1996 Chevy S-10 Blazer Almighty Dime Project

We haven't seen this Blazer run this strong...ever! After realizing this, we tried to list Dr. Injector as our primary physician for our company health plan, but all it got us was a nasty call from the HR department.

We haven't seen this Blazer run this strong...ever! After realizing this, we tried to list

Is it worth all the trouble? Is that old vehicle in your backyard destined to some day blast down dirt roads, kicking up big rooster tails of dirt-or is it a lost cause, too tired and in too poor of a shape to put any effort into? In this case, our friend had a '96 S-10 Blazer that hadn't run in a few years, plagued with fuel injection problems and other telltale signs that showed a lack of general maintenance. There was a choice to be made: let our friend get rid of the thing or give it to us to build into a dirt-hungry beast, capable of eating miles of rough trails and desert roads. And with all the letters and emails we get from readers asking about S-10 trucks, there was no question that we had to get our hands on this thing. We finally had an S-10 project. We made a plan and got to work on how we would build this off-roader, first dealing with the fact that it wasn't running.

We got started with a call to Dr. Injector, one of the best places we know of to get our hands on fuel injection parts. Dr. Injector carries injector kits for just about every vehicle you can imagine, including new and reconditioned options you can choose from. We ordered up the recently updated spider injector kit and got to work.

After getting the injector kit, we went to the local auto parts store and went on a shopping spree. We picked up new spark plugs, plug wires, a new distributor, an 02 sensor, and a new serpentine belt. After changing and flushing the various fluids in the Blazer, we installed all of this stuff and then turned the truck over to a trusted local shop for the injector install.

A few days later we picked up the Blazer...and it purred like a kitten. Until, of course, we stepped hard on the gas pedal. Then, it roared like a lion, pushing us back into the seats with more oomph than we ever remember the little SUV having before. Excited by our progress, we decided to get more air to the engine by way of a Volant intake, which went on easily and loosened up even more power from the 4.3L engine. Before we closed the hood, we dropped in an Optima Red Top battery to ensure some fresh cranking power. Finally, we feel like the Blazer is ready to rumble, and we can start on fun mods like suspension, wheels, and tires.

So without further adieu, we'd like to introduce our newest project, the Almighty Dime. Next up: suspension, wheels, and tires. Stay tuned!