Sold: March 1998

This was my first real 4×4 that I owned. I bought it used in May of 1997 shortly after moving to Raleigh, NC. It had 34,000 miles on it. Originally from Buffalo, NY, many of my friends asked me why I bought a four wheel drive vehicle after moving to the south. The answer was pretty easy, I always wanted a four wheel drive vehicle.

Shortly after getting it, I was itching to take it off road somewhere. I really didn’t know any place to take it other than the Outer Banks. I did pretty well in the deep sand, but I was itching to try something a little bit more challenging. I finally met up with the Central North Carolina 4×4 club and got the opportunity.

The first place I ever took it off road was on some power-line trails in Research Triangle Park. It did pretty well on the trails there. It wasn’t until I moved onto some more challenging trails in the Uwharrie National Forest in Troy, NC. This is where I realized that this truck was a 4×4 and not an off-road vehicle. The long wheelbase and being low to the ground is what ended up leading to the rocker panel being dinged.

I soon realized I would need more clearance, but lifts for a Chevy S10 are few and far between. They do exist but are expensive due to the independent front suspension. We are talking about $1100 for the kit and another $1100 for installation. These were the prices I was given as a rough estimate by one shop. This was a quick turnoff. I turned my attention to finding a cheaper used Jeep as a second vehicle. I never did find a decent cheap one, so I ended up selling the S10 and getting a 1998 Jeep Wranger Sahara.