Smol Truck Lyfe: Homeless Edition

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I had a set of wheel powder coated a few years ago and asked them to machine the outer lip which they did for free. The entire set finished was $400. Might be worth looking into just in case you give it a go but aren't completely happy with the result.







Hard to see because 2016 potato quality but they even put clear powder back over after the machining

Perhaps I should look for some powder coating shops and chat with them about possibilities. I kind of prefer doing them myself and painting them myself so future fixes are easier (if they get scratched or something, it's easier for me to sand out the scratch and re-paint), but if this price isn't bad, it sure would be easier to just drop them off and pick them up finished.

[CaleDeRoo]

I would definitely try fixing them yourself first, but getting a couple quotes wouldn't be a bad idea either.

[D Griff]

a C5 steering wheel

We always joke about that, but it's not! The air bag is a lot smaller and the wheel is all different. The C5 wheel was unique to the C5

If It bolted on without effort, I'd swap on a C5 wheel for the lolz. But since the airbag is different, I don't want to screw with that, so I'll put a Silverado wheel back on

Wow! I legit thought they were the same all that time. The fact that the C5 wheel was bespoke and that bad is… something.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

We always joke about that, but it's not! The air bag is a lot smaller and the wheel is all different. The C5 wheel was unique to the C5

If It bolted on without effort, I'd swap on a C5 wheel for the lolz. But since the airbag is different, I don't want to screw with that, so I'll put a Silverado wheel back on

Wow! I legit thought they were the same all that time. The fact that the C5 wheel was bespoke and that bad is… something.

C5:


Silverado:


I actually think the Silverado one is better.

[CaleDeRoo]

Wow! I legit thought they were the same all that time. The fact that the C5 wheel was bespoke and that bad is… something.

C5:


Silverado:


I actually think the Silverado one is better.

Yep. I had a pre and post facelift 800. Both were better

[D Griff]

I was actually in a 2002ish Silverado last weekend with 200k miles and it was surprisingly dece inside. Basically no wear.

[CaleDeRoo]

I was actually in a 2002ish Silverado last weekend with 200k miles and it was surprisingly dece inside. Basically no wear.

The GMT800 ('98-2007) aged much better inside than the next one, which got much cheaper feeling and looking materials inside.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I was actually in a 2002ish Silverado last weekend with 200k miles and it was surprisingly dece inside. Basically no wear.

The GMT800 ('98-2007) aged much better inside than the next one, which got much cheaper feeling and looking materials inside.

Same gen and interior design as my S10. It's honestly pretty decent inside. GM got it right for that period of time in these trucks. Then got really cheap for a good 10 years before improving again.

[CaleDeRoo]

The GMT800 ('98-2007) aged much better inside than the next one, which got much cheaper feeling and looking materials inside.

Same gen and interior design as my S10. It's honestly pretty decent inside. GM got it right for that period of time in these trucks. Then got really cheap for a good 10 years before improving again.

The interior is why I chose a late 800 vs an early 900. The 900 does ride much better though.




Paid $5400 for that truck

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Old man came out to visit by surprise yesterday, and saw the S10 for the first time. He was by the condition like I was at first. We spent some time talking about the outstanding issues with the HVAC and whatnot, and I got an order into rock auto to replace some vacuum components. There's a switch on the t-case that handles vacuum for both the 4x4 and HVAC and it's apparently really prone to failure. I'm going to start there and replacing the lines to go to/from it, along with addressing the AC switch that died.

I'm planning on replacing a ton of vacuum lines too, which won't be fun, but should make it pretty reliable. Not that it needs to be 100% reliable, but it's part of the process fixing her up.

I'm going to focus on getting it perfect mechanically, then getting into cosmetics next year perhaps. It honestly looks pretty good cleaned up, and from ~15 feet away looks almost like a new truck.

A neighbor walked by while we were out and came for a peek. Another by the condition. There's universal agreement that thing probably shouldn't see winter, which seems silly for such a cheap vehicle, but I agree. Fortunately, it'd doable.

[Huckleberry]

Nice score. It's a shame that none of the manufacturers produce a vehicle like the S10 anymore. Everything is so bloated.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Nice score. It's a shame that none of the manufacturers produce a vehicle like the S10 anymore. Everything is so bloated.

It's such a great sized truck, and it's amazing that it even looks small compared to a Maverick. It doesn't feel SMALL though, took a load of garbage building material to the dump on Saturday, and the 6' bed is just perfect size for these activities, fit a ton in there. The cab is spacious/comfortable enough, it's just a great little package overall.

We're clearly because these trucks don't exist anymore, which is really a shame for us. Just need to get lucky in the used market, I guess.

[D Griff]

Nice score. It's a shame that none of the manufacturers produce a vehicle like the S10 anymore. Everything is so bloated.

It's such a great sized truck, and it's amazing that it even looks small compared to a Maverick. It doesn't feel SMALL though, took a load of garbage building material to the dump on Saturday, and the 6' bed is just perfect size for these activities, fit a ton in there. The cab is spacious/comfortable enough, it's just a great little package overall.

We're clearly because these trucks don't exist anymore, which is really a shame for us. Just need to get lucky in the used market, I guess.

Yeah it's nice that the Mav and Santa Cruz now exist to kind of fill this void (I'm fine with FWD even) but the 4' beds make it sort of pointless.

[D Griff]

I also like how on the old mini the bed sides are so much lower. I'm a pretty tall guy and yet the sides of a Taco or Colorado are like at shoulder height for me, doesn't make it all that easy to take stuff in/out of the bed.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

It's such a great sized truck, and it's amazing that it even looks small compared to a Maverick. It doesn't feel SMALL though, took a load of garbage building material to the dump on Saturday, and the 6' bed is just perfect size for these activities, fit a ton in there. The cab is spacious/comfortable enough, it's just a great little package overall.

We're clearly because these trucks don't exist anymore, which is really a shame for us. Just need to get lucky in the used market, I guess.

Yeah it's nice that the Mav and Santa Cruz now exist to kind of fill this void (I'm fine with FWD even) but the 4' beds make it sort of pointless.

The tiny bed makes those clearly I'm because they're selling like crazy, but I just have no interest in a worse SUV with a bed you can't do anything with. I want a truck to do truck things with, which the S10 does perfectly.

For off-road people, the S10 ZR2 has 31s stock (same as the current Colorado ZR2) AND it has similar ground clearance. Better approach and departure angles, even. Yet the S10 weighs half a ton less and is a more useful truck.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

I also like how on the old mini the bed sides are so much lower. I'm a pretty tall guy and yet the sides of a Taco or Colorado are like at shoulder height for me, doesn't make it all that easy to take stuff in/out of the bed.

Oh man, that's another thing. Despite what I just mentioned... similar ground clearance and tall tires, the bed sides are low enough to where I can reach just about anything in the bed. It's way more usable than current midsizers. I guess that means the bed isn't as deep, but I've already done a load to the dump in it and it took all the construction crap I had (a lot of scrap wood) with room to spare. The dude at the dump even mentioned he was surprised by how much the little bed fit.

I wish they still made trucks like this.

[CaleDeRoo]

Start your own company. Big D's Little Trucks

[Huckleberry]

Nice score. It's a shame that none of the manufacturers produce a vehicle like the S10 anymore. Everything is so bloated.

It's such a great sized truck, and it's amazing that it even looks small compared to a Maverick. It doesn't feel SMALL though, took a load of garbage building material to the dump on Saturday, and the 6' bed is just perfect size for these activities, fit a ton in there. The cab is spacious/comfortable enough, it's just a great little package overall.

We're clearly because these trucks don't exist anymore, which is really a shame for us. Just need to get lucky in the used market, I guess.

A few months ago, I saw a new Maverick parked next to an older FJ Cruiser.



"Small truck."

[D Griff]

Start your own company. Big D's Little Trucks

Genius.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

Start your own company. Big D's Little Trucks

Genius.

Sure, if I wanted to light money on fire fast.

There's probably a market of like 5 people for S10 sized trucks. Everyone just wants a worse SUV with a worthless bed that makes them look like they drive a truck.

[ChrisoftheNorth]

It's such a great sized truck, and it's amazing that it even looks small compared to a Maverick. It doesn't feel SMALL though, took a load of garbage building material to the dump on Saturday, and the 6' bed is just perfect size for these activities, fit a ton in there. The cab is spacious/comfortable enough, it's just a great little package overall.

We're clearly because these trucks don't exist anymore, which is really a shame for us. Just need to get lucky in the used market, I guess.

A few months ago, I saw a new Maverick parked next to an older FJ Cruiser.



"Small truck."

Yea, there's nothing really "small" about the Maverick, other than the fact that every other truck got MASSIVE and the Maverick is small compared to those.

I'm glad they're popular so maybe other manufacturers will take notice and build some competition one day. GM killed long bed midsizers, but maybe someone else will carry the torch...

[Huckleberry]

A few months ago, I saw a new Maverick parked next to an older FJ Cruiser.



"Small truck."

Yea, there's nothing really "small" about the Maverick, other than the fact that every other truck got MASSIVE and the Maverick is small compared to those.

I'm glad they're popular so maybe other manufacturers will take notice and build some competition one day. GM killed long bed midsizers, but maybe someone else will carry the torch...

A month ago, I helped my friend install a new storm door on his parents' house. We used my '81 El Camino to pick the door up from Lowe's. The door fit comfortably in the bed between the wheel wells.

[wap]

The El Camino form factor is great. Drives (pretty much) like a car with the utility of a real pick up. It's like a station wagon with an open cargo area.

[CaleDeRoo]

Genius.

Sure, if I wanted to light money on fire fast.

There's probably a market of like 5 people for S10 sized trucks. Everyone just wants a worse SUV with a worthless bed that makes them look like they drive a truck.

Ranger/S10 restoration business

[ChrisoftheNorth]

The El Camino form factor is great. Drives (pretty much) like a car with the utility of a real pick up. It's like a station wagon with an open cargo area.

I was looking for El Caminos, but right now they seem to be in demand. I couldn't find one worth buying for under $10k, then the S10 popped up for $6k and I went for that because of how clean it is.

An El Camino is pretty ideal for what I want, maybe prices will get closer to reality at some point.