1990 Chevrolet Blazer S-10 Tahoe review from North America

Purchased this vehicle from a friend for $500, not running. It was a 4-door model, and I had a running 2-door that needed $1,100 worth of front end work to get it to drive in a straight line.

While I was keeping it at another friend's house to work on it, his cousin stole my bill of sale and title, put a bunch of stolen parts into it, and put it on the road to sell it. I dealt with lawyers and the nearest state police barracks to get it back. :-)

The S-10 was abused, plain and simple. The previous owner admitted to it before I bought it.

The front window motors are shot. The A/C, which I converted to 134a refrigerant, is shot due to a leak in the casing of the compressor. Cruise control worked TWICE. Shocks are toast, due to previous abuse. Transmission shifts a little harshly under light acceleration between 1st and 2nd. Front right ABS sensor wire snapped off at the sensor, and I drove it a while like that and the brakes are OK, a little soft after stopping for a while. The U-joint between the transfer case and the rear drive shaft blew, $35 at a junkyard for a used U-joint and driveshaft and it is good as new. Rear main seal went at 188,000. I can now watch as I leak a quart of oil in five minutes.

This is my third S-10 Blazer, I started with a 1985. My other 1991 that needs the front end work has a perfectly good tranny and motor at 202,000. If I could find someone who can help me swap the motors and trannies over, I'd have it on the road in no time flat!

Fuel economy isn't the greatest, but the truck can and will go over 90 mph with little complaint. Dashboard is a little ugly, kinda squarish around the gages, but the whole vehicle is a box! :-) When I get it fixed up I will drive it regularly, the 4WD is incredible and I used to bury my 1985 in snowbanks and with it's 2.8 carb engine it had no problem getting out of snow.

Even if I let these Blazers sit for a year, they always start right up afterwards and idle smoothly.