It's about time to retire my s10

[Ghost Magnum]

I been driving a 2001 chevy S10 for three years.
It ran well for a while. Surprisingly good during the deep freeze. I bought it for next to nothing.
I made a extremely low offer for it. And I was stunned the owner accepted it. That was until I found it needed 800 in repairs to the suspension. The past year. The exhaust now has a leak (it is loud), hard starts, cold stalls, disappearing antifreeze, wiring is a nightmare, driver side tail light doesn't work unless the blinker is on. The worst of all. The AC doesn't work.
My house is almost done. Just got to hang drywall and paint it.
I thinking about buying a left over 2020 colorado or ford ranger. I don't really care about trim level or what engine it has. Just as long as it has 4 wheel drive. Let's just say 4 wheel drive would have been very handy last month.
The payments will take away from my Torino budget.

 

[VaTom]

We drive our vehicles until they "die", become unreliable or get to the point where you are throwing good money after bad. About the only way you can come out ahead. In states that have annual safety inspections unless you do the work yourself a vehicle like yours if is to retire. 20 year old vehicles suspension work can be expensive.

 

[tripledipper]

Bought new, an 06 Tundra 6cyl SR5 with 72k. It may be retired someday by the family member who gets it after me but so far just oil changes and a free water pump under warranty. The wife a 13 Avalon with 72K, another trouble free vehicle. Hardly any mileage put on either and the virus kept us at home for a year. We are a car salespersons nightmare.

 

[grover99]

I had an S10 for a few years and other than the AC never working right had little problems with it. However had more bad luck with getting the thing almost totaled in a accident Took 5 weeks to get it fixed. Then someone backed in to it in a parking lot. Did you know the bed must be removed to fix a dint in the cab. Then a big hail storm beat the heck out of it. After all that I traded it off. That was 25 years ago and I have never been near a body shop sense.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

I had an S10 for a few years and other than the AC never working right had little problems with it. However had more bad luck with getting the thing almost totaled in a accident Took 5 weeks to get it fixed. Then someone backed in to it in a parking lot. Did you know the bed must be removed to fix a dint in the cab. Then a big hail storm beat the heck out of it. After all that I traded it off. That was 25 years ago and I have never been near a body shop sense.

Yeah, the S10 is a very good truck. I bought it out of necessity. But now I'm a fan.

 

[VaTom]

Bought new, an 06 Tundra 6cyl SR5 with 72k. It may be retired someday by the family member who gets it after me but so far just oil changes and a free water pump under warranty. The wife a 13 Avalon with 72K, another trouble free vehicle. Hardly any mileage put on either and the virus kept us at home for a year. We are a car salespersons nightmare.

Was it the 3.5 V-6? We had a water pump to out on wife's 2015 Sienna Van prior to warranty expiration. They replaced it. Seems some of the pumps on that engine were weak (bearing failure) have a 2016 Camry with the 3.5 V-6 and no problems. Both are great vehicles.

 

[Protocall_Design]

I had a 1996 S10 Blazer with Vortec V6 from 1998 to 2020. When I gave it to my son, it had about 240,000 miles and was still running strong. Had to replace the usual maintenance suspects over the years, but it ran strong and was a solid car. I now have a 2003 Tahoe with a Vortec V8. It has 308,000 and it is a solid car and the engine runs like new.

 

[JcMack]

I've got an '08 Colorado (old body style) I bought new that I've had good luck with. If I had any money I'd buy a 2015 or newer Colorado. They're as big as a full size half ton from 10-15 years ago. I'd say buy used, but used trucks are bringing close to original new price.

 

[Fishinfool]

I don't know you will be able to find a left over in today's market. Since you are familiar with the s-10 platform, maybe look for a newer, low mileage example.

Both my father, and a friend owned them, and found them reliable thru over 200k each.

Larry

 

[sigp220.45]

I had a take-home G-ride for 25 years, but the unfeeling government wanted the latest one back when I retired. I found this traded-in 2001 2dr 4WD Explorer at an Audi dealership in Denver. I cost about the same as a set of tires for a medium-fancy Audi.

Its at 189K right now. It needed a new fuel pump after a year, then nothing until the radiator began leaking faster than I could fill it up, so it just got a new one. Other than that its just been gas, oil, and brakes.

I only planned to keep it til 200K miles but I think I'll see how long it'll go.

 

[LVSteve]

The 4.0 Nissan Frontier is a good bus if you can find one used. They are a sea of plastic inside but it doesn't bother me. I had the 4.0 Xterra and had multiple buy offers for it in the time I owned it. The 4.0 with the 5-speed auto seems to be a solid drivetrain.

 

[mtgianni]

I been driving a 2001 chevy S10 for three years.
The exhaust now has a leak (it is loud), hard starts, cold stalls, disappearing antifreeze, wiring is a nightmare, driver side tail light doesn't work unless the blinker is on. The worst of all. The AC doesn't work.

It sounds to me like it shouldn't be on the road. Time to find something quickly payments or not before you are left stranded, or pulled over for a safety check.

 

[lihpster]

LS swap? All the cool kids are doing it!

 

[Golddollar]

We drive our vehicles until they "die", become unreliable or get to the point where you are throwing good money after bad.

That's why I let the 2008 Mercury Grand Marquis I bought as my very first brand new car go at 238,000 miles. My dealer was trying to find a replacement cable for the instrument panel in advance of any failure and could not find one in the whole country. I took it to the Gettysburg Auto Auction and a dealer from Baltimore came up and bought it.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

It sounds to me like it shouldn't be on the road. Time to find something quickly payments or not before you are left stranded, or pulled over for a safety check.

Yeah, I know. I'm checking local dealers now. I found a ford dealership that has a left over 2020 ranger for next to nothing. The only thing I absolutely want is 4 wheel drive. But I can't be to picky. I just going to have to shop around.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

I don't know you will be able to find a left over in today's market. Since you are familiar with the s-10 platform, maybe look for a newer, low mileage example.

Both my father, and a friend owned them, and found them reliable thru over 200k each.

Larry

I found a left over ranger. Not 4 wheel drive though. Can't be to picky.

 

[rubiranch]

If its a 2.8L check the oil for the missing antifreeze.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

If its a 2.8L check the oil for the missing antifreeze.

Well, my oil leak has gotten worst and I now have a mild mist coming out of my tail pipe.

 

[Gunhacker]

If its a 2.8L check the oil for the missing antifreeze.

Yep... those engines were notorious for the intake manifold gasket developing a coolant leak due to the way the EGR valve was located.

If yours has that motor, you got your monies worth out of it.

 

[CALREB]

My daily driver is a 2002 Toyota Tundra, v8 trd, 310000+, replaced the timing chain at 175000, oil changes, some 02 sensors,brakes thats about it. Have a 2017 Tundra that I bought when I retired, drove it from TX to LA 4 times the first year I had it, as we were moving. Now it sits in the garage, just turned 18000 miles. I cant stop driving my old truck it runs great. Seats have always been covered, its in pretty good shape. I probably need to get rid of it before stuff start going south, its paid for itself over and over. Wife is constantly telling me to drive new one that isnt new its 4 years old now. I think she is right. It handles better and is way more comfortable. I told her if the old one dies I will walk away and start driving the other.

 

[Ghost Magnum]

Yep... those engines were notorious for the intake manifold gasket developing a coolant leak due to the way EGR valve was located.

If your has that motor, you got you monies worth out of it.

Yep, I have the 4 cylinder engine.
Got to admit that these little S10 refuse to give up the ghost.

 

[muddocktor]

I have a 17 crew cab Colorado and after owning it for almost 3 years now (bought it with 3k miles on it, a loaner that was never titled) I am pretty satisfied with it. I am pushing about 39k miles on it now with no real problems except at about 20k miles shifting got a little squirrely, which was handled under warranty by the dealership and only involved changing the tranny oil to an improved type. They said it was a problem that had been noticed in the 8 speed tranny models and was fixed by the newer tranny oil for the 18 and beyond models. The v6 is plenty powerful and has decent torque too. Mine is a 2wd model and I wish now that I had gotten the 4wd model, but it is what it is and I can live with 2wd. It doesn't snow down in soggy bottom Louisiana at least. It also drives real nice and when I was working out of Midland, TX and wasn't totally whipped after 11 solid hours behind the wheel.

One other thing I appreciate is that the v6 is normally aspirated whereas the Ranger is a 4 cylinder turbo. I just totally trust a turbo engine for some reason in a pickup. And mine has the long 6' bed instead of the short bed

EDIT: Here are a couple of pics of my Colorado.

This is right after I got it, before I added the Roll-N-Lock on the bed and brush guard.


This was taken around 2019 out at a rig after I added the above mentioned items to it.

 

[MP-5]

I had an early model 1985 S10 Chevy Blaser in the 90s. That model hadn't worked out all the design "Kinks" as the transmission design was too small for this vehicle. The later models would address this feature flaw. That one was a 2.8 liter. Put a new transmission in and by 5 years it needed another one. Not fond memories other than it was a great time in my life.

 

[824tsv]

1984 Chevrolet S-10

You can always turn it into a hotrod!

 

[rubiranch]

Yep, I have the 4 cylinder engine.
Got to admit that these little S10 refuse to give up the ghost.

2.5L Sounds like a bad head gasket or a cracked cylinder wall.

 

[mike christensen]

1995 f250 300 cu in inline 6 with 166000 actual miles with a 5 speed overdrive. will not pass anything not even a gas station, but reliable oh hell yes and what you hook to it is going to move. rides like the lumber wagon it is, but its mine

 

[Ghost Magnum]

Some of these problems started after the belt tensioner popped off while I was on the highway. My tuck did get overheated .I probably cracked something then. I'm calling around now. My local ford dealership is going to see if they can find me a 2020 ford ranger. They are doing everything they can to get rid of them.
A friend of mine knows someone selling a 2001 blazer. I found some vintage C10 short beds. They would make great projects. But I don't need another project car! Lol

 

[Ghost Magnum]

1995 f250 300 cu in inline 6 with 166000 actual miles with a 5 speed overdrive. will not pass anything not even a gas station, but reliable oh hell yes and what you hook to it is going to move. rides like the lumber wagon it is, but its mine

Those 300 straight 6 have a huge cult following. A friend of mine stands by his with near religious zeal.

 

[JohnHL]

I bought my 1988 S10 (2.8 V6, 700R4 auto) in 1999 with 190000 miles.

It now has over 310000 miles and looks terrible!

I've replaced tires, brakes, tune-ups, exhaust, water pump, starter, radiator, fuel tank, intake manifold gaskets.

Engine, trans, and rear end have never been out and heads have never been off.

Dependable as an anvil.

I think I'll drive it until it breaks in half.

John

 

[gregintenn]

An engine is way cheaper than a truck.