Project S-10?

[67ChevyRedneck]

So, finding a 5spd bucket seat center console is *almost* impossible. Check fleabay for their crazy prices. The best one to modify is a 98+ blazer automatic bucket seat center console that has a column shift, but this was the ONLY one I could find at LKQ that wasn't broken to pieces. Again, it's from a 94-97 blazer. I wish it was at least the right color, but that will be fixed later. The 98+ auto blazer consoles sell for $100+ on fleabay too

You can see I had to modify it heavily, where the lower back was cut out to fit over the hump to put it closer to the rear of the cab so the shifter would fit the change holder area I cut out for the shifter. I also had the trim the bottom in several areas so it lays flat. I had to cut the rear metal bracket to fit over the hump as well, so I'll also have to trim out the plastic liner for the inside of the console. I used a dremel with a cutoff wheel and it wasn't too bad to modify it all. Yes, it's much farther back than I would like it, but the top still opens about 75-80 degrees or so, so plenty to still put stuff in and out of, and it pokes out just far enough from between the seats to set your elbow on. You'll see why I "cheaped out" in the end when you see what I paid for everything.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I spent a good deal of time cleaning up the seats. I bought a leather repair kit and fixed a few small tears, most were on the back of the PS seat which you wouldn't see anyway, and a few on the DS on the left side bolster, where they normally wear out. I also removed and peeled off the leather bottom cover on each seat to do a little repair work. The blazer they came out of had 189K on it. The outside bolsters needed some foam added to the middle where they had cracked, I glued it in and glued the sides back together, and then I overlayed the top with some fabric to hold it all together to prevent it from tearing ever again, I used "mighty mend it" which actually works. With the leather stretched back over the seats, you'll never know it.

I had to do all of that inside, it was friggin' COLD this week! (Our walls aren't pink, they're a light tan color, wft is up with my camera?)

The pic is the DS, and it was actually the worst of the two, I actually got a really nice set of seats

[67ChevyRedneck]

Next up is the seatbelt install. It's simple. Use the existing bolt hole that you won't be using for the seat brackets. It was already designed to hold the seat bracket/seat belt buckle. The floor is also braced in this area from the factory. It's a T-50 Torx screw.

I was able to unclip and use the stock wiring from the old seat and clip into the new seat belt buckle. No cutting required

[67ChevyRedneck]

Next up is wiring, it's really simple. All you need is power, and a ground. I cut the factory wires from the blazer past the clip, so once I have everything taped in I can removed the seats and un-clip the wiring!

For power, I plugged into an empty 25A switched power source I found in my fuse block. I made sure it was switched, I didn't want to add a battery drain! Since I'm plugging into it and not using a fuse anymore, I added an in-line 25A fuse I found at wally mart (the black wire you see is for my electric fan I installed about a year and a half ago). I then routed it behind the dash, popped up the door sill (it actually does "pop out", it's clipped in place) ran it under there, then ran it under the carpet. I then ran more wires under the seat to the other side as well. I then wired everything together. I drilled a small hole next to the seat belt buckle and used that as my clipping place for my ground wire. I was pretty proud of myself, I actually used all the proper connectors and clips for everything. I put tape over everything as an extra precaution, but no twisted together wires

[67ChevyRedneck]

I guess I didn't get a pic of the DS wiring done, but here's the PS clip installed along with the PS seat belt buckle. I also have the DS seat installed. I used the 3 factory bolts, and used Grade 8 bolts for the hole I had to drill. You can see in the 2nd pic that you don't need any big washers or anything because the floor is already braced from the factory in this area.

The previous owner somehow burned a big hole in the back carpet area. Oh well, it will never be seen.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Unfortunately, because this was a 4dr blazer, the seats don't fold forward, but they do slide forward enough and tilt forward enough to get the jack stuff out from behind the seat.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Almost done. I still have to pull and paint the center console, but it's way to cold for that now. With a space heater on for 6 hours, the warmest the garage ever got was 46 degrees. Brrrrrrrrrrrrrr. But it was a lot better than the "feels like 10 degrees" outside. I also have to sort out all of the plastic seat track covers to see what goes where, I got them all mixed up together.

I don't know why the seats look dirty and blotchy in my pics, I assure you, they are super nice in person and aren't blotchy or dirty looking at all... I hate my camera...

They don't look as cool with the head rests up, but they are going to stay up. I don't ever want mine or my wife's head to hit the rear window in an accident.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Final pics of the console and how it fit. Not too shabby for something that was never meant to be installed like I did it. I'm going to put a cloth wrap inside around the shifter area, it should look pretty good. The cup holders are also still usable. Both of them. Plenty of space between the drink and the shifter (in Reverse in the pics.)

I'll remove it and paint it when the weather gets better. The color I found at wally mart is some kind of dark gray/black plasticoat paint that is pretty close to the original charcoal. Let's be honest, none of the interior pieces in these trucks is exactly the same color anyway

[67ChevyRedneck]

And for the parts total tally...

Leather Bucket Seats: $35 (50% off day at LMQ New Years Day, WOHOO!!!)

Seat Belt Buckles and Center Console: $20 (Had to go back for the buckles, didn't know I would need them and picked up a console while I was there, that's why I was OK with the wrong color and model, $10 for this one, or over $100 on fleabay, or keep coming back *hoping* for the right one, but the LKQ here changes a $2 admission fee and it's a 1 hour round trip drive for me) I WISH I had gotten this stuff on half off day, would have saved me a trip, gas, and 10 bucks, oh well

Grade 8 Bolts/Nuts/Washers: $4

Misc. Wiring and Wiring Clips, and fuses: $13

Krylon Plastic Paint (haven't used yet for console) $6

My back and ass not hurting anymore... PRICELESS

So, for a whopping grand total of about $78, I have leather buckets seats, with full power on the DS and power lumbar support on both sides, and a center console

[Arad68]

Very Cool!,
I wish I had a public accessible LKQ lot near me. There is a pick and pull, but the cars and trucks are thorougly hammered when they get to the lot.

I am considering leather buckets for my S10

[67ChevyRedneck]

Originally Posted by Arad68

Very Cool!,
I wish I had a public accessible LKQ lot near me. There is a pick and pull, but the cars and trucks are thorougly hammered when they get to the lot.

I am considering leather buckets for my S10

You know what pisses me off, is that there IS an LKQ that's super close to my house, but you can't pull anything off, and their prices aren't cheap. They get it for you. I asked about a set of leather buckets and rear ext cab seat for my 00 Z71 and they said $5-600. What else ticks me off is that LKQ sells stuff on ebay, like leather seats and nice interior parts, for pretty high prices... way above their "price sheet." This REALLY makes me wonder when I check out the lot and almost every vehicle that had leather seats has NO leather seats in it...

The LKQ I got these seats from only opened up 4 or 5 months ago. SO glad it did. The other places around here have some pretty high prices for parts.

Man, the seats were worth it. My wife used to whine how much the seat on her side bothered her. We went out to dinner and took a really long way home, and man, we both like 'em!

Just to add.. I'm still "averaging" 23mpg with my around town driving and I'm pretty darn happy with that. My Z71 only gets 14mpg for the same driving.
I took it to NY and averaged 28mpg over my whole trip and I just took it to NC and back (7 hours round trip) and got a little over 29mpg. I've also put over 15,000 miles on the truck.

[yawdie1]

That's a nice truck. I was actually looking at one in 2008 and the dealer wants to much for a high mileage 2wd pu. I like what you have done to it so far. clean! i want to buy a center console for my project with an auto. shifter. I found some on ebay and the guy wouldn't budge on the price. He wanted alittle over $300 shipped to my house. that's a joke. ebay is disappointing me. the local pick and pull yards have some chevys but like you said most of them are really ripped apart. even the really good seats. that sucks. Untop of that we get alot of snow and it's cold so I don't want to go there.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Thanks. I've enjoyed it so far. I did a 3 hour round trip today and it was pretty nice

S-10's aren't cheap in my area either. For as much as they get knocked, they seem to be damn reliable little trucks. Mine has 107K on it, and from what I can tell, nothing under the hood of mine has ever been touched, and the hood has never been off either. The majority of the ones at the LKQ were very high mileage vehicles (not to mention most were 12-15+ years old). Most of the blazers were V6 C4C cars that probably still ran just fine, but the owner would have never gotten $4,500 on a trade in for a 188K 96 Blazer. Kind of a shame. But at least I got a good set of seats out of it

My dad had a 93 that had well over 200K on it when he sold it. He then got a 98 stepside. He drove that for a few years and now my sister drives it, I think it has 150-160K on it now. Both trucks were reg cab, 4 cyl, 5spds.

[a55togo]

honestly, this has to be the most dependable truck gm ever made. I have a 95 sonoma with 184,000 on it still runs like a champ, well a 4cyl champ,lol. the only thing you gotta watch out for on the 2.2's is never get them hot, cause the head will crack for sure.
Ed

[chevy2racr]

Redneck - you sure its 3.73 or whatever you said rear? mine was 2.2 auto reg cab short box stock and has the little 4.10 or 4.11 or whatever around there, not a 3something gear. wouldn't mind the 3.73 posi my buddys xcab 02 sonoma has now that mines got a small block...

[67ChevyRedneck]

Yes, I am 100% sure. I even just went outside to double check both my trucks. The codes are the same for all GM trucks.

GU4=3.08
GU5=3.23
GU6=3.42
GT4=3.73
GT5=4.10
HC4=4.56

G80 - locking differential

Both my Silverado and S-10 have the GT4 code, 3.73.

Originally Posted by chevy2racr

Redneck - you sure its 3.73 or whatever you said rear? mine was 2.2 auto reg cab short box stock and has the little 4.10 or 4.11 or whatever around there, not a 3something gear. wouldn't mind the 3.73 posi my buddys xcab 02 sonoma has now that mines got a small block...

What you said makes sense, here's what I found from an S-10 forum. For the 2.2L reg cabs, the 5spd got a 3.73 and the auto trucks got the 4.11.

The following are for the 2.2L 4cyl

2.2 4cyl- regular cab LS - manual tranny/3.73
auto tranny/4.10

extended cab LS- manual tranny/4.10
auto tranny/4.10

regular cab xtreme- manual tranny/3.73
auto tranny/4.10

extended cab xtreme- manual tranny/4.10
auto tranny/4.10

The following are for the 4.3L V6

4.3 6cyl- regular cab LS- manual tranny/3.08
auto tranny/3.42

extended cab LS- manual tranny/3.08
auto tranny/3.42

regular cab xtreme- manual tranny/3.08
auto tranny/3.42

extended cab xtreme- manual tranny/3.08
auto tranny/3.42

Positraction is not available on the 4cyl engines

Positraction is available on either the 6cyl manual or automatic transmissions.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I got tired of the ugly tan console.

I tried to paint the arm rest and the paint never dried, even months later, it was a weird goo.

I found the "correct" one at the AutoFair this spring for $30. It was actually for an automatic, the guy had one for a stick, but apparently they're rare and he wanted $100 for it.

I didn't take any pics, but I had to cut a hole for the shifter, and it had to sit back just a hair farther than stock, so I had to trim the back out of it about an inch to clear the hump at the back of the cab. I drilled 4 new holes for screws, screwed it down and cleaned everything up. The last step was to cut the factory rubber piece to fit around the shifter and it was all done. I like this MUCH better.

[tvblazer78]

Nice job..

[thirdstreettito]

Lookin good Jesse!

[BarryB]

Looks good, do you still have the tan one? Interested in parting with it? I might be interested in buying it off you. PM me if you are.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Ummmmm....

Like I said, I tried to paint it gray using an actual plasticoat paint and the arm rest turned to goo. I had also painted some other sections gray. I already tossed it

I only paid $10 for it at the pick n pull.

[67ChevyRedneck]

I also just put in a new Stereo. I put in a Sony XPlod CD player with an AUX jack. It's really cool, I can use my Ipod and XM easier now. The stock speakers sucked so I swapped out the door speakers for some Sony's and the weird square dash ones for some Pioneers. Basically all Wally World had. Sounds MUCH better now.

[Chevy350V8]

love the truck, good job

[67ChevyRedneck]

Played with the truck a teeny bit more. I've been wanting to do this for a long time!

I can't remember what it's off of, but the last time I was in charlotte I picked up a scripted "chevrolet" emblem from The Car Shop. I twisted off the 3 prongs in the back and used 3M double sided tape. I think it looks sweet! I think the next time I go back, I'll get 2 more and take "S10" off the doors and put "Chevrolet" where those were.

I also fixed a little mechanical issue. Coil Pack 2 was misfiring. All good now.

[67ChevyRedneck]

Next up is a new grill (chrome is peeling and black is rubbed off and they're super cheap on ebay) and clear front signals.

Maybe a new bumper too (the "boo boo" above the license plate was on the truck when I bought it.)

I'll have to see what the pick n pull has before I hit up fleabay.