What happened to all the S10's

[Gene King]

Was thinking earlier, 10 or 15 years ago those little S10 pickups were everywhere, people would 350 swap them all the time. Then it's like they all vanished from the roads and marketplaces and I see 10 square bodies for every S10 now. Did they have a lot of spots to catch road junk and rust out, or what?

 

[Vbb199]

I still got mine. Of courae i solid axle swapped it on 1 tons and 39.5" boggers ... but ive had it since around 2011 or 2012

 

[Bennyt]

They were used to tow Ford Escorts to the junkyard and some just left them there I guess.


I have ebay, CL, and offerup saved searches for S10 SS, S10 Cameo, Sonoma GT, Syclones, and Typhoons and rarely does one come up that I am interested in buying:

The S10 SS are all beat to death at $5-6k,
rarely does a Cameo come up with all its cladding and the 4.3,
the rare Sonoma GT is usually a parts car at best or missing cladding or salvage title,
the Syclones are usually $20k overpriced and the same ones are for sale 3-5 years later,
most of the Typhoons are just beat to death.

If I could find a restorable truck, I'd jump on it. I couldn't so I bought the C10 for my son.

 

[78C10BigTen]

I drive one daily and see the newer style round ones everywhere!
Heres mine

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[Backfoot100]

In FL, I see em all over. All versions of them. Surprisingly, quite a few Extremes. Every once in awhile, I catch a glimpse of a Syclone or Typhoon.

 

[78C10BigTen]

In FL, I see em all over. All versions of them. Surprisingly, quite a few Extremes. Every once in awhile, I catch a glimpse of a Syclone or Typhoon.

Few weeks ago here in PA there was the carlisle truck nationals, the syclone and typhoon group was there with probly 100 of them.

 

[Lil'm]

Rust turns to dust & then...

 

[idahovette]

Bought one for my Grandson, Kooper. Been installing a .030 over 327 and a 700R4. These pics are still the 4cyl 5 spd My Bride,Kooper and Macie

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[bucket]

They were used to tow Ford Escorts to the junkyard and some just left them there I guess.


I have ebay, CL, and offerup saved searches for S10 SS, S10 Cameo, Sonoma GT, Syclones, and Typhoons and rarely does one come up that I am interested in buying:

The S10 SS are all beat to death at $5-6k,
rarely does a Cameo come up with all its cladding and the 4.3,
the rare Sonoma GT is usually a parts car at best or missing cladding or salvage title,
the Syclones are usually $20k overpriced and the same ones are for sale 3-5 years later,
most of the Typhoons are just beat to death.

If I could find a restorable truck, I'd jump on it. I couldn't so I bought the C10 for my son.

The Cameo and Sonoma GT's are my favorites of the bunch. I've seen none of them in recent years.

 

[Turbo4whl]

Was thinking earlier, 10 or 15 years ago those little S10 pickups were everywhere, people would 350 swap them all the time. Then it's like they all vanished from the roads and marketplaces and I see 10 square bodies for every S10 now. Did they have a lot of spots to catch road junk and rust out, or what?

Sure, put a stout small block in the S truck. More weight in the front, more HP at the rear and an empty bed=a truck where the rear end wants to pass the front. Add a little rain and all those trucks you saw are gone because trees and utility poles jumped in front of them.

 

[idahovette]

@Turbo4whl, ya just gotta know your limitations.............Dirty Harry's words

 

[SirRobyn0]

My opinion they were not as well built as the square, especially the early ones. Think about the 80's you'd of had the choice of the 2.5 4 cyl. or the 2.8 V6. The 2.8 was well known to spin rod bearings. This is the same reason you just don't see cars like the Chevrolet Celebrity anymore. back to the S-10, 2.8 coupled to 700R4 what could possibly go wrong? The interiors tended to fall apart early as well. Later they did get the 4.3L which was a better motor no doubt, but also had a very expensive and in the first few years of that engine also problematic injection system. I think people held on to their squares, or sold them to people that kept them up, where as the S-10 did not.

We use to ponder this at work. Back in the late 90's and earlier part of the 2000's Dodge was putting the 5.2 (318) in all it's trucks, the pickups, the vans the dakota, durango, and the grand cherokee. If it was in one of the pickups or the van we'd routinely see them come in with 200K plus and still going strong. In the Grand Cherokee we'd routinely see them shot at about 100K. The only thing we could ever figure out was owner mentality, in other words the person with the GC was more likely to neglect maintenance than say the pickup owner. Maybe most S-10 owners have a different mentality than most square owners? Of course I know there are exceptions, but it's something to ponder.

 

[Rusty Nail]

Was thinking earlier, 10 or 15 years ago those little S10 pickups were everywhere, Did they have a lot of spots to catch road junk and rust out, or what?

Cash for Clunkers.

obama killed all the good cars and trucks.


I always wondered why a Cyclone or Typhoon clone wasn't ever more popular...seems like a natural thing to me. /shrug

 

[idahovette]

@SirRobyn0 , are you sayin me and Kooper are nuts!!!!!!!...............I've been accused before but it's NEVER been proven!!!???

 

[SirRobyn0]

@idahovette no not at all. In my previous post I kind of stuck to what I have seen as a mechanic. Personally I like the S-10 and parents had one at one time. Though some of you will laugh I owned a Chevrolet Celebrity back in the day, both that car and the S-10 had the computer controlled carbureted 2.8L, those are a very smooth operating engine and if you can work in the CCC system they can run really good.

Looks like you and Kooper have a fun project going.