If you were building an 86 S-10 Blazer, would you.....

[Blaze]

OK, so I have this 86 S-10 Blazer that I've had since 1995. It was my first car and I just can't part with it. I am going to start rebuilding it in the very near future (bringing it home from storage in a couple of weeks) and I'm thinking of how to build it. I will probably never beat it up offroad, probably beach it every now and then, but I am to have to do so much body work to this poor thing that I don't want to beat it up again. I want to be able to give it to one of my sons one day, and this thing means a lot to me. That being said, I guess I am going to be building a mall crawler.

So would you:

1. IFS lift, leaf sprung SFA, or coil sprung SFA (I have designs for both leaf and coil)
2. Mild 350, 6.0L LQ4/9, turbo 4.3L
3. Manual or automatic
4. Early S-10 grille or later one piece
5. Half doors, no half doors

My early feelings are:
1. Coil sprung SFA
2. 6.0L
3. Automatic
4. Early grille
5. Half doors in summer

 

[jt512]

I like the coil (over) SFA idea, maybe a radius arm set up, LS for sure, 6.0 or a modded 5.3 , auto and early grill, doors ......

 

[wayne]

What axles do you plan to run? I would go with a 5.3 and a auto trans.

 

[blazinzuk]

I like the turbo 4.3, just different I guess, I also like the newer grill, the coil sprung SFA is where its at, with ya on everything else

 

[Blaze]

What axles do you plan to run? I would go with a 5.3 and a auto trans.

Probably a D30 out of a Jeep.

 

[not2hye]

Probably a D30 out of a Jeep.

What tire size are you planning on running?

 

[Blaze]

No bigger than a 35.

 

[stumpjump]

Waggy 44s for the win, I wouldn't waste my time on the D30, I've nuked one and have buddies that have killed dozens on 33s, not to mention we were all running stock 4.0s...

 

[Lost in Texas]

Go old school

I would totally go another direction. Build it like you dreamed about back in 86.

I would definately go with an early Corvette tuned port, they are plentiful and cheap now. Then a SAS with 86 style GM aluminum rims.

Now the interior gets vintage C4 bucket seats front and rear.

 

[Blaze]

I was 7 in 1986.

Should I build it like a Lamborghini Countach?

 

[bronc3buster842001]

if i was to do it again. Would be waggy d44 front, Isuzu Rodeo d44 rear, 6.0, built 4l60e or 4l80e, radius arm front, 4link rear.

 

[meanboyjr]

I would totally go another direction. Build it like you dreamed about back in 86.

I would definately go with an early Corvette tuned port, they are plentiful and cheap now. Then a SAS with 86 style GM aluminum rims.

Now the interior gets vintage C4 bucket seats front and rear.

I like this idea. A lot.

 

[RollinKaos]

I always liked the tour motor in an s 10. That's doe sound fun. I like the waggy/Isuzu diff idea.

Sent from my HTC Sensation 4G using Tapatalk

 

[63chevyll]

A Chevy version of this....and still AWD, or Solid axle.

 

[Blaze]

That's what my son wants to do with it. Suprisingly enough, he doesn't want to jack it up, he said it is cool the way it is.

Yet he wants to jack up our minivan.

He's 5, what can ya do.

 

[Blaze]

A Chevy version of this....and still AWD, or Solid axle.

Man, now you have me thinking about this again.

 

[Blaze]

OK, looks like a total change of plans. I showed some SFA rigs to my son and he did NOT want it to look like that. I showed him some Typhoons and lowered street trucks and he did NOT want that. Went to Google images and he picked out a stocker that looked like ours and said that's how he wants it.

So I'm thinking sleeper now, AWD case, look stock with a 383 or some kind of mean SBC.

Cheap, fast, and easy.

 

[Blaze]

And in our searches we found a pic of me at Uwharrie back in 2001.

 

[496truck]

If I was going to do it again....
SAS with a D30 and coils. You're not wheeling hard so a D30 will hold up fine.
Rear D44, leave it with the leafs.
5.3 will move that little truck like nothing and net decent mpgs. Plus it's cheaper than a 6.0
Automatic trans, 700r4 or 4L60E from the 5.3 donor.
33s again because you're not wheeling it hard and it will not be too tall.

Now, if you want to do a stock restomod....
Leave the factory IFS, get used to replacing front end parts
Cast iron diff from a ZR2 or H3 alpha and the non disco axle tube from the AWD Bravada
5.3 for the same reasons above
Automatic, same as above
Some decent 235/75s maybe BFG A/Ts
Mint out the body and interior and take road trips, go to the beach, camping with the family, etc....

Personally, I'd go with the low lift and SAS on 33s. Your kid may not get it now, but he will soon enough.

 

[Lost in Texas]

7?!! Man I feel old.

I'm sure there is a Lambo kit for those somewhere.