84TAProject

Okay, I was cruising with the T/A today, and was going along casually at 45. I see something come up fast in the rearview and he slows a little, I see him creep and go to pass me. I figure its someone I know who has a 2.8 blazer, so I nail it, goes into 3rd at 50 mph (had I thought it was a challenge, i woulda dropped it in 2nd in anticipation of a pass and held that until around 75 mph) and low and behold he sits at my back bumper for a little bit, I didnt pull much until about 65, and by the time I looked down, I topped the needle (only going 95-100 or so) and I only had about 3-4 lengths on this guy. It was the earlier style, extended cab s-10, that would have a biggest engine of a TBI 4.3. I figure my mom's 4.3 blazer would have been as quick as the TBI pickup (160 hp vs. 195, weight difference would be made up with that) and my moms blazer is no where near the caliper to hang like that. It seemed as fast as our 69 vette I raced, and that has a 350, peanut cam, performer intake, duals (no headers) 4 speed and 3.90 gears. A little mismatched but quick off the line and that thing cannot hang with my t/a like that truck did. Im thinking maybe a V-8 swap, I know theres a blazer running around here with a small block (he wouldnt tell me what size, what a 'tard) and another around with traction bars, around the same color, but last time I talked to him (a year ago) he had a 305 in it, but said he was building a bigger motor. Do you guys think I ran into a V-8 swap or are the 4.3's quick enough to hang well. To make matters worse I have a cracked dipstick tube and under heavy acceleration it will smoke, and it smoked, so someone out there thinks my car is dying. Oh well, if he had a V-8 swap, he may have expected a 305 and was surprised, I know he surprised the crap out of me.

joshua chandler

depends on the 4.3 and what was done to it but i doubt i v8 ifyou still see his taillights

atc3434

iTrader: (4)

I would assume a v8. Even the newer S10 with the 4.3 and a 5spd is SLOW at highway speeds. They come off the line decent, and wheelspin is rediculous with those things, but they just don't move as well at higher speeds. Not against a TA anyways...

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

you can make an S10 fast just like anything else. It could have had some mods, I know with my friends you don't know their S-10s are modded until they blow by you and you hear nothing but some wizzing under the hood and they're gone.

MdFormula350

there is an s10 around here with a small block and pulls the front wheels off the ground and is pretty loud. we raced one time and i got my butt handed to me...

ROC-Z

I drive a 4.3 Vortec for work...it's the company '97 Astro van.
Usually it's unloaded. Honestly, it's suprisingly quick from 0-60. And it picks up pretty quick downshifting from 4th to 3rd under acceleration above 60. I'd say, the Astro would probably be in the mid-16's - 17's.
The newer S-10's have a 99mph cut-out factory set. If he was hanging with you above 99mph, then it's been modded. Of course, you can mod anything to be as fast as you want. The 4.3 Vortec isn't anything to laugh at, so there's a good possibility he wasn't running a V8.

atc3434

iTrader: (4)

Perhaps the 2x4 is quicker than the 4x4... but the one I drove, a 97 4.3 with a 5spd, just wasn't quick above 65mph. I could take him every time in my 89 Buick Century by the time we hit 75, and he was holeshotting the crap out of me. But yeah, a 4.3 must have some potential, especially the injected, not TBI ones. Nothing like 3/4's of a 350...

xpndbl3

iTrader: (5)

my buddy is at 11.86 in his S10, i'm in the low 14s somewhere and my other friends are all in the 13s or 12s with theirs. SO i am lacking with my 4.3L s10.....the 96-98 4.3L REALLY are waking up after we're changing heads and a few other things.

Sickness91Z28

iTrader: (1)

I raced an SS S-10 with a 4.3 vortec in my old 84 Z28 L69 H.O......I was really surprised....I beat him...by about one car lenght....it was prettty quick though...

86budgetSC

I had a 1991 gmc sonoma.It was extended cab 4wd with a 4.3.The motor was rebuilt.WIth and edelbrock cam and matching chip,edelbrock headers and their intake.With a 5.7 tbi.

It had 3:73 gears in it.Launched pretty good.And ran good till about 80 then started to slow down.


I tottalled it in july of last year.I still have it though.Getting another one next weeked.Except it is was a 2.8 5 speed.I am swapping my 4.3 in it.And what is rest of the good stuff off my truck.It should run better cause it is a 5 speed.Except I am not sure if I can use the 2.8's tranny or not.I thought I read some where the bell housing was different.

Vicious 88 GTA

the 4.3's aren't to eb taken lightly, my 94 CPI 4.3 H.O. Blazer ran 15.8's in the 1/4 with mildly ported heads, k&n air filter, zexel torsen 3.42 LSD, and a 40 series flowmaster with a dump, I took a couple third gen's out that were ragged on and with more work I owuld have had it into the 14's.....so be carefull....AARON

84TAProject

This one looked to be late 80's early 90'sso pre vortec. My moms blazer is a vortec, my fathers astro has the vortec, and neither will come close to touching my t/a. The V-8 thing is popular around here. I hope I recognize the truck if i see it parked, Ill ask him what hes got in it. And its not like my t/a is an LG4 or something, its probably a mid 14's car or so, has surprised a few that thought they could take it. I beat a 5 speed TPI 305 pretty bad one night, so its no slouch.

I get my moms vortec blazer for the summer. My mods are going to be a full posi rear axle for it (4wd non posi, I use it to tow) some tires to raise the height an inch or two, and maybe a brushgard and winch. I use the truck to be a truck. Of course, that means I give up the camaro as a summer car in exchange. Oh well, you gain and you lose some.

mustang1/4

some of the old 4.3 came with factory headers, hi-rise intake manifold, and big 4bbl carbs

Z28 Boy

my buddy has a 98 S10 2wd with a 4.3 and a 5-speed. you would be surprised how quick that thing is for being a friggin truck. he catches a lot of people off guard.

not me though...

-Brian

84TAProject

Well, I have an update on this s-10. My father called me in the middle of watching a movie tonite at school with an update. He saw a mean sounding s-10 around the same type I described at a gas station. Color, extended cab, and packing a 350 with a holley and a cam, but having 2.74 or something rear gears. My father asked him if he ran into a firebird recently on the road it occured on, and the guy said cockily "might have been." Chalk this up as one of my best kills so far

86budgetSC

That is impressive.Yesterday I was heading down the raod when I see a primer s-10 with a cowl hood.I can hear a healthy v8 under the hood.We where messing around.I was going about 40 mph and was next to him.He mashed it and the truck went sideways.He did this a couple times.We caught a light togother and I asked him "what the heck was in that thing."He started laughing and said a healthy 350.I believe it to.The beating I got after that is something I wont soon forget.


Can't wait till my 67 is on the road.Then I will find him again!

300hpse

iTrader: (2)

my lg4 lost by about 3 car lengths by 60mph to a 98 s-10 v6 2wd manual, i was very suprised, the lg4 was a 83 bird auto, 160k miles and in sorta rough shape, im sure the l69 would of smoked him good

Crazy2.8V6Man

Yeah lil trucks can be made to be so extremley fast its scarrey. My buddey has a 1986 Ford Ranger wit a built 460 and a turbo charger just cramed in thear, its the tighest fit ive ever seen in my life. It looks like a 500 pound man sitting in a geo metro.