What a great-looking truck! It isn’t perfect, but this Cinnamon Red, first-year 1982 Chevrolet S-10 long-bed (7′-6″) truck with a topper, or cap, on it looks fantastic. Not to mention, it’s equipped with a V6 engine and a four-speed manual transmission. The seller has it posted here on craigslist in Ferndale, Washington, and they’re asking $4,000. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Curvette for the tip!
This would be a great weekend hiking/fishing/hunting truck for those of us who don’t need a full-sized modern truck for such things. The back would be big enough to sleep in, and the screened jalousie windows on the sides would keep the rain and mosquitoes out. The V6 should have more than enough power to get you back on dirt roads to a nice spot, and the four-speed would make it a fun drive. The $4,000 price can’t be beat in 2025, that’s like four dozen eggs or somethin’.
Chevy came up with the S-10 to try to keep some vehicles born and made in the U.S., even though brochures say that the S-10 was “designed and assembled in America.” That doesn’t exactly mean the parts were made here, which is a weird way to word that sentence. But as the great philosopher of our time, Meatloaf, once said, “Two out of three ain’t bad.” This is a first-year S-10, and they were made from 1981 for the 1982 model year until the end of 1993. I love the design of these trucks, and the similar GMC S-15.
The interior looks a little more used than the exterior does, but that doesn’t mean it looks abused by any means. This decades-old plastic just gets a bit discolored, chalky, and needs help every once in a while to keep looking fresh. I bet it would clean up nicely inside with a weekend of working on it: taking the door panels off and maybe respraying them, or just using products rather than paint. The dash looks good, but the seat could use some new upholstery or a cover. The shifter boot trim also needs some help. This truck has the Durango trim level, which is one up from the base model and has a chrome front bumper, a lighter, a dome light, and bright wheel trim rings, which appear to be missing.
The engine is Chevrolet’s 2.8-liter OHV V6 that had 110 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque when new. Backed by the four-speed manual sending power to the rear wheels, it’s said to have a little smoke on startup but otherwise runs well and gets 24 mpg. This one says “power steering not desired” on the data tag, but it was optional anyway, so I’m not sure why it was listed there. You can’t get much for four grand these days. This looks like a good deal to me, what do you think?
Oh wow…. I wanted an early S10 for years. I would have been happy with one that had the ” Iron Duke” 2.5 and a stick, but I’d be more than happy with a 2.8 as well. Knowing my personal history with GM engines from this time frame, if I had to guess, it’s probably valve seals. ( I’d just keep adding oil lol). I always liked the steelies and hub caps on these too. And what’s that I see in the dash??? A High Falutin AM radio???? Who needs FM or those pesky CDs. News and weather stations all the way!!!! This is really great Scotty. ( I know many of you have seen me say I desperately wanted a Mitsubishi Mighty Max pickup as well and I do, but I always liked these too and would love tonown one now. Great write up Scotty, I enjoyed it. Dave
Apologies for my fat thumbs and lack of proofreading. To own not tonown. Well, I’ve been mistyping stuff long enough on here you all are probably used to it now.
Dave
Thanks, sir! I really like them, too, and if you click on the craigslist ad, one of the pics is of the build sheet, or “service parts identification” list of options. Stuff like that is so great to see, I wish all sellers would include photos like that.
I just looked now. I remember all my Dads trucks having that label. There is one more thing I wanted to point out. My Dad had an ’84 GMC 3500 in that exact color, and I had an ’84 Chevy half ton in that color. It fades very quickly. Judging by the condition of that paint, it must have been garage kept since new. I remember polishing like a madman to get a decent shine out of mine. And it was only 10 years old at the time. My Dad’s was new and it faded quick. But clean its a great color. If it’s a repaint, its very good. But I think its original.
Our ’94 Dakota has that too.One of the cool things
when you’re trying to figure out what’s what.
I always like the early S10’s with the two-tone paint-
jobs.I remember the automatics having problems on these,
so not a worry with this one.
Yes, considering what $4k buys these days, this seems a relative bargain.
I will own something akin to this type of rig again in the not too distant future. My reasoning being what great utility they bring to the table. Take the topper off and go haul stuff, from lumber yard bits, to garden center stuff, hardware, junk, yard waste, on and on. I don’t think folks realize how nice it is to have a roomy long box with a very short liftover height. If you have a late model one ton crew cab diesel 4wd behemoth, loading those items can be a chore. Just ask me.
And the simplicity! I maintain and repair things myself (within reason), and I miss the old mechanical, electrical systems without all the interdependent electronics that have to have a conversation with each other just to roll your window down. I actually do love my diesel, but for me it shines doing heavy work and cruising long trips, not the little everyday chores around the place, and errands into town.
This is my Dads truck I was talking about. Taken in the late 80’s. I had just polished it. My sister is in the cab with me. She had been in an accident and needed to use a wheelchair and could get around with a walker a little bit. It took some doing ( I had to pick her up to get her in the cab). I took her for a joy ride and an ice cream cone. She passed away in 2002. It was a fun day. That thing had a 350 with a 4 speed. I drove her all around town. She had a grin on her face from ear to ear the entire time.
You see…… Its a lot of these cars and trucks that we all see on here, that gives us an emotional connection. Just the red on this S10 brought all those memories back for me. And I think all of us who look on here to some extent or another feel the same way. It brings us back to a ( sometimes happier, or simpler, or better ti.e) in our lives. At least for me. Thats one of the things I enjoy most about this site. Please keep em coming!!!
And Scotty, thank you for jogging my memory.
Oh man, that is such a great photo! I’m sorry to hear about your sister, my condolences. Thanks for sharing that, Dave!
Thank you Scotty, that means a lot. Its been a long time. Definitely brought a smile to my face with this.
Dave
Best pic and comment I’ve seen on here guys. Thanks for sharing Dave. 👍
Thank you Stan. That was very kind of you to say. I’m typically more of a private person, but this whole thing just kind of struck a chord with me.
Dave
Well, I wanted stories, and if you were a youngun in the 80s, an S-10( S15 GMC, later Sonoma) was part of your life. From the delivery truck nobody cared about, to grandpas “little red”, shown here. The author is WAY too kind, but let’s call a spade a spade. With imports fast taking over, US car makers were caught with their pants down, and hastily tried to import Asian pickups, which were good trucks too, until we could make our own. The S-10 and Ford Ranger were just such vehicles. Good trucks, but not Asian quality. Seems we never did get the upper hand on that, until recently, I read, US made trucks outsold Asian trucks, YAY,,oops, I mean, interesting.
The motors here were the downfall. The 4 cylinder, not near as good as the Asians, wasn’t enough, and the 2.8,,,well, I’ve had several, most very poor motors. My ex went through 2 in my S-10 Blazer. I did however, have a S-10 like this, 2wd, ex cab, 2.8, and a 5 speed, same cap, I used for a package delivery job. It had a ton of miles, only failed once, a fuel pump. Strict maintenance was the key on 2.8s, something we never worried about with our big block motors. 2.8s didn’t like foot to the floor, I found out. The 4.3 was a much better motor.
As with most, this was obviously “dads” truck, and loved it dearly. You can’t go wrong here.
Yes, considering what $4k buys these days, this seems a relative bargain.
I will own something akin to this type of rig again in the not too distant future. My reasoning being what great utility they bring to the table. Take the topper off and go haul stuff, from lumber yard bits, to garden center stuff, hardware, junk, yard waste, on and on. I don’t think folks realize how nice it is to have a roomy long box with a very short liftover height. If you have a late model one ton crew cab diesel 4wd behemoth, loading those items can be a chore. Just ask me.
And the simplicity! I maintain and repair things myself (within reason), and I miss the old mechanical, electrical systems without all the interdependent electronics that have to have a conversation with each other just to roll your window down. I actually do love my diesel, but for me it shines doing heavy work and cruising long trips, not the little everyday chores around the place, and errands into town.
My apologies for errantly posting my long-winded post twice.
Haha…no issues. About a year ago I inadvertently posted the same entry four times and was afraid to post anything again for about six months….
We had a slightly newer red S-10 in the same red with a similar cap on the bed. It started as my grandpa’s pickup. My dad bought it when he couldn’t drive anymore. It had all the bells and whistles: 4.3 V6, electric windows and locks, digital radio with cassette, and upgraded seat fabric. That truck was really nice and lasted close to 200,000 miles of highway driving.
I purchased a 1992 standard cab short bed new. It had the 2.8 v-6 and a 5 speed. One of the worst purchases I’ve ever made. Oil changes looked like glitter (dealer said that’s normal.) rear end howled at 5,000 miles. (Guess what the dealer said). Headliner fell off on the freeway and hit me in the head. Rear main seal leaked terribly and the rear end and A/C pump both locked up at different times and left me walking.
Traded it in with 8,000 miles on it.
Only worse vehicle I’ve had is the one I replaced it with. A 1993 olds Achieva with the quad 4. I did keep that one until 120,000 miles, but replaced 4 cracked cylinder heads in that timeframe. First one under warranty at 30,000, then like clockwork every 30,000 miles thereafter. (3 of them I had to pay for)
That was when I gave up on GM. Haven’t owned one since.
Wow. My first new vehicle I ever owned was an ’85 S10 with the 2.5L inline 4, and a 4speed, and the shortbed. No a/c, no radio, and yes, “power steering not desired.” Thankfully it wasn’t a heavy truck, so steering wasn’t all that difficult. Mine was the same color as this one, but my dad liked to call it “vanilla” because it was as plain as could be. I only paid $5k for it new. Put a lot of miles on it, and no, it didn’t go fast, but it would get me where I needed to go – just pack a lunch. Thanks for the write up, Scotty! Brings back a lot of simple memories from simpler times.
Very reasonable price for a great little work/fun truck. Perfect for a father son project or first car.
Back when a Durango was a Chevrolet. Nice little truck.
My boys both had a few of these, pickups and blazers, when they were in high school, cheap, slow, but kinda stylin. One boy decide to put a V8 in his, we labored in the driveway for weeks, got it running, but exhaust came out on the frame. Tried a few cheaper manifolds, but the custom tubes were expensive and hard to come by. He traded it for a jeep, first of many.
My first new vehicle was an ’82 S10 2.8 5 speed.
It was peppy and outhandled most cars. I had it 6 years and put 116,000 trouble-free miles on it until I was rear-ended by an idiot in an ice storm. Anyone who says 2.8s were bad probably didn’t know how to maintain them.
Anyone who thinks 2.8s are bad engines probably doesn’t know how to maintain them.
I purchased a 1988 Cutlass Cierra new with a 2.8. It was rigorously maintained for the first 130,00 miles. I sold it to a family member who pulled it apart at 260,000 for a valve job! Flawless performance from the 2.8 MPFI for me. Maybe I just got lucky but I definitely tacked it up alot
I had an 85 with the 2.8.L and 4 speed. I almost got the 2.5 but a strike pushed it back so I got one with the 6. It was horribly slow. Next was an 89 K1500 with 5.7 and a 5 spd..Much more fun, but was a lemon. Last new GM I ever bought.