Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Chevy S10 thoughts?

I was thinking about buying a 2003 Chevy S-10 ZR2 pickup I ran into. It has 88K and the body is in good shape. Anyone familiar with these? It has a 4.3 liter automatic. Just thinking of something for hunting and daily driving. Pro's and con's?

I'd look high & low for the same year Tacoma......

5 speed......3.4L....4x4......diff loc.......

wouldn't have an auto in a small huntin' truck.....

but yes....I do have an '02 2500HD Chev 6.0L gas w/auto

The 4.3 is a proven powerplant. Lots of parts still available and the ZR2 isn't a bad looking truck

I had an S-10 long enough to put 160000 mi on it. Literally, all I did was change the oil, brakes and tires and a sealed bearing on the front of the accessory drive plate.

I have a 2000 S10 LS ext cab w/ 3rd door, 4x4, 4.3 L V6, automatic, tilt, cruise & AM/FM w/ single CD with ~75k miles. Bought it 13 years ago w/ 32k miles. Windows are crank and door locks are keyed rather than remote. Only 2 real complaints I have about it are that the mpg isn't all that great (14 mpg in town and about 20 +/- on longer trips) and the 3rd door opener is plastic and I have replaced it 3 times . . . last time I found one online made from aluminum, MUCH better. If you are planning on doing serious off-roading look for a mid-70s Bronco or a Jeep CJ. Beyond that, mine is solid and has done what I need it to do.

I had one for awhile. Constant money pit. Spent more time fixing it than driving it. The only thing on the whole truck worth a plugged nickel is the engine, the rest is absolute junk. A Ford Ranger is ONE HELLUVALOT BETTER TRUCK. Wouldn't take another S-10 if somebody gave it to me.

I got as good or better mileage in my 1500 Z71 than my buddy did in his 6 cylinder S-10. I could tow and haul a hell of a lot more plus I had more room for passengers.

An uncle of mine has a 2000 model with 60 to 70k miles on it. Its a pretty nice little truck. Off the top of my head, he has had to replace the AC compressor, a power window motor, the door latch same as Otter, and some kind of electrical issue with the odometer. No powertrain issues at all. Just age related stuff that starts hitting at around 15 years which you have to be prepared for.

The biggest con I have with it is the back seat is really not a seat but a storage area....but its a truck with jump seats. I've tried to get him to sell it to me with no luck. Tells me people ask him to sell it all the time.

I'm not using it for serious off-roading. It would be just a daily driver and occasional hunting and fishing vehicle. And I told myself years ago I wouldn't own another manual transmission. An auto is just "easy".

I never thought those S-10's aged(mechanically) very well.
I'd cast a wider net.

I just traded a 2003 zr2 in. No major mechanical issues, the body was rusting real bad. If it wasn't for that I would have kept it.

Same here. Upper ball joints (3times) alternator, mirror falling off, etc. Engine gone under 50K miles. ANYTHING is better.

Got a 188,000 on the wifes '99 S-10 Blazer 4x4, been a great truck and been just about every where from FL sand & swapmp to NM high desert and did everything asked of it.

Just junked a '99 BlaZeR2 with 288,000 miles. I did serious off-roading in Colorado and Moab, Utah. I fixed stuff, 'cause I broke stuff. Loved it and wish I still had it. Check out ZR2usa.com

I have around 170,000 miles on mine.

The only real problems were the left side front wheel bearing (knew that buying it) and the intake manifold gasket. Factory were plastic gaskets which eventually crack and must be replaced.

Strangely enough, I'm not using any oil between changes yet, and the oil is always a good color.

Josh

Seems like they got poor mileage.

Poor for a small pickup anyway.

I do like the looks of them though.

I wish we could get a diesel Hilux in the states.

The poor fuel economy they tend to get would be enough for me to look elsewhere. Parts at least should be fairly cheap and plentiful.

I looked hard at one a while back. Honestly, the mileage issue did not bother me much. My daily drivers consist of a 460 and an 8.1. I am firmly in the high single digits to low teens in mileage.

I wanted something cheap and small that I could zip into town with when the pager goes off. I figured it out that Ambulance and Fire meetings, runs, and trainings cost me 600 bucks a year in gas.

Back to the mileage issue I know, but really I wanted something that would not break me if I blew it up some winter's night responding to town.

The newer s-10's were too expensive for that purpose. More expensive than a decent 90's full size.

Considering the motor is pretty big for a v-6, it doesn't get horrible mileage. When I was the vehicle manager at an engineering company, we had a 81 Chevy work truck with a 4.3. I worked there for 9 years and literally ZERO issues with it. At all...with anything.

Get a Tacoma trust me way better, any s10 is a pile of junk

I bought a 99 S-10 blazer w/ 4.3 and AT for Momma in 03 with 63,000 miles. It now has 165,000 miles. I have replaced the fuel pump three times at $600 each. The transfer case did not pull on the front when I bought the rig. It cost about $1800 at the dealership to rebuild it.

It cost me about $600 to rebuild the rear differential and bearings at about 100,000 miles. The rig had never had a trailer hitch on it so towing was not the issue.

I have since replaced the transfer case two more times. I have replaced both front axles twice and the front driveline twice.

The inside front door panels are trash. But all the ones in the wrecking yards are broken as badley, and nobody makes replacement panels.

I have replaced the drivers side window motor at $300. And had to reweld the latch plate on the driver's door.

It averages 15 to 17 mpg depending on how far below the speed limit you are willing to drive.

On a positive note, I have never had to touch the engine or tranny. They seem to be bullet proof. The truck always has lots of power and accelerates well.

Another positive note, my buddy's 02 GMC 2500 HD 4x4 with a 6 liter averages 15 to 17 mpg even when he stays at the posted speed limit.

You will pay a bit more initially for a good Toyota Tacoma. But you will be much happier in the long run.

The Toyota V-6 motors are also notorious gas hogs. But I hear great things about the newer Toyota 2.7 I4. It has been in use in the Tacoma since 1995. I think it is rated at about 150 hp. That's plenty if one is not towing.