Learn me 2nd gen S10, Beater truck gonna beat!

So just joined a half share of a fine 1998 long bed v6 automatic s10 pickup, complete stripper model with manual locks/window and bench seat but only 67k miles. Middle brother was helping a neighbor with yard stuff and he asked if he'd help him get it cleaned up to sell. Ended up calling myself and our younger brother and it was decided we needed a truck (live in same city), so agreed to buy it for $750 on the spot. Older guy just used it for the random Lowe's and dump trip it's whole life. Runs well and just drove it back ~75 miles. This is the good side after spending a couple hours washing, cleaning, and touching it up (lots of mildew as has been sitting a bit and sticker/tags dead a couple months). What should we be looking out for?

Look out for nothing.

The 4.3L is a 350 SBC minus two holes.  Only "weak" point is the 7.5" rear axle, but you'll never break it with the 4.3L.  Heck you'll never break it with an LS because your lack of traction will keep it happy.

It has a 4L60E which is overkill for it.  Front suspension is GM parts-bin glory, so parts are dirt cheap.  Wheels are 5x4.75, so the number of bolt-on wheel options is somewhere between one million and eleventy quillion.

Great score.  I'm a little jealous.

Haven't seen one in that condition here in the Midwest for at least 10 years. 

johndej said:

What should we be looking out for?

Attention all cars..be on the lookout for two brothers wanted for Grand Theft Auto...

Nice score! 

Are those riveted snaps for a snap-on tonneau bed cover? 

The picture... The newer, full size Chevy in the background looking over the older compact Chevy truck.  

I can almost hear Bob Seger

I'm pretty sure that those 4.3 trucks used GMs ill-famed plastic body distributors. Such dists were known for several issues such as; excessive ign cap corrosion, short bearing life (~80k miles), and, in some cases, improperly hardened driven gears. Another problem with older plastic units were broken dist bodies where the ign cap hold down screws thread into (over time the plastic becomes brittle making it very easy to crack the hold down screw threads. There are a lot online threads and articles on these issues.

You should, of course, be OK if you trk didn't come with a plastic dist or if a PO replaced it with an alloy bodied unit (purchased through eB*y or most any auto parts store).

John Welsh said:

Are those riveted snaps for a snap-on tonneau bed cover? 

Yeah had a bed cover on it but rotted away a few years ago. A bit of rust staining is seeping out from some of them.

Thanks for confirming that they're solid. We'll be using it for the same Lowe's runs and such as well with the occasional kayak and bike hauling duties.

Agreed that it is a great find. Guys happy to have it out of his yard and we're happy to get it cleaned up again.

Buying any truck for $750 that is running is a steal let alone one with that few miles. It looks pretty sound with no rust. Great deal! S10's and Rangers in that condition are getting hard to find.