We've been sniffing around for a while, looking for built Chevy S-10 pickups and trying to meet the people who drive them. Quite a few letters have come to our mailbox requesting information on how to build these trucks, and who to contact for help. Until recently, we didn't really have very good answers. That all changed completely when we met a group of S-10 lovers who comprise one of the most enthusiastic off-road clubs we've encountered...the infamous Dezert Dimes.
The 'Dimes invited us to their yearly barbeque in Barstow, California, for some food and fun. Club member Bruce Barnes owns both a house there and a prerunner S-10, and has the good fortune to live at the very edge of town...which means he is literally able to 'wheel in his back yard. Dozens of Dezert Dimes showed up in their rigs, and before long, a jump contest materialized and S-10s were constantly flying through the air. It was a great time, and the 'Dimes welcomed us despite the fact that we showed up in a Ford (our project Bronco, The Juice). To these guys, being a Dezert Dime isn't as much about what you drive as it is about attitude.
It's refreshing to meet a bunch of guys as passionate and fun-loving as the Dezert Dimes. And these guys know their stuff-as we mentioned, you'll see the fruits of their labors in future issues, both in the form of our project S-10 Blazer and their own projects. Long live the Dezert Dimes!
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Bruce Barnes hosted the event at his home, which just happens to be situated at the edge o
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Not long after we arrived, we heard someone yell, "Hey, Dave showed up in his Ford!" Alth
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It didn't take us long to realize that the Dezert Dimes crew holds nothing back. They are
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"Bogurt" showed up in a '92 Dodge Ram and proceeded to launch it several times, even thoug
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One of the more modified rigs we came across was this coilover-equipped S-10, owned and dr
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We give props to Scott Peterson for donning a helmet before flying the desert skies.
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We couldn't stand to show up at the party and not partake in some of the fun. Here, our p
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Believe it or not, everyone called the driver of this linked S-10 "Grandma." His real nam
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Before the day was done, "Bogurt" had broken both Cummins diesel motor mounts in his Dodge
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Being that The Juice was finally getting fiberglass fenders installed shortly after the pa
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This brave 'Dime caught a snake under his truck with his quick hands. After everyone had
The Almighty Dime
To give you some idea of the level of pure obsession these guys have when it comes to S-10s, we'll say this: When we got our hands on a '96 S-10 Blazer, and asked the 'Dimes for some help, they not only overloaded us with advice but also offered to build the project for us. They installed the suspension and fabricated bumpers, slapped on some fiberglass, and pretty much did everything else that needed to be done to complete the build. They didn't ask for a thing in return-it was simply a labor of love. You'll see the result of their efforts in upcoming issues...we call the project "The Almighty Dime."