Vintage Trucks

[WHX?? 46,814]

17 hours ago, PeacemakerJack said:

I think it needs a Wheel Horse decal on one of the windows—don’t you?

Absolutely... we know a guy...

[Pullstart 59,744]

Found a replacement for the Cadillac, My winter plow truck with a broken frame.  It’s a ‘92 Chevy 2500 with the 6.5L Turbo Diesel.  It’s not fast, but it’ll do what I need and I have front and rear plows for it too.  It’s Mrs. P’s grandparents’ wood truck and needs a little TLC but it has good bones!

[Pullstart 59,744]

I am pretty dang excited about this one.  We’ve been married 15 1/2 years and when we were dating we house sat for Grandma and Grandpa while they were in FL and TX.  I’ve loved this truck ever since!  Obviously, Norman will always be special to me.  This one might mean even more.  There will still be some PO fixes that will make me shake my head, I know.  But it’ll be shaking with a big ‘ole grin on my face!  He tried paying me $100 for plowing their drive this morning.  They toss money at me every so often for that.  He wouldn’t accept money for the truck, so I tossed the Benny on the TV stand and told him I’ll give him $100 for the truck 

[Thegearhead0324 1,209]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

Found a replacement for the Cadillac, My winter plow truck with a broken frame.  It’s a ‘92 Chevy 2500 with the 6.5L Turbo Diesel.  It’s not fast, but it’ll do what I need and I have front and rear plows for it too.  It’s Mrs. P’s grandparents’ wood truck and needs a little TLC but it has good bones!

I love them body chevys. Grew up with late 70s Fords myself, but I had a 91 Chevy that was dependable, I now own a 95. Gotta keep ‘‘em running. 

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,262]

1 hour ago, Pullstart said:

Found a replacement for the Cadillac, My winter plow truck with a broken frame.  It’s a ‘92 Chevy 2500 with the 6.5L Turbo Diesel.  It’s not fast, but it’ll do what I need and I have front and rear plows for it too.  It’s Mrs. P’s grandparents’ wood truck and needs a little TLC but it has good bones!

Those were some good trucks. My blood runs Ford blue, but I have to admit one of the best trucks I had was a 94 Chevy 2500 with the 6.5 diesel. That one being a 92 has the fully mechanical injection pump, not plagued with the PMD issues the later ones had. Nice find

[ClassicTractorProfessor 5,262]

Here's the only picture I can find of my old 94 6.5...put many miles on the old girl between here and Amarillo TX hauling transmissions to the shop we used to have them rebuilt. If you drove her right she'd get right at 20 MPG out on the highway. Had to replace the PMD twice, relocated it the second time and had no more issues, but that was the only issues I had with the truck in almost 80k miles of driving.

[ebinmaine 63,214]

21 minutes ago, Pullstart said:

 He tried paying me $100 for plowing their drive this morning.  They toss money at me every so often for that.  He wouldn’t accept money for the truck, so I tossed the Benny on the TV stand and told him I’ll give him $100 for the truck

Well done Man.  

 

What's the plan for the broken frame? 

[Pullstart 59,744]

1 minute ago, ebinmaine said:

Well done Man.  

 

What's the plan for the broken frame? 

the one I drive now has a broken frame.  This one is stout.

[Pullstart 59,744]

I have this truck, which is a good donor for the new one.  I bought it in Nashville, TN and was thrilled for it to get 10 mpg on the way home!  I sold it, then traded it back, then gave it away, then it was given back.    It has been used and abused for quite some time.  Currently, the transmission is messed up and the frame is hurt in a few spots.

 

 

[19richie66 16,954]

I got this poor thing, 93 4x4 S10, two weeks ago from my stepson. Plans to put it back the way it should be. Already removed the plastic bed liner, rusty brush guard, found the coolant temp sensor broken and the IAC motor plug turn 90*out. Replaced the coolant sensor, cleaned the throttle body and plugged in the IAC correctly and she runs like a sewing machine. Found a set of wheels for it. Getting ready to remove the body lift.  It’s about 97.6% rust free. Gonna be a nice little truck one day. 

[Thegearhead0324 1,209]

1 minute ago, 19richie66 said:

I got this poor thing, 93 4x4 S10, two weeks ago from my stepson. Plans to put it back the way it should be. Already removed the plastic bed liner, rusty brush guard, found the coolant temp sensor broken and the IAC motor plug turn 90*out. Replaced the coolant sensor, cleaned the throttle body and plugged in the IAC correctly and she runs like a sewing machine. Found a set of wheels for it. Getting ready to remove the body lift.  It’s about 97.6% rust free. Gonna be a nice little truck one day. 

I actually owned a 83 for about 6 years, also had a 85 for a few years, both black. Not too many where I am anymore for sure. 

[19richie66 16,954]

1 minute ago, Thegearhead0324 said:

I actually owned a 83 for about 6 years, also had a 85 for a few years, both black. Not too many where I am anymore for sure. 

I found a guy locally that has a salvage/repair business with four of them in his stash. Already found some stuff I am getting from him. I had an 89 I lowered years ago. I like these S-10’s.

[ebinmaine 63,214]

33 minutes ago, 19richie66 said:

I found a guy locally that has a salvage/repair business with four of them in his stash. Already found some stuff I am getting from him. I had an 89 I lowered years ago. I like these S-10’s.

 

 

 

I've seen quite a few V8 conversions on those over the years. 

Nice clean jobs look factory.  

 

 

[elcamino/wheelhorse 9,062]

@19richie66 The question is "will it haul your latest built to the BS ?

[19richie66 16,954]

11 hours ago, elcamino/wheelhorse said:

@19richie66 The question is "will it haul your latest built to the BS ?

Not this year. 

 

13 hours ago, ebinmaine said:

 

I've seen quite a few V8 conversions on those over the years. 

Nice clean jobs look factory.  

 

 

would love to but with it being a 4x4, the differential is kind of in the way. It makes things a little more difficult. Just wanting to get it back the way it should be before I really mess it up 😁

[ebinmaine 63,214]

4 minutes ago, 19richie66 said:

would love to but with it being a 4x4, the differential is kind of in the way. It makes things a little more difficult.

 

I worked with a guy back in the late 90s that had a square body S10 four-wheel drive with a 350 v8, as a daily driver. I never knew if he did the whole build or bought it and modified it.

I know they had to lift a few inches just to make clearances.

I don't remember the combination of suspension lift versus body lift but I'm fairly sure it was a little of both.

[19richie66 16,954]

A guy on YouTube has a blazer that had a 4.3tbi that put a 350 tbi in it and had to make a custom oil pan to clear the differential, new mounts and exhaust manifolds. Very clean, stock looking job. All wiring plugged in and he used the factory computer with the v-8 prom. LS is a whole different ball game but would be the way I would want to go. 

[Thegearhead0324 1,209]

this was my 83 I had, it was bulletproof. Moved a lot of stuff, including moving the 1257 I have today from my dads old house to mine. 

[OutdoorEnvy 1,432]

I'm all for cool and fun projects and swapping a 350 smallblock in an S10 is always a neat one.  But the 4.3 is a great engine and good power for that size truck for regular use and the mild towing that frame could take.  If your goal is to get it to be a reliable driver there's nothing wrong with that route.  It would be the easiest, cheapest, quickest option.  Plenty of them around as GM was putting it in a lot of vehicles in that time frame. 

 

Our 89 Astro van I grew up in had the 4.3 and we used it a lot and pulled a pop-up all over with it.  Never had any major issues.  My best friends dad had a GMC S15 extended cab 4wd with the 4.3 and it was a cool truck.  I always liked it.  He also had a 70s Chevy Luv pickup that was a 4 cylinder 5 speed 4wd.  Not much power but just a cool little truck and fun to drive.  We took it out deer hunting a few times....now I'm really taking a trip down memory lane...

 

Anyways...looking forward to see what you do with it!  Good on you for saving it and giving it a new lease on life! 

[19richie66 16,954]

2 hours ago, OutdoorEnvy said:

Anyways...looking forward to see what you do with it!  Good on you for saving it and giving it a new lease on life! 

It’s pretty much staying the way GM made it. I just want a nice, dependable truck. I’ll spiff up the inside some, add a nice sound system and of course fix the A/C. Parts are everywhere and not too expensive so it should live again 😁

Edited March 21, 2023 by 19richie66

[lynnmor 6,796]

If you want a S10 pickup or SUV with power, simply buy a 1991 GMC Syclone.  Look it up.

[19richie66 16,954]

2 hours ago, lynnmor said:

If you want a S10 pickup or SUV with power, simply buy a 1991 GMC Syclone.  Look it up.

Would love one. Always liked those. 

[lynnmor 6,796]

22 minutes ago, 19richie66 said:

Would love one. Always liked those. 

Autotrader has a nice one for only $78,900. 

[squonk 38,965]

4.3 S-10's kicked butt. I saw an S-10 convertible today! 

[Pullstart 59,744]

Speaking of 4.3L V6 flavors, there’s an engine in the back of my truck right now.  It’s a fresh built .030” over with flat top pistons.  Rylee’s great great uncle built the engine and her first truck is her mom’s first truck.  Somehow Mrs. P ventilated the original engine and I pulled this one from a wrecking yard all those years ago.  A local shop machined it, Uncle Steve built the engine, sourced a 4 barrel intake for it and it has sat taped off ever since.  The slush box in the truck has never had a torque converter in it and the hood has been off it.  I’m thinking I’ll make it HEI/carb and maybe we’ll convert it to a 4 on the floor or rebuild the transmission that’s in it now.