The first compact pickup from General Motors was the rebadged Isuzu KB sold since 1972 as the
Chevrolet LUVThe Chevrolet LUV is a pickup truck marketed in the Americas since 1972 by Chevrolet, a division of General Motors . All generations of the LUV pickup have been Japanese Isuzu designs...
. The 1973 Arab oil embargo forced GM to consider designing a domestically-produced compact pickup truck. As usual, parts from other GM chassis lines (primarily from the
GM G-bodyThe General Motors G platform was an automobile platform designation used for mid-sized rear wheel drive cars first from 1969-1972 and again from 1982 to 1988....
intermediatesA mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...
) were incorporated. The first S-series pickups were introduced in 1982. The Chevrolet and GMC models were identical apart from the grille, tailgate and assorted insignia. An extended cab and "Insta-Trac" four wheel drive were added the next year along with two new engines.
Track width was similar to the former
GM H-bodyThe General Motors H platform or H-body is an automobile platform designation used for the 1971–1980 model year rear wheel drive line of subcompact cars...
subcompacts (
VegaThe Chevrolet Vega is a subcompact, two-door automobile that was produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1971-1977 model years. Named after the star Vega, the car was powered by a lightweight aluminum-block inline four-cylinder engine...
/
MonzaThe Chevrolet Monza is a subcompact, four-passenger automobile produced by the Chevrolet division of General Motors for the 1975–1980 model years. The Monza is based on the Chevrolet Vega, sharing its wheelbase, width and 140 CID inline-4 engine...
).120 hp 85 tq
The sport utility S-10 Blazer and S-15 Jimmy debuted in 1983; GM was the second to introduce compact sport utilities behind
JeepJeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
but ahead of
FordFord Motor Company is an American multinational automaker based in Dearborn, Michigan, a suburb of Detroit. The automaker was founded by Henry Ford and incorporated on June 16, 1903. In addition to the Ford and Lincoln brands, Ford also owns a small stake in Mazda in Japan and Aston Martin in the UK...
. This trend occurred again where 4-door variants were introduced in March 1990 as 1991
modelsThe model year of a product is a number used worldwide, but with a high level of prominence in North America, to describe approximately when a product was produced, and indicates the coinciding base specification of that product....
alongside the similar
Oldsmobile BravadaThe Oldsmobile Bravada is a mid-size luxury sport utility vehicle from the now retired Oldsmobile marque of General Motors. There have been two different vehicles to bear this model name, the first and second-generation GMT330, and the 2002 to 2004 GMT360....
.
New heavy-duty and off-road suspensions appeared in 1984 along with a hydraulic clutch, while the big news for 1985 was the discontinuing of the
CavalierThe Chevrolet Cavalier was a compact automobile produced from 1982 to 2005 by General Motors. Built on the company's J platform, the Cavalier was one of the best-selling cars in the United States throughout its life.- Predecessors :...
's 2.0 L OHV
I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
in favor of
PontiacPontiac was an automobile brand that was established in 1926 as a companion make for General Motors' Oakland. Quickly overtaking its parent in popularity, it supplanted the Oakland brand entirely by 1933 and, for most of its life, became a companion make for Chevrolet. Pontiac was sold in the...
's 2.5 L "Iron Duke" OHV I4. The OHV-derived 2.2 L diesel engine and 1.9
L
SOHC gas engine, both from Isuzu, were gone the next year, leaving just the Iron Duke and updated 2.8 L V6. A much-welcomed 4.3 L V6 was added for 1988, and anti-lock brakes came the next year.
The GMC S-15 became the GMC Sonoma in 1991, and the Sierra trim packages are dropped to avoid confusion with the new GMC Sierra full-size pickup. The GMC Syclone also appeared that year. The Sonoma GT bowed in 1992. Added to this was the 4.3 L V6 Vortec W code engine. This generation's last year was 1993.
The Vortec is essentially the standard Z code 262 cu in (4.3 l)
engineThe internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
. The difference is the W code used a balance shaft, roller cam shaft, different heads, and Central Port Injection. The 1992 and 1993 engine came in either a 195 hp or 205 hp rating. The High Performance version came with a larger diameter Y pipe, and was only installed in some of the Blazers and S-10 Jimmies as well as the S-10 Pickups
Engines
| Years |
Engine |
Power |
Torque |
VIN Vin may refer to:*Voltage input, an alternative form for Vin-People:*Vin Diesel*Vin Scully*Vin Suprynowicz*Vin, the name of a character from the video games Jak II and Jak 3*a diminutive of the name "Vincent"...
code |
| 1982–1985 |
1.9 L
LR1 Isuzu, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, 2 barrelA carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
|
84 hp |
101 lbft |
A |
| 1982–1985 |
2.8 L LR2 60°The General Motors 60° V6 family of engines began with the 1980 Chevrolet 2.8 L V6 and continues to be produced today . Its use in the X-body cars leads some to refer to it as the X engine.It is a 60° vee block with pushrod heads, except for a single DOHC member, the LQ1...
V6, 2 barrel Rochester |
110 hp |
148 lbft |
B |
| 1984–1985 |
2.2 L LQ7 Isuzu, is a Japanese car, commercial vehicle and heavy truck manufacturing company, headquartered in Tokyo. In 2005, Isuzu became the world's largest manufacturer of medium to heavy duty trucks. It has assembly and manufacturing plants in the Japanese city of Fujisawa, as well as in the prefectures...
DieselA diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
|
58 hp |
93 lbft |
S |
| 1985–1990 |
2.5 L LN8 Iron Duke TBI I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, |
92 hp |
132 lbft |
E |
| 1986–1993 |
2.8 L TBI 60° V6The General Motors 60° V6 family of engines began with the 1980 Chevrolet 2.8 L V6 and continues to be produced today . Its use in the X-body cars leads some to refer to it as the X engine.It is a 60° vee block with pushrod heads, except for a single DOHC member, the LQ1...
|
125 hp |
150 lbft |
R |
| 1983–1984 |
2.0 L LQ2 I4 The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, 2 barrelA carburetor , carburettor, or carburetter is a device that blends air and fuel for an internal combustion engine. It is sometimes shortened to carb in North America and the United Kingdom....
|
84 hp |
101 lbft |
Y |
| 1988–1995 |
4.3 L LB4 VortecVortec is a trademarked name for a line of piston engines for General Motors trucks. The name first appeared in 1988 on a 4.3 L V6 that used "vortex technology" to create a vortex inside the combustion chamber, creating a better air/fuel mix. Now its used on a wide range of different engines...
V6, TBI |
160 hp–
180 hp |
230 lbft–
235 lbft |
Z |
| 1990–1993 |
2.5 L L38 Iron DukeIron Dukes were fitted with fuel injection in 1982. This version was christened the Tech IV, though Car and Driver later ridiculed it as the low-Tech IV. Power output remained at ....
I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
, TBI |
105 hp |
135 lbft |
A, E |
Sonoma GT
The
Sonoma GT was a performance package available on the 2WD regular cab short bed Sonoma. It was available for the 1992 model year only as an entry-level version of the
GMC SycloneThe GMC Syclone is a high-performance version of the GMC Sonoma pickup truck. Produced in 1991, the Syclone spawned the similarly powered 1992-1993 GMC Typhoon SUV. Another vehicle, the GMC Sonoma GT, offered less performance but was seen as a companion model.At the time it was introduced, the...
. A total of 806 were built. The truck was powered by a high output L35 Vortec 4.3 L V6. It featured central multi-port fuel injection and produced 195 hp and 260 lbft of torque. It was equipped with a
4L60Turbo-Hydramatic is the registered tradename of a family of automatic transmissions developed and produced by General Motors. These transmissions mate a three-element torque converter to a Simpson planetary geartrain, providing three forward speeds plus reverse.The Turbo-Hydramatic series was...
automatic transmission and a limited-slip differential with 3.42:1 gearing.
Modified by Prototype Automotive Services of
Troy, MichiganTroy is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan, and is a suburb of Detroit. The population was 80,980 at the 2010 census, making it the 11th-largest city in Michigan by population, and the largest city in Oakland County...
, it was fitted with the Syclone interior package featuring black cloth bucket seats with red piping, a special gauge package, and a floor shift console.
1993 Sonoma
Some 1992 and 1993 Sonomas came with a factory equipped L35 W code engine. For 1993 no specialty labeling or limited edition tags were known to be used with the W code engine. Production totals for these vehicles are unknown.
1991 Syclone
This GMC came with an LB4 4.3L V6 with lower compression pistons and a turbocharger. They produced ~280 hp.
Second generation
The second-generation trucks arrived in the 1994 model year. All of the special models (the Syclone, Typhoon, and Sonoma GT) were discontinued, but the changes to the pickup brought it in line with its major competitor the
Ford RangerThe Ford Ranger is a pickup truck produced by the Ford Motor Company. The "Ranger" name had previously been used for a premium styling package on the F-Series full-sized pickup trucks since 1965. The name was moved to this line of North American compact trucks for the 1983 model year.In North...
. The Iron Duke 4 cylinder and 2.8 L 60° V6 engines were retired, the 4.3 L Vortec V6 was enhanced, and a new 2.2 L 4 cylinder engine (which had been introduced in 1990 on various FWD GM compact and mid-size platforms) became the engines of choice to power the second generation of S-10's.
Much of the chassis components were the same as the first generation (the A-frames between the first and second generation were the same although they were originally sourced from GM's G-body vehicle lineup), along with the steering knuckle, leaf springs, and differential assembly but suspension and axles were greatly enhanced.
Generally, for the 2WD trucks, the 8.5" rearend was only used when it came with both a
manual transmissionA manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
and the large 262 cu in (4.3 l)
V6 engineA V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
; it was an option for 4WD trucks with either
transmissionA machine consists of a power source and a power transmission system, which provides controlled application of the power. Merriam-Webster defines transmission as: an assembly of parts including the speed-changing gears and the propeller shaft by which the power is transmitted from an engine to a...
. This was also the year that GM introduced the
ZR2 Offroad PackageRPO ZR2 was a special off-road/suspension package offered by General Motors primarily on their 4x4 2nd Generation S-Series line. It debuted in 1994 on the Chevrolet S-10 and the GMC Sonoma pickup trucks. In 1996 it was expanded to the two-door Chevrolet Blazer and later offered on the Chevrolet...
.
For 1995, a driver's side air bag was added. In 1996 the 4.3 L engine was refreshed, and a third (rear) door was added for extended cab models, along with the sportside bed option. In 1998, the exterior, interior, brakes, and 2.2 L
I4The inline-four engine or straight-four engine is an internal combustion engine with all four cylinders mounted in a straight line, or plane along the crankcase. The single bank of cylinders may be oriented in either a vertical or an inclined plane with all the pistons driving a common crankshaft....
engine were refreshed, along with a "next-generation" supplemental restraint system that added a passenger side air bag. "Auto-Trac" all-wheel drive also became an option starting in 1999 for the 4WD Blazers. The SS package was replaced by the "Xtreme" package. In 2001 a Crew Cab option was added and was available in 4WD and
automatic transmissionAn automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
only. The S10 extended and short cabs were discontinued in 2003 and the S10 crewcab was discontinued in 2004 in North America.
Base 2WD models came with 15x6.5 inch wheels with directional vents, Xtreme and
ZQ8ZQ8 is an RPO code designation for the Chevrolet S-10, GMC Sonoma, and Chevrolet Colorado.- Chevrolet S-10 and GMC Sonoma :The suspension package comes standard on the S-10 Xtreme and 1996-1998 S-10 SS models, but was also available as a separate package...
models came with 16x8" wheels while 4WD models (including the
ZR2RPO ZR2 was a special off-road/suspension package offered by General Motors primarily on their 4x4 2nd Generation S-Series line. It debuted in 1994 on the Chevrolet S-10 and the GMC Sonoma pickup trucks. In 1996 it was expanded to the two-door Chevrolet Blazer and later offered on the Chevrolet...
) used 15x7" wheels. The 14 inches (355.6 mm) wheels used on the first generation were discontinued.
Brazilian S-10
Second-generation S-series were also produced locally in
Brazil; and are still in production even though the North American version of the S-series was discontinued in 2004. Brazilian S-10s have a different front grille, lamps and bumper, and are available with a 2.8 L diesel engine built by MWM with 140 hp and a 2.4 L Petrol/E-96h ethanol FlexFuel engine with 147 hp.
2010 Facelift
The 2010 S10 is produced in Latin America only, as of right now. It is offered in four different trim levels: Colina (base), Tornado, Executive, and Advantage. The drivetrains are the 2.4 L flexpower engine and the 2.8 L turbo diesel motor. It has an enhanced safety system including collision avoidance, steel ladder type frame, two stage multileaf rear springs, crush zones, side door beams, PASSlock system, remote keyless entry, and driver and passenger side airbags. It also has features to keep it looking good throughout the life of it, such as a corrosion resistant frame, galvanized steel body panels, advanced clear coat paint, double wall welded pickup box, and stainless steel exhaust.
SS
The Chevrolet S-10 SS was a high performance version of the S-10, introduced in 1994. Fewer than 3000 SS's were produced yearly on average. When introduced, the SS was sold in only three colors: Onyx Black, Summit White, and Apple Red. The SS was discontinued in 1998. In 1999, it was replaced by the S-10 Xtreme.
A 4.3 liter V6 (which was optional on regular S-10s) was the primary engine used in the SS version, producing between 180 and 195 hp. The SS included lowered suspension (96-98), cosmetic changes such as a different grille, body-colored bumpers, 16" wheels (96-98), and other sporty touches. All SS versions were regular cabs. A step-side version was available from 1996-1998. The SS option package was only available with an automatic transmission and 3.42 posi-traction rear-end.
ZR2
The ZR2 package is an off- road package available for the second generation Chevy S-10. The ZR2 package included a 4 inches (101.6 mm) wider track width, 31" BF Goodrich all-terrain tires, 3 inch Bilstein suspension lift, fender flares, alloy wheels, and an 8.5" chevy 10- bolt differential in the rear with 3.73:1 gears.
Engine swaps
The 2wd S-series pickup shares several front suspension components with the GM G-body platforms. Along with the fact that the optional 4.3 liter V-6 shares several characteristics and dimensions of the early small block Chevy V-8 it has become a popular platform for Hot Rodders. Since the introduction of the S-series the ingenuity of its owners has made the V8 installation one of the most popular American domestic
engine swapAn engine swap is the process of removing a car's engine and replacing it with another. This is done either because of failure, or to install a different engine, usually one that is more powerful or more modern and maintainable....
s. With relative ease the V-8 swap has seen almost every size small block Chevy displacement produced from 262 in³ to the large 400 cu in (6.6 l) engine, including the popular LS series engines. Some owners have even been able to install the big block GM engines such as the 396-454 in³ engines with minor modifications.
The chassis and running gear are also a common swap under older cars and pickups. This gives the advantage of using off the shelf parts, full independent front suspension, disc brakes and a complete late model drivetrain. Most commonly, these are retrofitted under the body of an early 1950s Chevy pick up.
Engines
| Years |
Engines |
Power |
Torque |
VIN Vin may refer to:*Voltage input, an alternative form for Vin-People:*Vin Diesel*Vin Scully*Vin Suprynowicz*Vin, the name of a character from the video games Jak II and Jak 3*a diminutive of the name "Vincent"...
code |
| 1994–1995 |
2.2 L 2200 I4, MPFI |
118 hp |
130 lbft |
4 |
| 1996–1997 |
2.2 L Vortec 2200 I4, SFI |
118 hp |
138 lbft |
4 |
| 1998–2003 |
2.2 L Vortec 2200 I4, SFI |
120 hp |
140 lbft |
4 or 5 |
| 1994–1995 |
4.3 L Vortec 4300, TBI |
150 hp–165 hp |
230 lbft–235 lbft |
Z |
| 1992–1995 |
4.3 L Vortec 4300, CPI |
195 hp–195 hp |
250 lbft |
W |
| 1996–2004 |
4.3 L Vortec 4300, SEFI |
180 hp–190 hp |
245 lbft–250 lbft |
W, X ('03-'04) |
Engine code options
- 4- 2.2 L w/ MPFI or SFI,
- 5- 2.2 L w/ SFI and Flex Fuel Capable,
- W- 4.3 L w/ CPI,
- Z- 4.3 L w/ TBI,
- X- 4.3 L w/ SFI,
- X- ('03-'04) 4.3 L w/MFI
The eighth digit of the VIN denotes the engine code.
External links