I have owned my "85 S10 4x4 for over 20 years now and love it. There was bad news from the repair shop today, however. It looks like its got a blown head gasket. I was quoted over $2500 for the job. It still needs new tires and the wheels refinished, among other things. Basically it's worn out. I'm also not working regular and not much hope of that anymore. I have the money but not the budget. I'm cringing at the thought of spending that much money on it.

So, I figure I have three options. 1-Keep it and see if I can raise the money. 2-Sell it whole to someone who wants to repair and restore it. 3-Sell it to a junkyard. It's basically in good shape, never being crashed. I took good care of it while the money was coming in. It's spent its entire life in Southern California and Arizona, so it's not rusted out.

What would you do if you were in my situation?

 

If I were in your situation, if I had space for it, I might keep it if it meant a lot to me to repair later. If I could part with it, I'd try to sell it first to someone who could give it some more life before selling for scrap. But to replace it I'd be tempted to go for a much newer Blazer that would not be so worn out and for which the knowledge gained from working on the 85 could have some applicability.

 

Unfortunately I live in a condo so there's no place to park it. A storage facility is out of the question. The HOA would freak out if I tried to work on it outside the garage.

 

4) V-8 swap it.

 

The State of California won't allow it due to smog requirements.

I actually wanted a 4.3 when I bought it but couldn't find one in decent shape.


Cheers,

John

 

I feel your pain, lol.

 

Oh man. Sounds like you are pretty limited with your options. Probably the best is to try to find it a good home with someone who would appreciate it.

You quoted $2500 for the fixes. How would that compare to the cost of a replacement for it? Is it still cost-prohibitive?

 

Hello,
you may try finding someone going to a trade/vocational school or possibly a high school that offers an automotive class where people/students or employees can bring in a vehicle needing repair. They usually don’t charge labor in exchange for having the hands on experience depending on the school’s policy. The vehicle owner would be responsible for the parts cost and there more than likely is no warranty. Worth a shot?
Dedaike.

 

If it comes down to letting go that Blazer try to sell. There is an increasing demand for the old square bodies. If you can keep it for a while you may find a very good offer. Especially if it is stock and has little rust.