Vehicle Description
Remember when you'd see tough little S10 pickups all over the
place? The factory got in on the action with the 1989 Chevrolet
S-10 BAJA, and maybe it's a truck whose time has come again. You
certainly won't see them on every street today and it still has a
tough, purposeful look that's appealing even 30 years later.
The only color available on the BAJA pickups was white, and the
high-contrast look of the white paint, blacked trim, and red
graphics works rather well. It certainly doesn't look dated and
someone has taken very good care of this particular truck so it
looks pretty darned good overall. Not perfect, but certainly nice
enough to generate more than a few "thumbs-up" gestures on the
road, yet not so nice that you won't use it as intended. The S-10's
squared-off bodywork still has a tough, working class look that is
quintessential truck and even though it's small, it still looks
tough. Enhancing that look is a roll bar mounted in the bed, custom
tubular bumpers, and, of course, the driving lights (they are not
hooked up due to traffic laws). The bed features a spray-in
bedliner that means you can still use the truck for its real
purpose and by the looks of things, this S-10 never really had to
work a day in its life. That's exactly the kind of truck you want
to own today.
The interior is pure 1980s, complete with cloth seats with red
stripes that look very space-age. Nevertheless, the Baja comes with
a long list of standard equipment, including working factory A/C,
power windows and locks, a tilt wheel, and even cruise control. The
factory upholstery is in good condition considering it's 30 years
old and even the carpets are holding up pretty well. The controls
will seem familiar, because almost everyone owned one of these at
some point, and with a center console between the seats, the BAJA
seems right at home in today's world. Even the stereo is pretty
good, an original AM/FM/CD stereo head unit that was on the cutting
edge of technology in 1989. That's the shifter for the
4-wheel-drive system in the middle and there's a helpful pictograph
on the front of the console to remind you that you're in 2WD or
4WD. A sliding glass rear window is another nice feature that makes
this truck very pleasant to drive year 'round.
GM's 4.3 liter V6 was a real workhorse in these compact pickups,
and considering it's � of a 350 V8, you shouldn't be surprised that
it's a pretty good performer. As is common with the 4.3 and GM fuel
injection of the period, it's a little grumpy when it's cold and
you could probably improve it with nothing more than a tune-up. The
engine bay is quite stock and very clean, so you know it has never
spent time in the winter weather and someone obviously has been
looking after this truck for the past few decades. There's plenty
of torque on tap for the relatively lightweight little truck and it
should continue to run pretty much indefinitely if you take care of
it. An automatic transmission is the right choice with the burly
V6, making this a truck that will cruise through traffic at rush
hour or climb a trail equally well. The independent front end gives
it surprisingly good road manners for a burly 4x4 and the custom
exhaust system offers a fun soundtrack. Factory wheels painted
black work well with the rest of the BAJA look and they're equipped
with 235/75/15 Goodyear Wrangler radials.
Small pickups have virtually disappeared from showrooms, but
they're still a great alternative if you just want a fun
all-purpose vehicle. The BAJA delivers and does it with style. Call
today!
