Well, It's Official...

[Guest YellowJacket894]

As of August 28th, 2006, I have a vehicle. No more borrowing this car or that car.

I mentioned this in another thread. Here's what I said.

...That's right, I no longer peddle around in my old man's 1999 Dakota V8. Although he's never said it, he's just given me his old work truck. Told me that he wanted to start driving his truck again.

Well, I bothered to ask today about it and the truck is mine for certain. He's never asking for it back.

I can't say I blame him.

Before I start getting into why I just said that, let me go around describing the truck first.

The Indigo Blue Metalliac 1998 Chevrolet S10 LS regular cab with the 2.2 liter four and 5-speed manual I've been handed has the mid-level gray cloth upholstery and a CD player. The truck is equipped similar to 1999's Survival Pak S10s, although this truck doesn't have it. Now, I won't start making a long paragraph here on how this truck is equipped -- what I just said is really all there is to know.

Now, as to why I said I don't blame him about not asking for the truck back, here's why.

Point 1: No air conditioning. Don't get me wrong. It's not that the truck doesn't have the option, it's just busted, went FUBAR about a year ago. He's never bothered to get it fixed. He made due driving with the windows down, come hell or high water. I can't do that. It sort of bugs the $h! out of me to have the wind blowing right in my face. So I end up stepping out of that truck cooked like a f@#king turkey.

On the bright side, the defroster still has warm air.

Point 2: The interior smells very funky. And why shouldn't it? This was used as a work truck, for the grind of the daily commute. Sweat has stained the cloth with just about the most irritating stench ever. Not even Febreeze can cover it up.

Point 3: Cracking dashtop. Right above the left side of the airbag cover, there is a miniscule version of the Grand Canyon and Colorado River cutting the side of the dash right in two. It's not that big right now, but I am aware that it's growing every day. This is going to be nasty to fix.

Point 4: Busted cruise control. The end of the stalk that held that feature broke off after Bush's "strategery" to steal the election away from Gore involving his good ol brother Jeb had worked out great and he kept talking about something which I don't care to remember. It dangled there for a while until my dad just yanked it right off the wires and threw it in the driver's side map pocket. Well, it's now back on there (still doesn't work, though). Super glued. Don't need to worry about an unprofessional job with the duct tape here.

Point 5: What the f@#k is up with pinstriping on a truck? I don't think it makes a truck look classy, like it's in "a pinstriped suit," to quote a friend of mine. It really emasculates a truck (just like the alloy rims). It's peeling away in a few spots. I'm tempted to just rip the rest of it off of there.

Point 6: Wanna go swimmin in the bed? I'm taking the bedliner out of the back of the truck. Whoever installed it was snorting up black tar herion. Water always pools near the cab deep enough to stick your whole hand in.

Point 7: Busted grille. My truck has a Billy Bob grin. A bird flew into the grille (don't ask me, ask my old man) and knocked a hole in it. There's also another hole in another spot and I don't know how it got there.

Point 8: This truck is so beat up, even the manual is ripping apart. I don't care about that, really. Just thought I'd include that to prove the point.

Someone call "Pimp My Ride." (Seriously, though, please don't.)

On the bright side, the truck still has the original clutch at over 150,000 miles. I don't think many Toyotas can claim that.

This doesn't affect my plans to own a Firebird in anyway, though. I plan on just saving up and paying straight cash for one. I doubt if it'll be a '98 like in my sig -- probably a '94 or '95 sounds likely. But there's also a good chance it'll be a V8 instead of a V6. I think waiting a few months and driving a real $h! of a truck will be worth it.

I don't have photos at the moment, just a scan of the key. (Lame subsitute.) I should be getting a nice new camara here in a few months, so I'll take some good photos then.

I'll post my plans on what to do with this old "S-Dime" in a while. I just hope I can afford it. (I'm pretty embarassed to drive this thing, although it was free.)

Edited August 29, 2006 by YellowJacket894

[daves87rs]

Nice!

When it's free-you can work with it..

It sounds like you might want to spend a few bucks getting into shape.

And a few trips to the boneyard....

I liked my s10 when I had it....it was a pretty good truck at the time...

[Guest YellowJacket894]

It sounds like you might want to spend a few bucks getting into shape.

Does a bear $h! in the woods, Dave?

And a few trips to the boneyard...

I plan on going there within the next few months. When I get there, I'll be driving home with a lot of parts.

I liked my s10 when I had it...it was a pretty good truck at the time...

They are soild trucks. I plan on keeping this after I get the 'Bird.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Quick question: Did GM keep the same basic platform throughout the entire lifespan of the S-Series trucks? If so, is it possible to retrofit the all-wheel drive system from the GMC Syclone to my '98 S-10?

[Sixty8panther]

It's a manual & it's RWD... you did better than most kids do

in a pinch when the need wheels for minimal dollar$.

[Sixty8panther]

I'm sure it's possible but it'd only be worh the money if you

were slightly deranged, had $2000 burning a hole through

your pocket and the truck already had a turbo 4.3 in it.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

It's a manual & it's RWD... you did better than most kids do

in a pinch when the need wheels for minimal dollar$.

186076[/snapback]

Hey, you know it's rear-drive or go home for me.

I'm sure it's possible but it'd only be worh the money if you

were slightly deranged, had $2000 burning a hole through

your pocket and the truck already had a turbo 4.3 in it.

186079[/snapback]

Wow. That much?

As for being slightly deranged, have you forgotten who was talking about converting a '93 Pontiac Sunbird to rear-drive and dropping in the Supercharged 3800?

Edited August 29, 2006 by YellowJacket894

[FAPTurbo]

Trucks are awesome. With me only being 19, a truck has already been invaluable whether its hauling my stuff to university, or hauling people around. Jamming Golf bags into my friend's BMW 3 is a thing of the past because of my truck.

Instead of taking 2 golf bags, I can take 18 if the need arises!

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Capt'n: Come to think of it, I do have a tow vehicle for my ATV now...

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Plans for the "S-Dime" (that name is so...cheezy I have to use it) to be posted tommarow.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Well, I want leather seats in this, so...

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Planned Modifications Are (But Not Limited To):

-Retrofitted Isuzu Hombre fenders (for the blistered look).

-New interior with leather seats (color black or tan with contrasting piping) and leather shifter boot and knob.

-New black paint.

-Monochromatic appearance (no chrome).

-SS badging.

-New name ("Arizona" is likley as it goes along great with "Colorado," the S-10 replacement.)

-New 5-spoke rims.

-Perfomance chip modification.

-K&N air filter and intake.

-Flowmaster exhaust.

Project "Straight Jacket" will appear to be a factory job when finished. The truck will be similar in spirit to the 1991 GMC Syclone performance truck.

[ocnblu]

Nice list, but... I don't think the Hombre fenders will work by themselves. The whole front clip was different between Hombre and S-dime. Also, the bedside panels are different, to continue the blistering seen in the front.

[balthazar]

Congrats- I was a car man for years... until I got a truck. Maybe when I'm 80 I'll be able to live without one, don't really know at this point. Still lust & pine over cars (and own them), but need a truck, too.

I don't see how the bedliner would affect the retention of water; if it's even relatively flat in the bed, it's the tilt of the truck- not the bedliner. I've dealt with this (with no problem) for years: my old F-150 has 3/4-ton spring in the rear and it sits 'jacked up' in the rear on level ground. Just hit the gas and it all slides out. Or is there a 3-in gap between the bedliner & the bed floor when you open the tailgate?

If the 'liner is F'ed up, that's another (asthetic) issue.

"S-dime" : cool.

Edited August 30, 2006 by balthazar

[daves87rs]

Planned Modifications Are (But Not Limited To):

-Retrofitted Isuzu Hombre fenders (for the blistered look).

-New interior with leather seats (color black or tan with contrasting piping) and leather shifter boot and knob.

-New black paint.

-Monochromatic appearance (no chrome).

-SS badging.

-New name ("Arizona" is likley as it goes along great with "Colorado," the S-10 replacement.)

-New 5-spoke rims.

-Perfomance chip modification.

-K&N air filter and intake.

-Flowmaster exhaust.

Project "Straight Jacket" will appear to be a factory job when finished. The truck will be similar in spirit to the 1991 GMC Syclone performance truck.

186548[/snapback]

Hmmm..dump the fenders and the SS badging...and it should look good.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Nice list, but... I don't think the Hombre fenders will work by themselves.  The whole front clip was different between Hombre and S-dime.  Also, the bedside panels are different, to continue the blistering seen in the front.

If I go with the Hombre fenders, the faceia cut will have to be changed to get the front fenders to work. The bedside panels work without any modification -- it's basically a mount and go job.

I don't know. If I can get the stock S-10 fenders to look more..."sporty," I'll keep them.

Should have mentioned a roll-pan is a must.

I also walked outside and counted at least sevent golf ball-sized dents (in the driver's side front fender, tailgate, rear and front bumpers, and a few other assorted areas), all of them rusting in spots. In my opinion, the rust looks pretty bad, too.

I also found out the armrest is busted.

Congrats- I was a car man for years... until I got a truck. Maybe when I'm 80 I'll be able to live without one, don't really know at this point. Still lust & pine over cars (and own them), but need a truck, too.

Thanks, Balt.

I don't see how the bedliner would affect the retention of water; if it's even relatively flat in the bed, it's the tilt of the truck- not the bedliner. I've dealt with this (with no problem) for years: my old F-150 has 3/4-ton spring in the rear and it sits 'jacked up' in the rear on level ground. Just hit the gas and it all slides out. Or is there a 3-in gap between the bedliner & the bed floor when you open the tailgate?

If the 'liner is F'ed up, that's another (asthetic) issue.

I'll check in a bit. I know the truck sets level, though.

Ah, doesn't matter anyway. The bedliner is going, no excuses. (I have no use for it, really. I don't live on a farm.) I want a locking, three-piece tonneau cover for the bed (which I hope won't be so bad to remove when it needs to be).

"S-dime" : cool.

Edited August 30, 2006 by YellowJacket894

[FAPTurbo]

I'd also leave out the Hombra stuff and SS badging.

But then again my truck is totally stock with no mod or anytihng so what do I know

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I'm just wanting a nice, aggressive stance out of this truck. It will be lowered just a bit and given taller, wider tires and wheels to give that look, but I want the styling to do its part as well.

I don't get what's wrong about the SS badging. Every other badge is getting the boot except for a Bowtie on the front and rear. I don't know. Maybe I could get creative here, think of a new denomiation specific for my truck (hell, I'm already thinking of calling it "Arizona" and making a badge that reads that).

[DetroitNut90]

A monochromatic and lowered S-10 sounds pretty cool IMO. Thinking about tinted windows too? Normally I don't care for them, but I think they'd look good since the truck's going to be painted black.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I'm thinking of a nice, light tint on the windows.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Change of gas in the plans, here, folks. Tell me if I'm as stupid and/or crazy as everyone over at S-10 Forum thinks I am.

I. Exterior:

* 1998 + GMC Envoy grille, headlamps with clear corners and HID, and bumper

* All badges removed, except GMC and custom "Syclone" logos on the tailgate

* Painted Jet Black

* Rear roll-pan

* Backup lights removed from the taillamps

* '91 Syclone or aftermarket 18" rims and tires

II. Interior

* New dashpad

* White face guages w/ red needles

* Leather bucket seats

* 1999 + Leather-wrapped steering wheel

* Leather (Camaro. . .?) shift knob and leather shift boot

* Console (for 5-speed manual transmissions)

* Upgraded sound system

* Replacement A/C controls

* Leather door inserts

* Overhead console

III. Suspension, Brakes

* 2" front and 3" rear drop

* Brembro disc brakes all-around with Brembro ceramic pads

IV. Engine, Transmission

*Affirmative plans in this area are to be decided, but air filter, exhaust, ECU/Comp. mgmt., among other upgrades will be performed so the 2.2L I-4 equipped can produce maximum horspower and torque.

V. Project Benchmarks:

*

*

*

[GMTruckGuy74]

I like the way your plan sounds, except for two things:

1. I wouldn't use the Syclone name. That's like putting the Trans Am name on the GTO - it just doesn't belong on it (trust me, I support 100% GMC bringing back the Syclone - a'la Denali - on the Canyon platform).

2. Why go through all of these modifications and have a 4cyl under the hood? How about a 5.7 V8 converstion, or at least a 4.3 V6 upgrade? I mean, from the way your plan sounds, it's going to be one bad looking truck. Why not have some real balls under the hood? I owned a 2001 Sonoma Highrider (ZR2) and know what a great engine the 4.3 V6 was... I also sold 1999 & 2000 MY GMC Sonomas and know what the 2.2 4cyl is like

Since you want to do this truck in the spirit of the Syclone, why not go two-tone with the paint? The original Syclone was jet black on the mid-to-upper half and a flat black on the very lower half. Why not model yours after the Syclone II version and go with a really dark gray for the lower? I think that would stand out.

Do you have any other pictures of the Syclone II & Typhoon II that you can post? I never seen them in person, but I remember when I was seriously trying to buy that '91 Syclone back in 1998, those two trucks were all the rage on the Sy/Ty website. I remember how everyone thought that they would make a return, and talk at the time was that the new Jimmy/Envoy and Sonoma replacements (Canyon name wasn't even thought of yet) would bring them back. What a shame GMC is just forgeting that these two trucks were the original "Denail" models (think about it - AWD, upscale interiors, and more horsepower than their civilian models).

Edited September 9, 2006 by GMTruckGuy74

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I like the way your plan sounds, except for two things:

1. I wouldn't use the Syclone name.  That's like putting the Trans Am name on the GTO - it just doesn't belong on it (trust me, I support 100% GMC bringing back the Syclone - a'la Denali - on the Canyon platform).

So I am as crazy as everyone over at S-10 Forum thinks I am.

I'm not sticking the S-10 or Sonoma name on this truck. I want a name with some spirit and passion, not a lame ass alpha-numeric name or the name of some clothing company. "Arizona" is better suited to a Chevy (and it's also a name of a clothing company. . .AHHHH!) and I want a GMC front-clip on this.

Suggestions on this?

2. Why go through all of these modifications and have a 4cyl under the hood?  How about a 5.7 V8 converstion, or at least a 4.3 V6 upgrade?  I mean, from the way your plan sounds, it's going to be one bad looking truck. Why not have some real balls under the hood? I owned a 2001 Sonoma Highrider (ZR2) and know what a great engine the 4.3 V6 was... I also sold 1999 & 2000 MY GMC Sonomas and know what the 2.2 4cyl is like 

The Two-point-Two in my truck isn't that bad. It has 155,279 miles on it and it's still reliable and sound.

Keep in mind that I'm on a tight budget here. When I start work next month, I doubt I'll be making much money (probably just a very small notch above minimum wage, if that). My dad is probably just going to pay for the paint on this (and I'm very, very lucky I don't have to pay for that, too).

(. . .You know, I'm already getting sick of this truck. I'm seriously about to say "f@#k it" to the whole thing and just find a black 4WD Sonoma or two-door Jimmy with a V6 and a stick and go from there. It might just be cheaper. And I think my old man is missing this truck, too. I don't think he likes paying for the gas for the Dakota.)

Since you want to do this truck in the spirit of the Syclone, why not go two-tone with the paint? The original Syclone was jet black on the mid-to-upper half and a flat black on the very lower half.  Why not model yours after the Syclone II version and go with a really dark gray for the lower?  I think that would stand out.

I like this idea.

Do you have any other pictures of the Syclone II & Typhoon II that you can post?  I never seen them in person, but I remember when I was seriously trying to buy that '91 Syclone back in 1998, those two trucks were all the rage on the Sy/Ty website.  I remember how everyone thought that they would make a return, and talk at the time was that the new Jimmy/Envoy and Sonoma replacements (Canyon name wasn't even thought of yet) would bring them back.  What a shame GMC is just forgeting that these two trucks were the original "Denail" models (think about it - AWD, upscale interiors, and more horsepower than their civilian models).

I wish I knew where to get more pics of the Sy/Ty II pair. I was lucky enough to find those thumbnails on Google.

Now it's on to WMJs post. . .

Edited September 9, 2006 by YellowJacket894

[Guest YellowJacket894]

You might want to rethink the HID lights. They are about $150-$200 for the complete HID setup minus the headlight capsules, which will add another $100-$200 depending if you buy new or used. I'm not saying it wouldn't look cool, I'm just saying that is alot of money to sink in to headlights. Also remember to use amber bulbs in the clear turn signals so as to not attract the cops.

That much? I may sound ignorant here, but I thought you could buy bulbs and just replace the old ones with them. (I'm probably thinking of something else. But a nice, bright white light is a must for me. I don't care for the run-of-the-mill yellow that can't light up half of the damn road.)

Save all of the above stuff for last. Make sure your truck runs reliably first before you spend money on the body. That way if you run out of money at some point during your project you can still have a fun, fast truck to tool around with in the mean time.

The truck runs nice right now as is (it's just slow). And I really have no idea what to do with engine. I'm being told five-f@#king-different things at once about what to do under the hood, and it's making me feel pretty damn apathedic about doing anything to the engine, period. (I'm almost to point of just finding a used Sonoma with stick and a six and giving my dad his old truck back.)

Plus, when I finally get a new camara and post some pics, you'll understand just why the exterior is a priority for this truck.

Have this done professionally. Between the stink of the glue and trying to get everything to line up right it just isn't worth it to do by yourself.

I guess what I meant to say is a whole new dash, not a dashpad. (The vent/radio/air conditioning surround is fine but the dash, the plastic that's made of the squishy stuff, is cracking in a few places.)

Good choice!

You know it.

Don't be afraid to and pillage some junkyard S-trucks to get what you need here. Also, what is you plan for the floor of the truck? Carpet? Rubber?

That's where most of the parts are coming from. A junkyard.

As for the floor, I'm sticking with the carpet in there now. It just needs to be shampooed and vaccumed.

Avoid the drilled and/or slotted rotors. They would be overkill for your needs and they chew up brake pads.

Gotcha.

Edited September 10, 2006 by YellowJacket894

[Guest YellowJacket894]

The trouble is you need a ballast to start and maintain the arc between the two pieces of Tungsten in the lamp, as opposed to just running electricty through a wire like a regular bulb. You have to buy the arc tube and the ballast as one piece in the Envoy and that is what makes it so expensive. In fact the GM rep even told us if one of the headlights goes bad we have to replace the capsule, arc tube and ballast as one assembly because the whole setup was designed to be unservicable. Here is a diagram of an HID assembly so you see why it is different than a regular bulb. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/t...0px-HPSLamp.png

Yikes.

Is it the same for the Jimmy/Sonoma lamps?

You have three basic things to worry about. Air, fuel and spark. Air is easy enough with a performance air filter and bigger exaust. This will set the stage for fuel and spark. Some higher flowing fuel injectors and a more powerful coil with plugs and wires are always good bets. Finally, a custom tune to make sure every part of the engine knows what every other part is doing should top it all off. Don't worry about things like bigger cams, headwork or intake manifolds at this point. That stuff is expensive and can make you engine run worse if you don't know what you are doing when you pick them out.

Any idea on what kind of power boost this would add up to?

I know what you mean. I'm just saying having a reliable truck is more important than having a good looking one. Not that looking good is a bad thing . . .

191544[/snapback]

True. But I think I've got the reliable part down.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Jimmy and Sonoma have regular bulbs that are easily replaced.

Sounds good.

Are junkyard lamps cheap?

A neighbor about a block away has a 2001 S10 with a 4 cylinder, K&N FIPK, some off brand header, Borla muffler, no cat, custom 2.5 exhuast he pieced together from scratch, Mallory coil, 38?lbs/hr injectors and some Jacobs spark plugs. He needs to get it all tuned and get some lower lbs/hr injectors but already it is much snappier off the line. Wild guess I would say 15-20 more hp.

That sounds good, too. I know where I can get a nice dual exhaust system for $200 bucks. I don't think it'll cost much.

(But, then again, I'm still thinking about a '98 Sonoma with a six and a stick. . .)

Here's a good Hot Rod article about modifying you first vehicle.

http://www.hotrod.com/tipstricks/52278/

Thanks, man. That'll come in handy.

I think I know how to settle the issue of what to re-name it. I'll just dig in the GMC (or GM) concept car catalog and find something that sounds neat.

[Guest YellowJacket894]

I've seen anywhere from $20-$130 depending on the condition and the yard. Best to shop around a bit and try to get them as a package deal with the grille.

191767[/snapback]

Sounds good.

Hmmm. . .maybe I'll post in a bit why I think sticking with truck is a good idea. (Hint: Sixty8 would kill to be in my shoes right now.)

[Guest YellowJacket894]

Your grandma is selling a mint 1969 Camaro 396 SS and she only wants the $4,000.00 she originally paid for it?   :AH-HA_wink:

192006[/snapback]

God, I wish that were true.

But, no. I've moved to a house that is very close to a junkyard. And, as far as I know, 68 likes to junkyard hop and just browse through the wrecks looking for logos, manuals, and so forth.