Clean 4WD 5-Speed: 1984 Chevrolet S-10
With the cost factors and sheer size of many modern-day trucks, it’s refreshing to sometimes revisit the days when pickups were more affordable and generally smaller, yet still capable of performing most hauling tasks their owners were expecting while not taking up a pair of parking places or depleting the driver’s bank accounts. Don’t get me wrong, I’m totally impressed by the designs and capabilities of the current truck models and I’d love to be driving one, but I wouldn’t mind seeing this 1984 Chevrolet S-10 here on eBay in my driveway either. So far, bidding has gotten up to $5,900 with the reserve not yet seen, but there’s also the option to own it today for a buy-it-now price of $10,000. Make plans to visit Wichita, Kansas if you want to go check it out in person.
My first truck was a Nissan Frontier, similar in size to this S10, and within days I realized the extra thousand bucks back then would have been money well spent to have gotten the extended cab. The original buyer here opted for the 4-seater, although things do look a bit cramped back there and passengers must face each other at all times. But it does provide a nice storage area for small items not fit for the elements, plus the jump seats also fold up should the need arise.
Looking around at the rest of the interior, things appear to be overall really well-preserved in there to be nearing the four-decade milestone. It’s not specified if the cab has been refreshed or if what we’re seeing is all original, but I’m not spotting a whole lot to find fault with other than a bit of cracking in the dash and a minor snag on the driver’s seat. One obvious upgrade is the radio, which has been replaced with a post-eighties aftermarket unit.
The seller mentions that there have been 2 resprays outside, with the present two-tone finish seeming to be holding up quite well. Most of the panels appear straight and in good condition, with even the bed not showing much evidence of haphazard hauling. We don’t get much in the way of the truck’s background, but the mileage is listed as 105k which isn’t all that many for the amount of time the pickup has been on the road, and it certainly appears that any past owners have treated it with care and respect.
There’s a V6 under the hood, and while there’s no word on whether or not it’s ever had an overhaul everything does still look tidy and orderly in the engine compartment, with replacing that air-cleaner ductwork probably a 15-minute task. A definite positive is that this one’s got a 5-Speed manual transmission plus there’s 4WD, so all together it’s a desirable drivetrain combo. With all the good points this 1984 Chevrolet S-10 has going for it, I’ll be kind of surprised if somebody doesn’t just go ahead and hit the instant-ownership button and make the truck theirs sooner rather than later. Is ten grand reasonable for what you’re seeing here?
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Comments
Most buyers would have some sentimental link to this kind of vehicle
Probably not a $10k emotional attachment though
Spent a lot of time shopping for a car for my daughter and let me tell you from what I’ve seen this is a steal
These got you where you wanted to go. 🏕 🦦 🐟 🎣 🐇 🦌 ⛷️
10,000 dollars ? 10,000 dollars. How did they come up with this number?? Cut the price in half or stick it back in the barn..
If you know the 2.8, run away. Dangerously slow, the 4.3 was a big improvement.
The 2.8 was also known for drinking a lot of gas too.
I disagree. I bought an ‘82 S10 brand new with a 2,8/ 5 speed, and it was plenty peppy. It was 2WD, but it ran like a top for 116K miles until some jackass slid into me in an ice storm.
The price, however?! I paid $7500 brand new for mine.
You are absolutely correct. I had an extremely clean one almost 30 years ago. 1 previous owner and well taken care of. Same configuration. Mine had the 2.8 V6 also. It isn’t that it was a bad engine but I hate to think what a dog it would have been with any load in the bed. No hot rod in any universe. I also had a 1979 Mustang with a 2.3 carb’d 4 banger and 4spd. You’d think my Mustang had a V8 by the way it had more power than my 2.8 V6 S10 that had much less miles and led an easier life than the Mustang.
The fuel injection introduced in ‘86 was a mild improvement in power…a big improvement in cranking and overall reliability. A small block or aluminum LS in place of the V6 would be ideal.
I had an 83 4×4 2.8 5 speed that hauled/served me fine for 260,000 miles. Sold it still running fine!
We had a 2.8 in a ‘84 Celebrity wagon (very peppy) and a’85 S10 Blazer (complete dog), both with auto trans. Go figure? FWD vs 4×4 truck?
We have a 2000 4.3 GMC Sonoma scab 4×4 now. Wonderful!
For that kind of money you can get one with a 350 or LS motor,ready to drive.well actually a little cheaper…more like $6-$7500 on average.
A sled dog team could out tow this slug. 10k HhhhaaAa WOW I should have no problem selling my swampland
I had an 85 S-10 2 WD with the 2.8 V-6. Slow but was an ok first truck. This is really nice. I’d have to drop an 8 in it but it has all the options and larger cab plus 4WD…
Had a 84 s15 gmc with the 2.8 5spd my wife drove it for many years then I drove it the 2.8 was gutless any head wind over 25mph and you could not use 5th gear using it in the winter in North Dakota I would use low range and use 3rd gear for first and run it like a 3 speed put 415,000 miles on it and sold it as a running vehicle, go figure.
For me, no question that it’s a fine truck. My experience was my brother’s, ordered new. Equipped very similar. Small engine, but would tow my parents’ 21 foot boat. The manual was helpful for that.
Really a three seater, but not overly large and obnoxious, would haul well enough, and the 4wd was good for Philly winters. Unfortunately he got t boned in it, and wound up with a full size blazer (another nice truck).
I’m torn on the price, it sounds high at first glance, but there’s 300k mile, rusty tacomas going for 10k in Florida. If I was looking right now, I would probably call the owner and ask bottom line. I think there’s some wiggle room. When I bought my 87 vette, I was going to make an offer, but I figured, why not ask the guy what he really wanted out of it. His number was lower than what I was prepared to offer.
$10,000, $10,000 ???? These prices are way out of hand, hopefully my ocean front property in Arizona is worth as much……..
Wondering what A GMC cyclone would be worth??????
I had a 2wd version of this truck, red and white. 2.8 5 speed. Worst engine I ever owned. From a machine shop’s observation, you either got a good one or one that gave trouble, no in between. Rod bearings were the weak point. Also head gaskets blew easily. I rebuilt mine twice, all new parts, turned crankshaft, both due to failed rod bearings. Some cranks weren’t drilled right, I found out the hard way. I traded it off with a rod knocking, I was sick of it. A buddy had a Blazer with the same engine that went over 150,000 with no problems, was still going strong when he got rid of it. Haven’t owned a Chevy truck since then.
I own two S-10 4wd trucks presently. My 1984 is a regular cab, 2.8 V6, automatic, with the extended bed. My 1984 is an extended cab, no jump seats, 2.8 V6 5 speed, with the regular 6 foot bed. They are my winter trucks up here in Vermont. Yes, the 2.6 V6 is a slow to accelerate engine, but has its place in twisty, hilly terrain such as where I live. It is fine on the highway, and will cruise at the legal speed limit. Speed is not important. Getting to your destination alive is. These trucks are great drivers in snow covered conditions. Great on gravel roads also (Vermont is 80% gravel roads). The small track and narrow width
of this truck makes it extremely maneuverable and nimble on narrow width roads.The extended cab is very useful, you can carry your groceries home, or useful supplies necessary in rural areas. I get compliments all the time from large truck owners (I also own a 1989 Chevy K2500 and 2003 Dodge Ram 2500 – my plow and car hauling trucks) on wishing they had one or that this size truck was still made. They 5 speed gets 19 mph, and the auto gets 18mph. The truck listed for $10000 is correctly priced.Easy to work on, no check engine lights to deal with, no computers! Check out new truck prices.Large trucks running near 100k, “midsize” trucks running 40k+. And try to find a 2 door cab! Do you want to own, or own a truck for appearance and speed, or a truck that does the job a truck was built for? Real truck men and women know the answer.
My Nissan 3.0 hardbody 4+4 ext cab ran 135k in New England weather I added snow tires for winter traction never had issues with getting stuck or loss of control bullet proof import vehicle ..body rot was big problem