truck restoration

[Battis]

One of those questions...
I have a 1998 Chevy S10, 4 cylinder, standard transmission. Less than 100,000 miles on the truck. Starts every time, though there might be a wiring issue somewhere (short?).
It has body rust, but it's all I need for a truck.
So, is it worth it to partially restore the truck? I mean for highway driving, etc. Not to make it a show truck, but to make it safe and reliable. Pick an amount to put into it - say, $2000 to $5000 or whatever within reason. Replace rusted body parts, rewire engine, shocks, exhaust, etc.
Buying a new or used truck in good shape is not an option right now. This truck is old enough not to have to pass MA emission tests. A new truck would mean sales tax, increased insurance, and monthly payments.
You can't sell a vehicle in MA "as is" for parts or whatever, so it's either fix it or junk it.

[Bantou]

I’d say fix it so long as you could do it reasonably


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[oneofsix]

My .02¢

Fix electrical, structural (think frame), mechanical (engine, steering, transmission) before taking on body panels. Make sure it's safe and reliable, then tackle body because unless MA doesn't use salt on winter roads, it's a losing battle keeping the body nice.

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[RU shooter]

My .02¢

Fix electrical, structural (think frame), mechanical (engine, steering, transmission) before taking on body panels. Make sure it's safe and reliable, then tackle body because unless MA doesn't use salt on winter roads, it's a losing battle keeping the body nice.

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Fully agree with this steering and suspension for me are top priority , do as much of the work as you can yourself YouTube is a great resource for diy projects if your not exactly sure the steps and tools needed also Amazon is a good place for parts most of the time free shipping too . The body work can wait till inspection time . Rivet or weld patches or panels were needed and rattle can the color of choice .

[Winger Ed.]

I'd fix it, and have done that with most of the vehicles I've ever had.

In the old days- any car or truck I got had:
1.A blown engine.
2. Over a hundred gazillion miles on it.
3. needed a paint job.
4. was wrecked.
Always two, but sometimes three of the four.

I'd restore them as I went along, and kept most of them for another 10 years.

On yours, I'd get it safe and mechanically sound first, then do the body shell stuff last.

Cost wise- look at how many car payments it would take to cover what needs fixing
compared to how much longer it will go without the same car payment expense after you've fixed something.


Just being a standard trans. is worth a lot now days.
I have found that with the 6 speed manual in the F250----- nobody wants to borrow it.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

If you spend 2k and get 2 or 3 more years out of it i would

[Bantou]

I'd fix it, and have done that with most of the vehicles I've ever had.

In the old days- any car or truck I got had:
1.A blown engine.
2. Over a hundred gazillion miles on it.
3. needed a paint job.
4. was wrecked.
Always two, but sometimes three of the four.

I'd restore them as I went along, and kept most of them for another 10 years.

On yours, I'd get it safe and mechanically sound first, then do the body shell stuff last.

Cost wise- look at how many car payments it would take to cover what needs fixing
compared to how much longer it will go without the same car payment expense after you've fixed something.


Just being a standard trans. is worth a lot now days.
I have found that with the 6 speed manual in the F250----- nobody wants to borrow it.

I can’t say that I blame them. The clutch on my dad’s F250 was intense. If you drove it in traffic for very long your left leg started to cramp. I learned quickly to put it in granny low and just crawl along.


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[Scrounge]

One of those questions...
I have a 1998 Chevy S10, 4 cylinder, standard transmission. Less than 100,000 miles on the truck. Starts every time, though there might be a wiring issue somewhere (short?).
It has body rust, but it's all I need for a truck.
So, is it worth it to partially restore the truck? I mean for highway driving, etc. Not to make it a show truck, but to make it safe and reliable. Pick an amount to put into it - say, $2000 to $5000 or whatever within reason. Replace rusted body parts, rewire engine, shocks, exhaust, etc.
Buying a new or used truck in good shape is not an option right now. This truck is old enough not to have to pass MA emission tests. A new truck would mean sales tax, increased insurance, and monthly payments.
You can't sell a vehicle in MA "as is" for parts or whatever, so it's either fix it or junk it.

You can get a Hyundai Elantra for about $15K, payments under $200 a month. NOT a great car, but not bad. I'm on my 3rd. First was bought used, then traded in on a new one while I still owed a chunk of money on it. Beat crap out of that one, and traded it in on the one I have now, again while still owing a chunk on it. Preparatory to retiring, I paid it off. Still owed nearly $16K, but my wife has had a pretty reliable and comfy car to drive for the 9 years. Though I do give her a hard time about the small cargo capacity of her little silver truck. Lay the back seats down, and you can get a 10" piece of pipe in there, or boards, or whatever. Gets 30-40MPG depending on how you drive and what kind of traffic you drive in. Is low to the ground, though, so deep puddles can be a problem. Because of my situation I was paying $440 a month on it. That wasn't good. If you're a good mechanic, I'd fix the safety and drivability issues first, comfort second, and cosmetics last if at all. Even a sub-200 dollar payment is a sucking chest wound in the best of times, and can be critical in bad times. Figure a year of those $200 payments you can buy $2400 worth of parts. I have a 98 chevy Silverado with the 5.7L engine, and a 4L60E auto trans. It's beat to crap outside, but runs pretty good most of the time. Last time I had a problem with it, I eventually realized I hadn't done a tune up on in TEN years. It does need AC work, and that won't be cheap. It's got to have the heater/AC fan fixed very soon, and it needs the tranny & engine fixed, some wiring fixed. Driver's door has been replaced because of a minor wreck, and much of the wiring trouble is probably in that door. I've had to replace the alternator & battery a couple of times, and work on the brakes a couple of times, too. Still think I've got less than $500 in repairs in it. Been driving it for 10 years. That's what? $4.17 a month? Only get about 15mpg, but I try not to drive it every day. Unless you find a major problem with your truck, you'll probably do OK. YMMV, of course!

Bill

[osteodoc08]

The 2.2L in there was fairly reliable. The 5 speed isn’t overly robust but plenty for the 118-120hp those 4 bangers put out. I believe it was a New Venture 1500. I had a 1997 GMC Sonoma as my first new, new truck with manual everything. Put a bunch of miles on it with minimal maintenance. If you can get it road worthy for a few(1-2) grand, you’re ahead if it lasts a year.

[Huskerguy]

I worked/taught auto collision for 25 years, got out of that in 99. I agree with those who say to put the money in the mechanicals. Fixing rust is difficult and you rarely can find anyone who will do it right and guarantee it unless they put all new panels on. I always told people, it rusted once and it is even more likely to rust again the second time.

I fixed up a 90 Chevy half ton that was a light roll over. I went through brakes, engine, radiator, hoses, etc. Body looked good for several years, that was 98. I still have the truck and it is a rust bucket but is mechanically great. That truck won't catch the chicks but it is a hauler for my rentals and owes me nothing. Pouring a lot of money into vehicles is a losing proposition.

[Petrol & Powder]

Battis, only you can answer that question.
I've never heard of a state law that prevents an owner from selling something "as is" but if Massachusetts restricts how you handle the sale of your own property, make the sale outside of Massachusetts. Their authority ends at the state line.

A 22 year old truck in the northeast U.S. it likely to be more than just a little rusted. I suspect the more you look for rust, the more you will find. That doesn't mean the rust is fatal but I would be wary of dumping money into aesthetics just for the sake of aesthetics.
Make it mechanically sound and squeeze a few more years out of it. You're never getting your "restoration" money back out of that truck so all you're really doing is buying a few more years of use without going into debt for a replacement vehicle.

That truck is probably worth somewhere in the $1500-2500 range. Although you can't replace it for that, you can't sell it for much more than that either. So putting another $3000 in it doesn't make it a $5000 truck - it just makes it a better truck for you for a few years without taking on more debt.

There's a LOT to be said for an older, paid for vehicle. If it gets stolen - you've lost nothing. If it get's wrecked - you've lost nothing. The taxes are low. The inspections are easier. Insurance is cheap. You pretty much just pay for operating expenses and some repairs.

When the cost of repairs exceed the value of the truck, you sell it for what you can get and walk away.

[Petrol & Powder]

The 2.2L in there was fairly reliable. The 5 speed isn’t overly robust but plenty for the 118-120hp those 4 bangers put out. I believe it was a New Venture 1500. I had a 1997 GMC Sonoma as my first new, new truck with manual everything. Put a bunch of miles on it with minimal maintenance. If you can get it road worthy for a few(1-2) grand, you’re ahead if it lasts a year.

The gearbox is likely a New Venture 3500 and that's a good transmission if you keep the correct fluid in it.
The NV 3500 (and NV 3550 in Jeeps) was used in a lot of medium duty applications and as long as some idiot doesn't put the wrong fluid in it, they usually out-last the engine they are behind. Behind the Jeep 4.0 in-line six they performed just fine and some application put them behind V-8's. However, the bronze components in the synchronizers will NOT tolerate the incorrect fluid.


CORRECTION - I just saw the OP has a 4 cylinder. That may not be the NV3500 transmission. That could be the NV1500.

[skeettx]

Minimal repair to make it reliable.
Use it and be happy

Mike

[WebMonkey]

i'm working on an '85 K20 at the moment.

it has historical vehicle plates on it and i drive it to church or get a load of sand etc.

it doesn't look that great from the outside but i've rebuilt the rear brakes, flushed/filled fluids, etc.

i've cleaned/replaced/refit interior bits but will NOT do any 'real' body work.

i don't feel embarrassed driving it and the OP shouldn't feel embarrassed driving a vehicle that is mechanically sound/reliable.

drive on without a car payment.

good luck

[megasupermagnum]

What's wrong with it? You aren't going to be able to rewire an engine, there's just too much. You may be able to buy a used harness, but it is far easier to simply find a problem and fix it.

The places to look on a s10 Chevy of that year is the front suspension. Ball joints, tie rods, control arms, all bushings, axle shafts (if 4x4), etc. That's the weak spot on those vehicles. It's always a good idea to put on new shocks and tires. Change ALL the fluids. Everything, engine, transmission, axles, coolant, it's not even a bad idea to flush (bleed) your brake lines. Forget anything to do with the body, let it be. It's just wasted money. Exhaust is up to you, unless there are strict noise regulations.

Then just your basic maintenance, sparkplugs, wires, filters, etc.


This is how I do it. My last truck I got 5-6 years ago, a 1994 Mazda B4000 with maybe 260,000 miles on it. I replaced the clutch once, did basic maintenance. So total with that work plus the price, maybe $1200-1500 into the truck. I still drive it daily, it just passed 310,000 miles. I'm going to see if it can make it to 400,000.

[Mk42gunner]

I drive junk. There I said it. I would rather spend two to three grand every five years than have a five hundred dollar a month vehicle payment every month. Add in full coverage insurance, and it makes even more sense to me to have older vehicles.

With that said, I am retired and don't have to be somewhere at a set time every day. If I had a job to get to, I would have a new vehicle to drive.

Driving junk, I have found it helpful to have a spare truck sitting around just in case.

I make sure they are safe, good brakes and steering, then worry about other little problems.

The biggest problems that I have found in the last fifteen years that will cause me to quit working on a vehicle from say the mid eighties up, is electrical issues. Once the wiring harness starts to go bad, you chase problems what seems like forever. Eventually you have to cut your losses and junk it.

Anything mechanical can be fixed, if you are willing and able. It may not be economically feasible to pay someone else to do it, but if you can do it yourself, its not so bad.

Robert

[rking22]

My daily driver, for the last 2 years, is a 97 S10, 2wd,V6 manual extended cab.Bought it for 150$, body very good, seats shot and 2nd gear was without sync. Oh, AC didn’t work, still dosent, no issue to me. I glued the review mirror back to the windshield, changed fluids, and did a bit of front suspension work, tires were ok, just ok. When I changed the trans fluid I found 2nd, mostly. Supposed to hold 2 quarts, I drained less than a pint! NV3500 trans must be pretty tough! That was it for about a year. Then had to put a radiator in, 50$! Battery, 125$. I put the tires for a 4x on it for better use on the farm, durn thing would get stuck on wet grass with the tires he had on it. That was 400$ for new tires, and I used the best 2 on a utility trailer. Had to have the drivers door hinge replaced, 150$. I think the original owner must have been a VERY large guy, seats crushed and door been leaned on too much. Anyway, 50 miles a day for work, I take it fishing cause it gets 25 MPG so I’ve run it from 212000 when I bought it to 238000 two years later. I like it, will probably keep it running till the electrical grimilins move in. Yep, I drive junk too, proud of it as well!

[Remiel]

Had a similar model, the fuse block was damaged (truck was wrecked and I got it for 50 bucks) and I ended up running the fuel pump off a toggle switch, check the block and grounds for damage and corrosion.

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[Battis]

I've patched the body rust several times. In MA, if there's a rust hole, it will not pass inspection. You can't sell a vehicle "as is" - it has to pass inspection (Lemon Law). If you sell it, and it doesn't pass inspection, you can be on the hook for repairs or a refund.
The biggest problem with this truck has been that it stalls for no apparent reason. I've had several mechanics scan it but the only thing that shows is the crank sensor (I think that's what it was). Replaced parts and eventually it stalls again. One mechanic took it for a test drive and it stalled 17 times but he couldn't get a reading on the scanner. Another scan once showed the anti-theft device kicking in. I've changed the fuel pump and the ignition control module - still stalled. I thought maybe it was the oil sensor but they tell me that the sensor in that truck was not the kind that causes problems (2 wire vs 3 wire). It could be the ignition, or just a short somewhere. It hasn't stalled in over a year, though I don't drive it too much. Chasing down a short might get pricey.
It's due for inspection next month. It should pass, but I still wouldn't take it on the highway.

[Remiel]

When it stalls, does it just cut out or act like its running out of gas? Sadly I've noticed that most mechanics nowadays forget that the all mighty scanner is not infallible and forget basic diagnostic techniques (as my father still impresses on me regularly as a retired auto mechanic of 25+years), makes me wonder if its more of a hands on issue and not a sensor based issue.

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