I was driving down the road the other day behind a s-10. Well we both turned the same direction onto a 4 lane highway. Well at one point he got next to me and gunned it, like he was messing with me, then i realized that it was a V-6. then we both lined up at a red light. The light turned green at we both took off, i imediatly started pulling on him, we ran up to about 60 and i had about 2 cars on him. Then we come to the next red light and by this time it is a 6 lane. Well theres a mustang in the middle lane so i get beside him in the right lane, and the S-10 gets in the left lane. i stopped beside the mustang to mess with him then the light changes and the truck takes off agian, So then i take again, he got a jump on me but i cought back up and we raced to about 90 and i had maybe 1 1/2 cars on him. Then we shut down. it was a 4300 vortec s-10. It sounded mean and was pretty quik for a truck.

 

Nice kill! When I had my 91'bird I ran one and he pulled me by
1/2 a car length.The bird was bone stock(305)and the s-10
was slightly modded.If I ran one now,(w/ my camaro)...
well lets just say I wouldnt brag about it!DUECE

 

Nice kill!!! Too bad it wasn't some punk that we know would start talkn trash because he lost, then we could punk him out, welp see ya later!!!

 

good kill! We had a 98 s-10 with a 4.3, it would rip 2nd gear really good. My friend had a 91 s-10 bonestock, ran 15.2's all day long. I dont know how it was so fast but i was there to witness those times.

 

thanks, i put in the post that it was an S-10, when actually it was a GMC sonoma. I know its the same thing but i just remembered that.

 

My coworker has a 91 S10 with a 4.3L 5 speed. Regular cab with the short 6' bed. It's good for 15 flat around 91-92MPH. Stock that truck with me in it will surprise quite a few people, especially the 94-98 Stangs

 

i got a 93 s10blazer for my winter verhicle with a 4.3l vortec and auto and that think with a few mods could easily take down a few bone stock 3rd gens and mustangs.. one thing you have to remember is the weight differance my truck is prob only 2800 lbs or so.

 

I raced an SS s-10 a guy I knew had, from a roll I couldnt beat him and he barely beat me, next light from a stop I took him by 3 car lengths. We pulled over and I said his V6 was pretty quick, he says its an 8. I call BS and tell him to pop the hood. He opens the hood and all "6" cylinders are there and I ask him where the other two are and hes like "they are way in the back behind the firewall". I hate stupid people!

 

i don't know.....the SS S-10 usually aren't that quick but hopefully they all know they're 6's.....but with a few mods, they react just like an SBC considering it's the same bore/stroke as a 350 only 2 less cylinders. If you ever come through chi-town I have an S-10 SS you can race if you wanna.

 

I know a guy who took a 1989 S10 and dropped a L98 Vette engine in it. Damn that truck was fast but it had issues at the same time. Burned oil, ran rich...and *** knows what else.

Nice truck though don't get me wrong. If I ever build a truck I am getting either a S10 or a Blazer and dropping the biggest V8 Small block in it that will fit, tubbin out the back end and dropping the biggest tires I can find on that truck...

 

I have raced and beaten many riced 4-bangers in my 95 blazer. Heavier than an S-10 truck, but same engine. I test drove a 5-speed 95 blazer LS and that was one fun SUV. Too bad the windshield was cracked...

~Matt

 

 

Yeah I couldnt belive someone would say something as stupid as that and stand behind it! I asked why it said V6 on the valve covers and he ignored me????

 

Yeah those 4.3's are pretty nice. My buddy had a 91 S-10 with a 4.3, and that thing was fun as hell to drive. I wouldn't mind having one and modding the crap out of it. Great motors.

 

old style S10 pick up-TBI 4.3=170hp same as the TBI 305

new style S10 pick up-SFI 4.3=190hp 20 more than TBI305

auto S10=16.4 est
5 speed =15.9 est

not to shabby for a little pick up now my 2000 S10 wont even hang with a 2.8 fbody car especially not with a 18.3 1/4 mile pass hehehehehe

 

come on.....my auto S10 SS went 15.8 factory stock. so i guess i'm half a second faster than a factory S10. Now it's a lot quicker, but it doesn't take much to go fast these days

 

How much slower are the S10 Blazers? The curb weight for mine is 4101lbs and it has the 190hp 4.3 auto. The S10 pickups probably weigh around 3100-3300lbs, right? I'd say my Blazer is a mid to low 17 second car. Great in the snow and for off-roading though

~Matt

 

My S10 comes off the line slow almost feels like its draggin something

 

I raced my friends V6 1996 Blazer a while back in my Jeep. The Jeep took him pretty good (easy 4 cars), wouldnt even waste gas with the car. They are decently fast trucks, but nothing extremely special. The S-10s with a 5-speed might be fast trucks as they weigh a lot less...

but I have never raced one.

 

so the SS s-10's were only 6 cylinders?

a guy in my town has one thats tubbed out... i saw under the hood and it was a vortec engine. maybe it was a 350

i mean... if he tubbed out a 15 second truck... wow

 

Yeah they never made any S10 with a V8. Maybe he put the 1500 V8 in it, the one I checked out clearly says Vortec V6 on the valve covers cant remeber what a Vortec V8 says if anything other than Vortec.

 

It was probably just a vortec 4.3L V6 like the S-10s have as an option. My Blazer has 3.73 posi, so I can take the usual imports off the line easily. It has good midrange power, but at about 90, the lack of high rpm power and the fact that it is a flying brick don't help. It seriously takes like 8 seconds to go from 90-100mph because it is so heavy and boxy. It does chirp 2nd though

~Matt

 

the vortecs are pretty quick. I have a 99 Sonoma with the vortec 4.3 and the suspension package. I can chirp the tires into 3rd and sometimes 4th gears and its stock too

 

i know my future plans was to build a 383 storker for my iroc and slap the 355 in my s-10 backed behind a t-56 perhaps?

anyway, more strong rear end of course and some slicks in the back, i think my s-10 would spank some **** as$ then...

i dont see that happening anytime soon though

 

lol.....you can tub out a 4.3L but i doubt it's a 15 second ride still......i'm still on factory suspension, and i beat that time by a LARGE amount. i'm not tubbed yet either....slicks are great help though.

like i said a 4.3L is a 350 minus 2 cylinders, they respond REALLY well to mods when you know what you're doing, i big cam and headwork pay off with those vortec heads too.

 

Where is a good place to find performance parts for the 4.3L Vortec? I've looked a bunch of times in like jegs and summit when they come in the mail, and they have rarely anything for V6s, especially the 4.3 vortec.

~Matt

 

I have a '96 S-10 4.3 5-speed. Its a dog.

 

matt,
brodix makes heads for this motor. cams can be bought through comp or crane, the .525/.525 lift is my personal choice. the motor can benefit from JBA headers, and an SLP y-pipe plus a 3inch flowmaster catback, all mandrel bent of course. AN MSD ignition is nice, as is programming the computer and adding 3.73 gears along with that cam. 125 shot ran successfully as well. you can do anything to this motor as a 350, so if you need pistons, etc it's easy as pie, plus you'll have 2 extra of everything. Roller rockers the same, etc etc. my buddy is at 11.86 right now in his S10 SS and i'm playing catch up right now but it'll be close soon.

Also, there are superchargers on the market as well.

 

How did you do that? My camaro can't do 2nd, only time it did was an uphill pull, when I dumped the clutch and slammed down, and still only spun one wheel. Bald tires too almost.

 

my buddy has an 87 Blazer S10, with a 350 swap, TH350 tranny w/shiftkit and a 2800stall, 3.42 gears, the motor is modded up, we are guestimating around 375HP, and that thing MOVES!!!!!
hasnt been to the track or the dyno yet, but it sure does clean up on the streets!

this is his truck, the pics dont do justice of how nice this thing looks...

 

Don't take your foot off the gas and shift FAST. I can also get my TA with the 305TBI to chirp third with bald tires.

 

you can still chirp em even if you do take the foot of the gas. I could chirp 1-2 no problem while taking the foot of the gas in a set of 95 neons and a newer ranger. Just be quick.

 

thanks xpndbl3. i already have the 3.73s and posi too

~Matt

 

4.3 Vortec S10 's are no joke. Autos run high 15's giving an auto tpi 305 a run for its money. They smoke lO3's. I dont even know what those sticks run but they must be low 15's

 

Maybe stock LO3's. Mine is an LO3 and i could give him a head start and still catch back up and beat him by about a car until about 85mph or so.

 

I got a guy at work that has a 96 GMC Sierra with the Vortec V6 and its not too bad. He put a exhaust and ported the TB out and man it can haul decently. He kinda beats up on the Ford V8(namely the 4.6's I am guessing). They aren't too bad. I saw in Car Craft they built one up and got 300HP outta it then threw in Nitrious. Not sure what the numbers where but it was pretty damn good.

 

I don't see the big thing about those 4.3L S-10's. My ride has 100k on it and I bow the doors off those things. Of course all the kids that do drive those things by me think that they're hot sh*t. With the exceptions of my friends who own them, LOL.

 

Not saying its the Greatest thing but that it is actually not so bad. It has got some potential in contrast to the 2.2(non ecotech) 4cy it also has in it.
I would rather see the 4.2 inline in the S-10 or non TrailBlazer SUV but thats just me.