I am in need of some sort of truck... but nothing huge and ridiculous on gas. I ran across a 1998 Isuzu Hombre (S10) and was thingking it was a good idea. The truck is just 600 bucks. No rust or anything. The problem is the 2.2 motor is dead... and thrown away. but oh well. The engine wiring harness has also been cut to @!#$, along with the pipes running from the air conditioning box? (the thing on the passenger side) Abs has been deleted unfinished. The guy was going to do a v8 swap and prepped the bay for it, but had a change of heart. Nothing has been cut or modified yet, except he painted the lower frame black and rust proofed the entire underside. Also... no tailgate.

Picture Time!!!







My plans were to restore it to stock (i know, flame on) ,but a v8 swap or something in the future would not be out of the picture. BTW, pictures are NOT the exact truck, but everything, EXCEPT the hub caps are the same.

Whats the ball park for what your looking to spend...without considering this truck? I'd suggest pricing everything out that youd need. The wiring harness might be the biggest pain in the ass to find complete. If you don't need the truck asap it might be worth the work.

My limit is maybe 3,000. I am trying to be as cheap as I can be, lol.


Edit: and I am in no rush, but it will be needed 5 months or so from now.


Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Tuesday, January 31, 2012 6:01 PM

Check eBay and local yards for a harness. If you can get one pretty easily, I'd go for it since a 2.2 won't be hard to find and as long as the suspension is in good shape.

Accident? Looks like the steering wheel was replaced, like the air bags deployed. I'd pass on it either way.

O noes!

Smokey, he said these pics weren't the exact truck, just an example of what it looked like

Offer 450ish, go from there

i always wanted to take a blazer and put a hombre front end on it.

I'd put a 3x00 in it. It's a tough question, only thing that would make me want to walk away would be the harness being chopped up.


- Your not-so-local, untrained, uncertified, backyard mechanic. But my @!#$ runs

For around $3600 total you can find a decent one on craigslist that doesnt need any work. Id say dont buy it, but its your call.

If your willing to spend 3k why not just by a solid,used not cut up truck.You can find a good truck not all screwy with drama that may put you wayy over budget.Just a thought.

id roll the dice for $300 but no more.

Do it and put a 5.3 down in it. You will be smiling from ear to ear. Plus its not that bad of a swap. 4.3 is easier but oh well.

600 is steep for the truck. 300 to 400 is ok if it has full stock exhaust.
i have a 98 zr2 i got for just at 3k. you can get a lot for 3k. if youre looking at the truck style and being in TN do not need the 4wd, still get a 4.3 model. you think the 2.2 is bad in the j, wait till it is in a truck. just horrible.
check out blazerforum.com if you want some build ideas. the s10 threads are nice but they all want to drop their trucks on airbags and go chico with it

If you can get it for under 400 I'd pull the trigger and throw a 5.3+t56 in it and have fun with ~25mpg in a truck..


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You can get a used pick up in perfect running order for cheap. I wouldn't even contemplate this as an option.

No engine whatsoever? Give him $50 and if he doesn't take it walk away. You can easily find a used S10 or similar small truck for well under your budget. Even an older F-150/1500 would be pretty easy to find for that price.


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Sounds like if you buy this truck, you might get nickeled and dimed from all the work you'd need to get it running.

Run, run far away, run now.

gtpsunfire wrote:Run, run far away, run now.

best comment so far, lol.

Also, AznCav, I like your idea. I had a similar one, except I wanted to put the Bravada front end on an s10.

Edit; I also talked him from 800 to 600, but he wont go any lower. New tires right before the motor blew. I am starting to consider going another route... I just hate easy stuff I guess. lol. Keep the comments coming.


Edited 1 time(s). Last edited Wednesday, February 01, 2012 4:12 PM

Years, and I mean YEARS AGO, someone on here posted a thread with pix if their first Gen (boxy) S-10 with the Bravado front end/interior conversion. And they even had custom OLDSMOBILE lettering in the center of the tailgate normally where Chevrolet would be. IIRC, it was either white or silver. And a girl posted the thread.




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Roofy wrote:Years, and I mean YEARS AGO, someone on here posted a thread with pix if their first Gen (boxy) S-10 with the Bravado front end/interior conversion. And they even had custom OLDSMOBILE lettering in the center of the tailgate normally where Chevrolet would be. IIRC, it was either white or silver. And a girl posted the thread.

wish I could of found it. Oh well.

Mike (Needs Boost) wrote:600 is steep for the truck. 300 to 400 is ok if it has full stock exhaust.
i have a 98 zr2 i got for just at 3k. you can get a lot for 3k. if youre looking at the truck style and being in TN do not need the 4wd, still get a 4.3 model. you think the 2.2 is bad in the j, wait till it is in a truck. just horrible.
check out blazerforum.com if you want some build ideas. the s10 threads are nice but they all want to drop their trucks on airbags and go chico with it

imo blazer forum is a joke. i honest feel s10forum.com has alot more actuall information and projects.

http://www.s10forum.com/forum/f213/hombre-build-442277/

Freelancer1988 wrote:I also talked him from 800 to 600, but he wont go any lower. New tires right before the motor blew. I am starting to consider going another route... I just hate easy stuff I guess. lol. Keep the comments coming.

walk away. that's 5 times what it's worth in it's current state.



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i have an 83 with a 450HP 383 in it, the swap isn't too bad, i would say do a 4.3 should be able to find a donor cheap, should get 25+ mpgs. but it should be easy enough to find a something you don't have to do all the work to in the price range.