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PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 8:58 am 
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Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 12:50 am
Posts: 63
Location: San Diego, CA
So I bought a LUV replacement a couple weeks ago...a 1998 S10 LS V6/auto ex-cab, 3rd door short box w/200K.
I have been looking for a nice El Camino, a older truck or an S10/Extreme/ZQ8 equipped truck. I wanted something comfortable for a shop truck and errand runner....cheap and small. I needed something with a pick up bed to haul nasty stuff and motors/parts.
I had sold my 73 V8 stepside LUV for 5K a few months ago, (write up in the forums) sure it had a V8/700R4 conversion....but lacked a lot of comfort, had no power steering, rode stiff, and still needed a lot of work. The interior was the biggest issue for me, very basic, stiff bench seat, no heater, (V8 conversion custom trans tunnel eliminated it) super expensive dash replacement (I was quoted $1,400 from just dashes) and non existent new replacement parts. Yes I could have upgraded and revised everything to make it better but I didn't think it was worth it.
I try not to put too much more in a vehicle than I can sell it for. (Not including my daily work driver.)
A lot of the guys that race your LUV these are not issues, like a daily driver may be.
Looked at a nice old 72 El Camino roller, for $1,200.00 good deal less motor and trans though had a little rust....I don't need another project..
What I really need is a small comfortable shop truck. The 78-87 El Caminos seem to be going up in value here. Smog is super tough on a carbureted 80's vehicle.
I found a guy advertising a 98 S10 extra cab 4 cylinder and 5 speed for $1,500.00, 4 miles away. I didn't want a 4 cylinder but hey the price was right.....he said it had a misfire too...uh oh....
When I got there it was a V6 Vortec and an auto...wow, it would have sold quick for 1500 with the V6., but no one came looking....except me, bought it for $1,250.00 drove it home too. Needed an alignment, couple tires and shocks.
It runs pretty good, shifts great for 200K, but has a misfire code so It probably needs a new spider/mpfi upgrade, easy to do and about $250.00.
I'll re-nu the non op and use it as is for a while.
It has a really nice interior, buckets, console 3rd door and even a nice JVC stereo...wow score!!

Biggest issue vs the luv's is the smog deal...yes the old pre 75 cars don't need a smog test, but that's easier for me to deal with than the cost of upgrading the LUV was.

What do you guys think about the S10's?

I have seen their large forum, lots of info and followers.
JTR (Jaguars that run) has excellent info on swapping similar year Vortec V8's and make it look easy...
Maybe eventually, not as light as a LUV, but it will do for me.

It was a nostalgic journey for me, doing a V8 Luv swap, These trucks were all over the place in the 70's and 80's here in so cal.
when my conversion was done and reliable, it was just not what I was looking for.


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PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 10:13 am 
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Addicted to LUV

Joined: Mon Aug 28, 2006 11:54 pm
Posts: 6584
Location: Pelahatchie, MS
I LUV S10's. I have had many, mostly in v8 form. I will tell you the same thing I tell the guys on the S10 site, and also tell the same thing to the guys on the Nissan hardbody site I am on. These trucks have been out of production for 15 to 20 years, and all the trim, weather stripping, dashes, etc. are already hard to come by, so stock up...

_________________
If you think no one cares, try missing a couple of payments...



FIAA!

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PostPosted: Tue Oct 24, 2017 11:57 am 
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Addicted to LUV
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Joined: Sun Jan 22, 2006 1:11 am
Posts: 2803
Location: Baytown,Texas
Great little trucks . Fix the miss and start looking for a replacement long block for the future . Like was said stock up on parts now for the future , or just drive the wheels out of it for $1250 worth and then start counting money saved .


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PostPosted: Fri Oct 27, 2017 10:55 am 
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Joined: Fri Sep 25, 2015 12:50 am
Posts: 63
Location: San Diego, CA
It actually runs and drives great even though I feel some occasional surging.
Good power with the 4.3 vortec. So far so good.
Looking from under the back of the truck the S10 looks the same as the my luv did, similar S10 rear end mine had, leafs, fuel tank on the left side.
Looks like Chevy took the LUV as a base, upgraded the front end to coils on the 2WD, added power steering, rustproofing and a nicer interior, updated the exterior as they moved into the mid 90's

Seems all the new car/truck manufacturers are building "mid sized" trucks now too big for me and the full sized trucks are huge for a daily driver.
The Tacoma and Colorado, are not small/mini trucks anymore. Great trucks but they are also pushing 40K...wow.
A 4 cylinder Duramax powered Z71 Colorado is 48K....

I'm keeping my older large SUV for now.

The P/O replaced lots of parts on this S10, the plugs, wires, cap and rotor so its either the FI Vortec spider injectors or play in the distributor.
He also had the upper control arms, idler arm, center link and tie rod ends...plus the cat converter
all replaced, I found a stack of receipts all in the last year. wow I saved a few bucks.

I got a lot of help here re-doing my V8 LUV, thanks to everyone here!

I'm probably gonna have to move over to the S10 forum now.

Oh, there's guys running 12's in the 1/4 mile on their N/A 4.3 S10's...
respectable times...

Not the 10's like some of you guys but not bad at all...


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