Zimmer Conversion: 1987 Chevrolet S-10
A lot of vehicles that show up here on Barn Finds are ones that I say, at least to myself, here’s something we don’t see every day, and they’re typically my favorites. I’m a fan of the Chevy S-10 anyway, but this 1987 Chevrolet S-10 has a Zimmer Conversion that really makes it unique. The seller has it listed here on eBay in Piqua, Ohio, the current bid price is $6,583.92 but the reserve isn’t met, and there is a $17,500 buy-it-now price listed.
This is a really unique truck with the rear fender flares, light bar, side bed rails, and a few other touches. We have seen a few Zimmer vehicles here, going between their Golden Spirit and Quicksilver models, and they were based on, and placed on, other vehicle chassis. The Quicksilver was typically a Pontiac Fiero conversion and the Golden Spirit could be any number of things under the skin but they started out using Ford’s Mustang as a base.
Here’s a much better shot showing the rear flares and light bar. The seller refers to this as a Zimmerman Conversion, but it’s a Zimmer. Zimmerman was a folk singer from Hibbing, MN… The Zimmer Motorcars Corp was based in Syracuse, New York and they entered the conversion market in 1976, according to this YouTube video. You can see an example of the Chevy S-10 conversion at the 13-second point in the YouTube video.
Condition-wise, this truck looks fantastic to me overall. A thirty-five-year-old Chevy S-10 typically has a tendency to not be in rock-solid condition, at least if they aren’t from the desert southwest or pacific northwest. This one only has 55,000 miles on it and it was Ziebarted when the previous owner had it so that probably explains the nice-looking underside. Also, it’s never been driven in the snow and has been kept in a heated garage. Nice. The seller purchased this rarely-seen pickup at an estate and they say that they haven’t really even cleaned it up that much so it must have been kept in really good condition by the previous owner.
The engine is Chevy’s 2.8L V6 and the seller says that you just get in and go, the only thing that doesn’t work is the AC isn’t cold so that’ll need to be charged or fixed. Have any of you seen a Chevy S-10 Zimmer conversion pickup?
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Comments
To each their own.. but this is fugly lol
Is what ur wife said…
I don’t totally understand our national obsession with pickup trucks, but in my opinion this is no less goofy looking than some of the things I see on the road today…. this is definitely a product of an era and I think it captures it very nicely.
I wish pick up trucks would go back to the basics, used for what there are meant to be used for. Then we would see utilitarian models that would be affordable and and used as intended. When was the last time you actually saw one with a full load in back? Is America finally waking up from the idiocy of a 5000 pound pick up as a “family car”. Has soon to be five buck a gallon gas hit them in the head to knock some sense into them? I drive a late model Civic that on a trip last weekend gave me 42.3 MPG. No hybrid, just a cute little good running turbo engine under the hood. Not to mention a sub seven second to 0-60. Time to stop following the herd over the cliff and start thinking for yourselves people.
nota ‘era’ 2 me.
“They” were doin this B4 the JCWitney daze and still do. Over abundance of ‘bolt-ons’ that break or get in the workingman’s (woman’s) way.
In fact, zimmer is not needed and other short cuts abound.
Either is a shame anyway I look at it~
Ok, so the zimmer company only produced weird oddities!
I can’t understand why they went out of business said no one !
So let’s take a vehicle with an already-underpowered engine (I know as I had a ‘94 with the 4.3L and that was hardly adequate), add a ton of ridiculous-looking items to it (and thus lots of weight), and call it a work of art…?
Someone should lose their job over an abomination like this.
It looks like back in the day someone went to the end of a clearance sale at KMart (after all of the good stuff was gone), bought every item left in the automotive department, and stuck it onto this poor truck.
it is interesting to me that not a single person employed by Zimmer had an ounce of taste or an eye for design.
THAT is debatable. I have never read a positive comment about Zimmer and frankly think it´s everyone´s favorite whipping boy. In my book, the Fiero was a great looking car, next to the Chrysler TC, another victim of people´s vitriol – totally undeserved to be sure. As far as this Chevy goes, if you are into trucks and excess why not?.
You can only be seen driving this S-10 if you’re sporting a Flock of Seagulls hairdo.
Don’t know why but when I see something like this and the sellers asking price my mind always goes to what would insurance pay me if someone hit it. Its well over six years old so even a minor accident would total loss it. How much research would you have to do to get insurance to pay a reasonable price? Because underneath all that stuff its just a 2.8 L s10 $2,500 buck on a good day
A guy could buy the truck and probably remove most of the silliness and just have a simple, rust-free, low-mileage S-10. Not sure how the stripe situation would be handled.
I never had a 2.8 Liter S-10. I had the 2.2 version and that was pretty good. I heard the 2.8 L engine wasn’t so great.
2.8’s were anemic, especially the older 2bbl version……in a 4wd Blazer…….lol a nicely built 5.7 0n the other hand……:-)
The 2.8 was gutless. I swapped mine for a 5.7
With a 2.8 when you saw a hill coming up you got a running start…
It can still be used as a light hauler even with that 2.8L. Can’t be any less flashy than an El Camino or a Ranchero. I have an Elko and drive it. Who cares. In fact, some of the modern trucks are so flashy with all that bright paint and lift kit and wheels, and what not; let this S-10 fade a bit more, drive it, and enjoy.
That rollbar would definitely make it a splash at a Radwood show.
So , if you REMOVE ALL the added Zimmer monkey accessories , you have a nice little s-10
Auction update: this one ended at $6,979.82 and no sale.