So I have a 2.2l/5-speed 2wd extended cab 3-door S10 that thanks to a radiator leak on a hot day somehow leaks the coolant you put in the radiator out the tailpipe. Before that it spent a couple years as my daily driver and was a great little gutless truck. Couple dings a bumps here and there, but not rusty and I really enjoyed driving it. It's got the aftermarket aluminum 3rd door handle already, a sliding rear window and a pop-up sunroof.
When the motor died I took it as a sign to go ahead with a 4.8l swap. I purchased a 4.8L with under 50k miles, a 4.3l s10 5-speed, ls s10 motor mounts and headers, and even had an ecu flashed with the stock gm e85 4.8l 5-speed tune, set up with rear 02 and vats deleted, the S10 vin, and set up for the wheels I was going to run. I ordered an extra S10 engine harness to hybrid with the engine harness so the swap could be plug and play. I have a new 4.8 manual transmission flywheel, and the new clutch to go with it, as well as an aluminum aftermarket corvette flywheel and clutch.
While I was going to be in there I also picked up a replacement tilt steering column and the door locks that match. With the v8 I figured the rear wasn't going to last long with 4.10 gears, so I bought a 4wd S10 blazer rear with taller gears and disc brakes. The 4wd is significant because it means the axle is wider so the 18" corvette wagon wheels won't need 3" spacers in the back. The 17" fronts will still need their 2.5" spacers until you upgrade to the later 2wd blazer front spindles so you can run better brakes. I think I have some of those swap parts too.
I don't want to know what I have into everything because it will probably break my heart. I do know that I have another use for the engine and transmission, but I would sell the rest, everything listed above except the engine and transmission for $1800. You would need to score a 4.8l van and zero out it's engine and transmission for a challenge car, but that is proven doable. I'd let you keep the 5-speed with it for $2k if I also keep the Corvette wheels. If you want me whole works including engine and transmission and wheels and all I'd be looking for @$3k.
And, if you hurry, I might be able to deliver between SD and Boston end of Feb for almost nothing.
If you come to my place, though, and finish taking the cab and front end off and pull it out yourself, you can take the Vortec 454 with whatever you need to run it out of a manual transmission '98 k2500 in exchange for the 5-speed currently in the S10. I don't know what it would take to put it in there, but it is called the Challenge for a reason.
