[Father&son56project]

S10 swap economics

My build has reached the point where I have a safe, running driving truck that has passed a safety check and is licenced & on the road. I thought I'd detail what the S10 swap cost me to do as many people may be weighing their options, especially in cases where money is a major concern. I posted my build (Project Fargolet) on this forum because this is the single most detailed S10 swap site on the web and I received a ton of help from the great members here. This is just an FYI for anyone interested in the actual cost of doing this swap. Note that these are the costs that I incurred, and every case will be different. Also, I am in Canada where parts prices are easily double those in the States.

Here’s the breakdown (let’s assume we are starting with an old truck that we already have. I won’t include this in the price as every case is different and we need to compare apples with apples). I happened to start with a ‘47 Fargo but it really makes no difference what the truck is.

S10 Donour vehicle: $1500 Canadian (that’s $1168 US Dollars)

I paid a little more for a low mileage, rust free 1996 S10 and it was worth every penny.


Parts for donour S10 $605 Canadian ($471 USD)

This includes parts I needed to repair deficiencies or worn parts in the S10 (brakes, steering, suspension, exhaust, hoses, lines, cables, new fluids, gaskets)


Parts required to adapt the S10 to the Fargo body $1507 Canadian ($1173 USD)

This includes all the stuff that either can’t be used from the S10 donour, or has to be modified to make it work (engine mounts, radiator, wheel spacers, body mounts, steering shafts & DD U-joints, electric fan, trans cooler, wood, switches, drive shaft, electrical connectors, checker plate steel bed, etc.).


Consumables for the S10 swap portion of the build $400 Canadian ($311 USD)

This includes steel, welding gas/wire, cutoff wheels, paint, nuts & bolts, etc.


So the total cost of the S10 swap portion of my build was $4012 Canadian ($3124 USD)

For me, the economics worked out rather well. Here in Canada I’d be hard pressed to buy just a Mustang ll ifs for 4000 bucks. My $4012 got me:

-frame
-steering
-suspension
-complete braking system including booster, master cylinder and e-brake system
-cooling system
-steering column & connectors
-fuel injected engine with ECU
-overdrive transmission
-drive shaft
-gas tank and lines and filler tube
-wiring harness
-gauges (bit of a pain though!)
-exhaust system
-bench seat
-pedals
-bed floor
-tires


When I started on this project, I estimated a total build cost of about $8000 for absolutely everything (including the initial purchase of the Fargo and all bureaucratic fees). For anyone who is interested, I’ll continue on with what things really cost me.


Parts required to fix up my Fargo $2507 Canadian ($1952 USD)

These costs have nothing to do with the S10 swap, and they include stuff like glass, seals, weatherstrip, seatbelts, lights, door latches, electric wiper conversion, interior, and all the required consumables)

Bureaucratic Red Tape $514 Canadian ($400 USD)

This includes safety inspection, appraisal, ministry of transportation fees.

Original Fargo purchase price incl tax $2280 Canadian ($1775 USD)

This brings me to a grand total of $9313 Canadian ($7252 USD). For this I have a 75 year old truck that’s safe, quiet, reliable, good on gas and handles nicely and can be maintained with cheap parts from any local supplier. I went over budget a bit, but I can’t complain about what I got for the price I paid. There is still some little stuff I could do, but for now I’m just going to cruise nights & shows and having a ton of fun. I hope this helps anyone who is weighing their options, and needs a better idea of how inexpensive an S10 swap can be.