Hello All

[Swift_S10]

Just picked up a 1989 S10 for my girlfriend.

I believe its the base model.
50,000 original miles for 700 bucks. It was a hospital car and they used it to transport supplies from building to building. I have got some questions.

We just put in a fuel pump, it decided to die 2 hrs after purchase (dealer pitched in $100 for repair costs). Also a new tailight lens, and valve cover gaskets. I put in a Pioneer Cd player I had laying around for her also.

Anyways for my questions.

I need to replace the door pins on the driver side door and i found the DIY.

But for the passenger side door, the latch itself doesnt spring so it doesnt latch itself shut. There is some rigged up block of wood and a screw and clip holding it shut haha. So is there any way a spring is loose or i can replace the spring or buy a whole new latch?


And another question.
The body isnt it all that bad of shape. Starting to get a little rust around the rear wheel wells and theres quite a bit of scratches around the top and sides of the outside of the truck bed. Im looking for any body work/painting advice. I have never done either and would like for this to be my opportunity to learn. It cant make it look worse so thats always a plus.

Thanks Kyle



Also after i take care of the important things. We would like to lower it a bit. Any links to some cheap ways to lower it properly?

[old_master]

Hinge pins: make sure you use a spring compressor to remove and install the spring.

Latch: A new latch should take of it...possibly a boneyard.

"some cheap ways to lower it properly" key word being "properly": If there was a proper way to lower it, GM would have offered it as an option when the vehicle was new. If you want your S10 to look lower, park it next to a full size pick up!

[spuds704]

I agree with the Old Master on lowering your truck, but if you're dead set on doing it the best way to do it is drop spindles on front and lowering blocks on back. The drop spindles aren't cheep, but it will keep your steering geomerty correct. You're wrong about the paint, you can make it look much worse. As old and faded as the old paint is, you'll never match any touch up you do, but you can slow or stop the rust. It would take up too much time to tell you about repairing the paint, buy a book on the subject. You'll have to have a lot of expensive tools also, and paint, primer, body filler, sand paper, etc, etc, etc. the list goes on and on. You'll spend as much as a pretty good paint job would cost. If you think paint and body is something you want to get into, then go for it. If it's a one time thing, have it done. Whatever you decide to do, good luck.