Pick a winner - Several BEATER trucks

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Can I offer an alternative suggestion?

As someone who owned one, skip the S-10's.

http://www.copart.com/us/Lot/19469364/

The Gen. III, LS1-derived 4.8L here is so much better than anything you're looking at, and the chassis under this GMT800 is just as superior to the swiss-cheese GMT325.

It will sell for next to nothing, and as a fleet vehicle, has seen proper maintenance over the years. Additionally, it's in Michigan, so no license required (you can purchase it yourself without going through a broker/dealer).
 
The S-10 is a great truck, however I would not own it with an auto trans. I have the 2.2L manual combo and it has really good power. Definitely been a very reliable truck in the 3 and 1/2 years I have owned it. It's only been in the shop maybe 3 times and all repairs were minor. Great truck that I would drive forever if only it would last forever.
 
If you buy a 4x4 or a truck with its own snow tires it'll be rusty. If you get one with all seasons, the owner stayed home or took a different car.

Since you can pick up some new snows on your own terms and schedule, get something the PO got rid of b/c it's "just no good".

I like dakota 3.9s for beaters. Get the 2wd/ stick shift.

http://madison.craigslist.org/cto/5272266224.html
 
Considering they have a lot of miles on them, they have already done their job. If it were me, I would choose the GMC Sport with winter tires and some weight in the back. The 2.2 liter engine and auto trans are pathetically slow, but driving on snowy roads in a 2WD with that combo is a GOOD thing. Keep weight in the back, don't drive during blizzards, and in the summer your cheap truck will actually look decent and not like a rusted out field truck. You might use it more than you think year round? The hard tonneau cover looks good. I would offer $2000 tops on the GMC.
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Why not a good truck instead of GM ones?
 
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
Ice and snow on the roads. Do you go outside in those conditions?


Ya; we have so much extra water here, we freeze it and store in on the side of the road.
 
save yourself a bundle with this plan.

buy a 96-00 caravan. maybe $1000 at best.

buy the 6 amp harbor freight reciprocating saw with 10% coupon

buy 1 pack of "the torch" saw blades at home depot

chop the stupid van into a truck.

now you have a fwd truck, light years more usable than the autistic s10 and wont get stuck in the snow.

if you need heat, add a charcoal fire pit just behind the front seats and light the fire about 20 mins before heading out.

thank me later.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
He did state that they were GM's. Calling them beaters is redundant (lol).


By the way, they're way to new to be called beaters in my neighborhood. Around here a 30 year old truck is ready for a remake and it's second stage of life.


Around here, as in where the OP lives, we have things known as "ice" and "snow". These things require the road application of a substance known as "salt" which eats cars alive.
There aren't too many pristine older vehicles in the Midwest.
There are few thirty year old trucks still on the road around here. They've been long since been parted to the ground with the remains shipped to a mill.




+1 OP look south of bowling green, KY and mostly everything becomes relatively rust free. Buy a $1500 rust free truck from the south. It will only cost you a few hundred to bring it up.

Drive down look at 3-4 good ones. Drive it back or rent a trailer to bring it back with.

I try to buy a lot of stuff from the south when I'm flipping cars. People in the Midwest will pay a premium for a rust free anything.

a quick trip to south Tennessee or north Alabama/Georgia and you will find a ton of rust free vehicles that people think are junk because the are old or have 200k miles.
 
The only one I would bother looking at is the '99 Sonoma since it looks relatively cared for and doesn't appear to have the gaping holes in the rockers, wheel arches, and cab corners that the 3 S-10s do. You would still need to look the frame, brake lines, fuel lines, etc over, but it looks like it might be relatively low rust. I would bet they meant to write 160,000 miles, not 16,000.

The first three might be able to do dump runs, but for how long? If you have state inspections and those trucks won't pass in a year or two, you might wind up paying over $1K for something that's scrap metal before you get much use out of it. Both the 4WDs have a lot of new parts, and they aren't selling for very much, so it seems like maybe the owners have had enough of fixing things.
 
I love these old GM trucks, can't beat the 2.2 2wd version especially with the 5 speed, they run forever. Not really impressed with any of the ads the OP listed, they all look pretty rotted out and used up.
 
Originally Posted By: donnyj08
Originally Posted By: fdcg27
Originally Posted By: OneEyeJack
He did state that they were GM's. Calling them beaters is redundant (lol).


By the way, they're way to new to be called beaters in my neighborhood. Around here a 30 year old truck is ready for a remake and it's second stage of life.


Around here, as in where the OP lives, we have things known as "ice" and "snow". These things require the road application of a substance known as "salt" which eats cars alive.
There aren't too many pristine older vehicles in the Midwest.
There are few thirty year old trucks still on the road around here. They've been long since been parted to the ground with the remains shipped to a mill.




+1 OP look south of bowling green, KY and mostly everything becomes relatively rust free. Buy a $1500 rust free truck from the south. It will only cost you a few hundred to bring it up.

Drive down look at 3-4 good ones. Drive it back or rent a trailer to bring it back with.

I try to buy a lot of stuff from the south when I'm flipping cars. People in the Midwest will pay a premium for a rust free anything.

a quick trip to south Tennessee or north Alabama/Georgia and you will find a ton of rust free vehicles that people think are junk because the are old or have 200k miles.


Don't reveal our secrets! I never had a rusted car in my 21 years of driving. I didn't know cars rusted until I read online about it. Lol. I always lived in Tn, my family from KY
 
I find NC a sweet spot for unrusted stuff. They also offer temp plates and public transit so I can fly in and drive home.
 
Originally Posted By: cptbarkey
save yourself a bundle with this plan.

buy a 96-00 caravan. maybe $1000 at best.

buy the 6 amp harbor freight reciprocating saw with 10% coupon

buy 1 pack of "the torch" saw blades at home depot

chop the stupid van into a truck.

now you have a fwd truck, light years more usable than the autistic s10 and wont get stuck in the snow.

if you need heat, add a charcoal fire pit just behind the front seats and light the fire about 20 mins before heading out.

thank me later.





"if women don't find you handsome, they will at least find you handy..." -Red Green
Pass the duct tape.
 
Not the 95, just too many years compared to the others.

The 4x4 is priced WAY low for working 4wd, my question would be why?

The sport, being a 2.2 auto will be a DOG, but usable. My biggest complaint would be the short wheelbase. Its really a toss up in my book between this and the first truck listed.



Otherwise, I find if funny when people say don't get these, or there are better options, yet don't offer any. Good luck trying to find a truck, hopefully those that thing there are better options out there will find them for you. Although, that Copart Silverado would be worth a good LONG look, that's a much better truck than these S-10's.

As far as rust goes, who cares. I can drive a rusty truck, I can't drive one with a busted transmission. All these old trucks up in those areas have rust, if you do find a rust free version expect to add $1k to the price. I don't know why one would worry about rust holes when its to be a dump run truck anyways, rather beat the [censored] out of a [censored] truck then pay more for a nice one just to throw junk at it. Plus, you never know what is underneath, I had to replace the brake lines in my 2001 S-10 with 60k and no visible rust, yet have had trucks with gaping holes and no rust related problems.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: eljefino
I find NC a sweet spot for unrusted stuff. They also offer temp plates and public transit so I can fly in and drive home.


+1 My moms 2011 Traverse came from NC. It is clean as a whistle everywhere underneath. No scale at all. I did find some sand in the wheel wells
thumbsup2.gif
 
Originally Posted By: Ramblejam
Can I offer an alternative suggestion?

As someone who owned one, skip the S-10's.

http://www.copart.com/us/Lot/19469364/

The Gen. III, LS1-derived 4.8L here is so much better than anything you're looking at, and the chassis under this GMT800 is just as superior to the swiss-cheese GMT325.

It will sell for next to nothing, and as a fleet vehicle, has seen proper maintenance over the years. Additionally, it's in Michigan, so no license required (you can purchase it yourself without going through a broker/dealer).


That's a great truck very similar to my last work truck. They sell for a song and it will carry more than a little truck. A full size 8ft bed is ideal for hauling stuff.

Mine was mint compared to that one with new tires, 10k less miles and 4 years newer, I sold it for $3300. It was a lot more "truck" and in far, far, far better shape than the ones in the OP's craiglist adds.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: SumpChump
Originally Posted By: Chris142
Why not a good truck instead of GM ones?


Because all the Fords are same condition same miles but literally a grand more. I have no idea why.


My brother has an S-10 truck and I have a Ranger that accidently came into my ownership.
Both my brother and I know why the Ranger has a higher value than an S10.
 
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