A shop truck is a great way to get around – especially if you can find some actual use for it beyond just convincing people you didn’t just want an excuse to buy another project (not that there’s anything wrong with that.) This 1987 Chevrolet S10 is a great example of one of my favorite extinct genres of vehicles, that of the small pickup truck. This one has been upgraded a few different ways, with the most impactful being a V8 swap and a lowering kit, both of which make this 2WD S10 much more menacing than when it left the factory. Find it here on craigslist for $6,000 and thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco B. for the find.
The dual exhaust and dog-dish hubcaps let you know this S10 is a touch more aggressive than your average domestic 2WD truck from the 1980s, and it honestly makes me wonder why I don’t see more of these workhorses modified in a similar fashion. The long bed wouldn’t have been my first choice but if you’re trying to keep the build budget low, a long bed is going to save you a few bucks over a short bed anything. The paint is average and there are certainly going to be a variety of dings, dents, and scrapes on a truck like this, which is obviously part of the charm.
The engine swap is a 350 with a matching automatic transmission, which is about as readily available of an engine as you can find. The total build cost had to have been quite low on this S10, which makes the smiles-per-dollar conversion even more optimal. An Edelbrock carburetor was used, and the install looks pretty clean. Suspension-wise, the seller has gone with a Belltech lowering kit but has also (smartly) installed rear airbag helper springs to ensure it can still tow a bit when needed. He notes that he uses the truck to tow his tractor, which makes him the coolest lawn guy around.
The interior is better than expected for a budget build, but there are some loose ends to tie up. The listing notes that the shift cable doesn’t correspond to what you see displayed on the cluster; the heat only blows on defrost mode; the starter is on its way out; and the fuel gauge is inoperable. Really, pretty small potatoes stuff in the grand scheme of things and although a bit fiddly to address those issues, they could likely all be resolved over two weekends’ worth of work. This is a great buy for someone who just needs a fun hauler that won’t break the bank and will be endlessly cheap and fun to modify further.
Be a fun ride to pick up some parts at Napa 🔧 for sure.
Depends how you drive, cheap fun or get your killin’ done?
I know they said this had an automatic but I swear I see 3 pedals and that shifter looks like it could be for a standard.
Maybe my eyes are playing tricks on me.
I’d rather have a stick anyway if it is.
The camera angle in picture #5 makes it look like a clutch and brake pedal are visible, but picture #6 shows the pedals and shifter from a different angle. In that picture it clearly shows an automatic brake pedal and shifter. I thought the same thing as you when I saw the first picture and had to scroll through them twice before I saw the second angle.
Steve R
It’s the S-10 that Chevy should have offered in the 80s. The shifting quadrant should be easy to fix and the starter? Any unit from any small block of the era works, including one from the 4.3 V6 (speaking of which, should never have been used in the S10). I do hope they put stiffer springs and shocks or better yet beefed up the whole front suspension.
The stock suspension and brakes work just fine with this swap.
What’s with all the ridiculously lowered pickups on here? It just looks like the suspension is busted.
This truck is just barely lowered. There’s 3 inches between the top of the tires and the fender. Still looks like a 4×4 to me.
Nice, but that 2WD will be a handful in the snow, so light in the rear, with all of that extra power and the extra weight of the V8 on the nose! 4WD would be better for the snow belt! With that said, I could see some upgrades that wouldn’t break the bank. EFI and a supercharger, to go with the low restriction intake and dual exhausts already fitted. The light rear could be solved with some bags of sand or cinder blocks in the bed during the winter. It’s the almost perfectHome depot hauler for me. Not too pretty to use hauling lumber, but not rotted out, either.