It’s hard to believe that 1983 was four decades ago now, at least for those of us who lived in that era. A small extended-cab pickup would be perfect for me, I’m not a contractor and I don’t pull a boat or travel trailer. The seller has this one-family-owned all-original 1983 Chevrolet S-10 pickup with the Tahoe package posted here on craigslist in the Hayward, California area and they’re asking $8,500. Here is the original listing, and thanks to T.J. for the tip!
This is one very nice-looking S-10. Chevrolet offered the first high-volume made-in-America small pickup beginning in 1981 for the 1982 model year: the S-10, along with the GMC S-15. Crosley made a small pickup in America as did others, but none matched GM’s manufacturing volume. The first-generation S-10s were made for the 1982 model year until the 1993 model year.
This is a 2WD extended-cab S-10 and it appears to be in outstanding condition inside and out. This one has a somewhat rare Tahoe package, which is more of an appearance trim level than anything. We saw at least one previously here on Barn Finds, back in 2017. This truck has some nice features aside from its apparent overall condition, including “Sport two-tone paint” and “styled wheels”.
The interior looks equally nice, other than some stains on the seat fabric and some issues on the driver’s side bolster and maybe elsewhere. The carpet could also use a good cleaning. The area behind the front seats looks brand new. There’s a tiny Tahoe badge on the glove box door but otherwise, it’s hard to pick out the special features. This one does have factory air-conditioning, a tilt steering wheel, power steering, and even cruise control. There are no power windows, something that would be incredibly out of place on a new truck today.
The engine looks like it has low miles, doesn’t it? At least it’s clean. This is Chevy’s 2.8-liter V6, which would have had 110 horsepower and 145 lb-ft of torque. You could tow up to 5,000 pounds with this truck and the seller says that it has a mere 43,000 miles, and I believe it. It runs great and everything works, right down to having ice-cold AC. Let’s hear those S-10 stories out there!
Wow!!! What a trip down memory lane!!!. I cant get over how well preserved this S10 is. These used to be all over the place when I was a teenager and I really like them. The 2.8 wont win any drag races, but they were competent and typical for that time frame these were built in. When taken care of you can get an easy 200K plus miles out of them. This is a great find and I certainly hope it goes to a good home. I’D Love tgis for Home Depot runs on the weekend or just to take for a nice ride out on my days off.
When I still lived at home back in the early 80’s my dad got a company work truck when these came out. It was a base single cab long bed with the V6 and a 5-speed manual. Nothing fancy but it was a relatively light truck and the V6 and a manual made it pretty peppy. Still a handsome looking truck after all these years. They used to be everywhere and then one day poof all gone!
I’m right there with you. I was a sophomore in high school when this one rolled off the assembly line. You just don’t see those on the road anymore. Where does the time go? ⏳ 😔
I’d definitely grab this if it were closer. I’ve been looking for a reasonably sized pickup, since they no longer make them. But most of them are trashed.
Grab it anyway fly out and drive it home 3 day weekend and fun road trip
Amen to that! 👍👍
Once upon a time when a car was a car and a truck was a truck! Now we have a few cars, lots of trucks, and the roads are full of GLORIFIED trucks (SUVS and crossovers. 👎
I owned one of these in the late 80’s, mine was a former PA Parks Service vehicle, long bed, single cab, 4×4. I bought it with a bad automatic and put a 5-speed in it, as well as cruise, gauges, and a stereo. The 2.8 was not a great engine, and every dimension of the truck was 2-4″ too small: 46″ between the wheels, 7′-6″ bed, a cab just too narrow to get three across. Still, it got 20-22 MPG on the highway and parts, when needed, were plentiful and cheap. The one above is exceptionally clean, and will make a nice ride for someone.
😂 I remember driving 3 across with the 5-speed. You had to comfortable with intimacy and hand over shifting responsibilities to the middle driver. Bad coordination made for a lot of fun and laughter.
The 2.8 is the weak link here, truck is in nice shape otherwise. Vastly underpowered and dangerously slow to get up to speed. The 4.3 was a vast improvement.
I really like the later versions of these and I seem to recall in ‘92 or ‘93 these being pretty cheap to buy new. I was a broke kid on minimum wage and paying for college courses so I was not in the market, but I think they were $9,995 Cdn for a regular cab manual transmission base version.
I had this motor in my ’85 Jeep Cherokee. It was a dog, plus it had intake manifold and carb problems.
This looks like a nice truck otherwise. Great write-up, Scotty, as usual.
You’re way too kind, sir, thanks. It’s great to read all of the good comments about this truck, and the S-10, in general. We never know when a vehicle will hit people the right way or the wrong way.
I had a new one in 87. Base model single cab short bed 4cyl manual. $7800. I believe it was here in Ont Canada. Nice little truck but the 4 was a pig on fuel.
I thought all of these S10’s had died and gone to heaven?
I have had so many of these vehicles I have actually lost count, including the S-10 Blazer.
I actually had a single cab that looked to be the same color as this one?
They were one of the best, user-friendly, economy trucks that I ever owned. The 2.5 Iron Duke was unreal good.
Just to clarify my stance here on BF, I’m usually calling out the seller’s outlandish, untruthful ad, and not the vehicle. I just have to reference the vehicle to justify my comments.
My Grandson and I are always two of the Judges at my Masonic Lodge car show, and I have cautioned him to never say one bad thing about someone’s vehicle, regardless.
But, I don’t consider this to be a car show.
So Scotty, you and everyone else at BF have never posted anything that hit me ‘the wrong way’.
I enjoy each and every post, but some seem to be more controversial that others?
I have actually been educated from time to time because of the tremendous amount of combined knowledge here on BF.
I just hope some of my negative comments doesn’t prevent the Staff from posting whatever they choose?
I appreciate all of you!
Sincerely,
Ashtray
Nice little truck for under $10k wish the big 3 still made them
I owned a 1984 S-10 Blazer, Tahoe, 5 speed. An SUV before SUVs became popular. Great vehicle. Had it for 17 years until she rusted out. Even with the Rusty Jones rust proofing.
You obviously never drove one. I still have my 85, 2.8L, 4 speed in the back yard. That 2.8L with the stock 3.08 rear was quick with the manual tranny. Replaced the rear with a 3.73 locking and hauled my 20′ Bayliner everywhere. Had a ton of fun in that truck. That’s why I’ve kept it all this time, under cover, and ready to go again.
Hate to be the car in front of you ,if you need to panic stop that 20ft Bayliner.
I’m driving an ’84 S10 Blazer with the 2.8L and 5 speed. My grandsons love it, and so do I. There’s a lot of trash talk about the 2.8L. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
Had a ’91 S10 Blazer with the 4.3L and 700R4 years ago. That was a great vehicle too.
These are fun little trucks. I had an ’87 with a 350/350 combo in it. It could pass everything but a gas station. Lots of parts availability and after market support. This one looks like a winner. Right now I’m looking for a 2nd Gen Extended cab to play with.
A lot of the chassis of these were used to repower / re-chassis other vehicles. I guess the track width and wheelbase fit under a lot of older cars.
The USPS Grumman LLV used an S-10 chassis & the Iron Duke. Fun fact. 😁
43,000 miles? Heck, it’s probably only on it’s 3rd or 4th transmission.
Tow 5k? Right. Had a 5 speed Cherokee with the carb 2.8. Absolute dog, without air. Towed my 14 ft small boat with a 18hp motor ok, but 5k? Not me.
2.8 constantly needed timing set. They do last but for that money I want a later 4.3 with FI. Actually for that money Im buying a Toyota or Nissan.
$8500 for a Toyota or Nissan????? Good luck with that.
Up here in Maine, you can not find anything as clean at twice the price and a lot more miles.
Worked for a crop consulting company while I was in college in the very early 90s. We had two S10s, an S10 Blazer, and a Chevy Sprint. The S10s would get stuck on wet pavement. Everyone fought for the Sprint. That thing would go anywhere. If did happen to get the Sprint stuck, a team of two could lift the front. No joke, me and a rather muscular young lady picked up the front when we buried it in some sand.
This was GM’s answer to the compact Asian trucks of the era, the Toyota SR5 Sport truck and the Nissan Lil’ Hustler. Ford had the Ranger, and Chrysler had the Dodge Dakota, but both were somewhat larger than their Asian competitors. GM sold these both under the Chevy S10 and GMC nameplates, so they had an edge over their single-brand competition. A friend test drove one an S-10 when looking at a new truck, and the sample we drove had the top radiator hose fall off of the nipple on the radiator because someone failed to tighten the hose clamp on the assembly line! Not a confidence builder when shopping for a new truck!