Chevy s10 possibilities as an expo?

[poriggity]

Ok.. So I have a dilemma placed upon me, and I thought I would ask the brothers and sisters here at Expedition Portal... I have a 1984 chevy S10 that I inherited from my grandma. This truck was my grandpa's that he bought new in 1984. He passed on, and grandma gave me the truck, because she knew how much it meant to me. I love the truck, but sadly, last time I tried to smog it, it failed... I know it will pass with some work. My immediate thoughts are that it will need a new CAT, a full tune up, a fresh oil change, and some 91 octane fuel.. Here is my dilemma.. As much as I love the truck, I can't decide what to do with it. It currently sits at my mom's house, as I don't have room to store it. It is in on non op status currently. I have thought about fixing it, passing smog with it, and turning it into an expedition vehicle of sorts. A short list of what it needs:
Needs to pass smog (new cat, tune up, fresh oil change)
Needs a new power steering line (factory one is leaking)
4wd is not working (I suspect a cracked vacuum line at the T case)
Battery is getting drained by something ( should be able to find it)

The bad thing is, as nice as this truck is, it has the slug of a 2.8 carbed motor. My goal here, if I decide to turn it into an expedition type rig (which is similar to what grandpa used it for, desert exploring) is to keep it street legal, which means, due to simplicity and CA smog laws, that the motor will probably stay in the truck... So.. Here are some pics.. tell me if you think it's worth the effort to get past smog and turn into an expo rig, or if I should even bother:

And yes, before someone asks, the paint is immaculate, and the interior is in great shape.. it's the mechanicals that need attention...









So... tell me your thoughts.. Fix it, and get it to pass smog (best guess is it would cost $7-800 in repairs to make it reliable, or sell it and find something else....

Scott

[trailrunner]

That truck is in amazing condition, if it fits your needs size wise then definitely don't sell it. They're great little trucks, somewhat tight to work on and not the most efficient, but they'll run for a long time. What it really comes down to is what kind of expedition rig are you looking for and what are you planning to do with it. ie: you would never want to leave North America with it. By the way I believe the largest tires you can fit without a lift or serious sheetmetal damage are 30/9.5-15's but 235/75R15's fit quite nicely.

[brockmub]

My thought is do what ever you need to do to keep the truck. Not sure about the expo part but I do know that I regretted letting my grandparents' vehicles go to someone else. Regardless if you have a lot of memories with that truck, it will represent a different time or relationship for you. It's a sweet little truck, explore the desert the same way your grandfather did, and just love it. I wouldn't change much or set any high expectations for it.

Don't get rid of that truck, let your kids decide what to do with it.

[poriggity]

I think I'm gonna keep it.. As far as the expedition stuff I want to do, is mostly just desert exploring, with no real plans to go outside north america. It's got 235's on it currently, and they work ok. I think I may keep it and see what I can do to get it road worthy again.
Scott

[Jrally]

Most of the trails in the desert SW should be easily accessible with that truck. If you need a bit more tire, I'm sure there are reasonable priced lift kits out there, or do a body lift, 2". I'm sure you know, that once you put taller tires, with the smaller engine, you'll need to re-gear. Something to concider, 4.3L EFI swap, I do believe CA allows updating.

-Jon

[FreeManDan]

It has the same bell housing as a small block, I only know cause the googL told me so. I have no first hand knowledge of how to do the swap other then it is entirely possible...but my first thoughts were,"rebuild engine, and propane!" I once passed up an s10 like that, my friend's brother was a mechanic and got one with a nice body and a rebuilt engine in the bed. He thought he would never get around to putting it in, so he put it up for sale. I passed it up, afraid I wouldn't have the time for the project, well he actually put the new engine in over a weekend and then sold it after a year of faithful service as a daily driver.

[Jnich77]

If it was me, I would fix it. The 2.8 can be a great little motor, and with some work can be a little power house, although nothing compared to a 4.3 or small block. You can always get a new CARB compliant carburetor, swap the cam and put a MSD 6Al ignition on it and have a potent little motor. They mane better flowing intakes for it, and all kinds of other internal goodies to give it more acorns.

A small block is a very easy swap, advanced adapters and summit racing both sell the mounts you will need. I swapped one many years ago and it was fairly straight forward. It will give you as much power as you'll ever need and if you ever want more, they are very cheap to modify. The only down side is the extra weight and added stress on your axles and transfer case.

[Jeff@QuadShop]

Keep it and swap in an Isuzu diesel!

[BIGdaddy]

I'd sell it.

I get sentimental about cars, too, but in the end they're just appliances like a washer or a dryer.

If its already gonna need work, and it already will need a motor swap to have enough power, you're behind from the get go.

Your grampa would want you to be out enjoying life and the outdoors rather than under a truck in a garage, right?

I assume you have another vehicle?

Why not take money from the sale of this truck, and take a trip or make an upgrade, in his memory? Every time I think of putting a snorkel on my truck, I think of my dad and I swapping the blown motor out of my 4runner when I was in college. (the result of a water hole) Haha!

While my Dad is still firmly with us, snorkels still remind me of that whole experience, and how much he means to me.

Make sense?

I'm sure you'll make the right choice for you!

[Christian P.]

It seems really clean!

I think these trucks are getting rare, especially so clean and original.

I would either keep it stock and fix it nicely (no mods) or sell it on Ebay to an enthusiast. Either way, I wouldn't modify it.