people use them is because they are everywhere cheap for parts. I still have it for parts to use some things on my build but it won't be the frame. I guess they fit for lots of builds but that is a butt ugly frame IMO.

 

[BigIrish]

People use the frame & suspension, not the motors/transmissions/rear axle.

Cheap parts, disk brakes, easy to lower with cut coils or drop spindles, ball joints, V8s fit easily, they are narrow and fit under old cars well, the frames are symmetrical and relatively simple shape (unlike Ford, others), lots of aftermarket performance options, etc, etc.

Also cheap to pick up a non-runner, many still around in junkyards. They actually rode pretty well for a small truck back then too.

I'm a Ford guy but I wouldn't hesitate to use one under a fat fender car where it wouldn't be exposed.

 

[Ricks Garage]

I have a '92 that I have owned since '97. It has 425,200 on it. Origiinal heads, transmission and rear end. I get 25 MPG on the hi-way. It has a 450CFM Holley, 2101 Edelbrock intake with a 229 HEI, no computer. 4.11 gears with a 4L60 trans.

weld on.....[

 

[05snopro440]

I have an '82 with a 350 I've owned for 12 years, and for my '46 I used an S-10 frame, rear end, column, brake booster and master, pedals, etc.

I like the S-10 platform. Both mine are lowered and have V8's, so maybe that affects the handling, but they both handle extremely well. In addition, parts are easy to get at any parts store (important if you take long trips with your rod), and the frames are very overbuilt for those trucks (making them very stout for a hot rod).

With the frame swap I like the fact that everything is engineered to work together and most of the critical elements (brakes, suspension, steering) aren't being messed with.

 

[R Pope]

I'm with Willowbilly3. Somebody runs down one vehicle or builds up another, and suddenly that's the gospel. Pinto's flip end over end on a straight road for no reason, and guys use that front end in their builds while running down S10's. My brother and I have had half a dozen S10's over the years. Great little trucks! They will haul a bigger load than many full-size pickups, and get great mileage too.

 

[440shorty]

S-10

I went the other way: yanked the cab off and threw away the frame! (See build link)

440shorty

 

[LilD]

Wont hear a complaint from me. I had a standard cab short bed with over 200,000 miles. I beat the crap out of it and it just kept goin. Had to sell it when kids came along and it went to an older guy and his kid that were gonna use the drive train for a rod project. Had a 2wd S-blazer too. Had it for a few weeks before it got rear ended and totaled. I almost shed a tear when they came to tow it away. Cheap, dependable and parts are everywhere

 

[RoddingRon]

214,000 miles and counting. I hate the lack of power from the 2.2 POS Isuzu motor, but fortunately most of my daily commute is open highway, so once it's moving we're good



Complete S-10 frame. Dropped the body down over the frame and made a new floor...Still wish I kept this one