My first real 4x4 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 outer 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 4x4 club and got the opportunity.
The first place I ever took it off road was on some powerline 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 4x4 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 independent front suspension. We are talking about $1100 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 used Jeep. I neved did find a decent used one, so I ended up selling the S10 and getting a 1998 Jeep Wranger Sahara.