Project 1996 Chevy S10 Blazer - Almighty Dime

1996 Chevy S10 Blazer Project Almighty Dime Front Hood

1996 Chevy S10 Blazer Project Almighty Dime Front Air Time

When we last caught up with our grocery-getter-turned-prerunner Blazer, we finally had it up and running and ready for some off-road action, thanks to a BDS lift kit and 33-inch Hankook tires. However, everyone knows that you can’t just slap a lift kit and some oversized tires on a mid-size four-door SUV and call it a prerunner, so we thought it was about time to do a cosmetic makeover while beefing up the ruggedness and capability of this formerly mild-mannered machine. It was time to get the Blazer ready for the desert.

We again turned to our local expert, Jeffro from Metul Munky Fabrication, who had previously installed the lift kit on this Blazer. He and his cohorts from the DezertDimes.com are fanatical about proving that the S-10 platform can compete with other off-road vehicles and they have been invaluable resources on this project, offering up both their knowledge and labor.

1996 Chevy S10 Blazer Project Almighty Dime Ready For Paint

1. Here’s the Dime ready for paint. Truthfully, it looks like “Mom’s taxi” more than it does an off-road vehicle, except for unpainted fiberglass at the front end.

1. Here’s the Dime ready for paint. Truthfully, it looks like “Mom’s taxi” more than it do

We began our makeover by replacing the stock front fenders with fiberglass ones from Glassworks Unlimited, and complementing them with a Cervini’s ram-air hood. Though the hood was more for show, the fenders were more of a necessity than a cosmetic mod, as the 33-inch tires rubbed pretty badly, even after the 5-inch BDS lift kit had been installed.

With the wheels kicked out a couple of inches thanks to JT’s wheel spacers, the tires tucked right into the new Glassworks fenders and gave the Blazer a wider and more aggressive stance.

Once the factory body panels started coming off, we decided to upgrade the bumpers to something a little more robust. Again we reached out to the ’Dimes who referred us to Big Daddy’s Motorsports & Fab, a shop based in Washington state. After we sawed off the Chevy bumpers and mounted the custom-made steel tubes, the “Almighty Dime” finally started looking mighty.

After this latest round of modifications, we took the Blazer to the dirt for testing. Did we like the results? Read on for the answer.

2. The crew at Maaco in Torrance, California, has perfected a custom satin-black paint finish and tells us they often get requests for it. Here, our Blazer has just been prepped and sprayed. It’s looking better already.
2. The crew at Maaco in Torrance, California, has perfected a custom satin-black paint fin
3. We like this photo because it really showcases the sheen of the satin-black finish, which is quite different from a run-of-the-mill flat black paint job. Although there isn’t a gloss, a hazy shine shows through. Once the paint dried, we rubbed our hands across the body, expecting it to feel gritty—but we were wrong.
3. We like this photo because it really showcases the sheen of the satin-black finish, whi
4. Once we got the Almighty Dime in the dirt and dust, the new paint job still looked great (and we were able to wipe away the dust at will). We installed a fiberglass ram-air hood from Cervini’s, which bolted on with ease in place of the stock hood. We chose the ram-air model because of its unique styling, weight savings and increased air flow. It even came with the front air ducts pre-cut and included CNC-machined aluminum air duct screens—both rarities when it comes to off-the-shelf fiberglass parts.
4. Once we got the Almighty Dime in the dirt and dust, the new paint job still looked grea

5. Here, the protection offered by the new front bumper is apparent. Big Daddy’s Motorsports & Fab custom-built this bumper for us, and they tell us they can build bumpers for pretty much any vehicle that exists today. Here in California, a front license plate must be visible for a vehicle to be street-legal, and we like how this bumper allows a plate to be mounted and protected behind the cross bars.
5. Here, the protection offered by the new front bumper is apparent. Big Daddy’s Motorspor
6. The Glassworks fenders provide much-needed room for the 33-inch Hankook Dynapro MT tires. Glassworks is well-known for producing quality ’glass that fits well and these Blazer fenders were no exception.
6. The Glassworks fenders provide much-needed room for the 33-inch Hankook Dynapro MT tire
7. The rear bumper was also created by the gang at Big Daddy’s Motorsports & Fab. We stuck with a simple design and a single crossbar, and the thing was burly enough to easily take the weight of three grown men bouncing on it. The rear bumper install was easy and utilized existing bolt holes.
7. The rear bumper was also created by the gang at Big Daddy’s Motorsports & Fab. We stuck

8. We were eager to test the Blazer, so we took it out to the dirt just a few days after the bumpers went on.
8. We were eager to test the Blazer, so we took it out to the dirt just a few days after t
8b. Our tire-rub problem was alleviated, and with a bit of careful trimming, we’re confident we can eliminate it once and for all. The Blazer performed admirably, and we got it in the air more than a few times.
8b. Our tire-rub problem was alleviated, and with a bit of careful trimming, we’re confid
9. Just before we picked up the Blazer from Metul Munky Fabrication (where most of the work has been done), we were able to sneak a photo of the new Baja Customs 2WD Stage 2 coilover system for S-10-based vehicles—which allows for 16 inches of front-wheel travel. We were impressed by the kit (check out those control arms) and there’s a chance you’ll see the Almighty Dime outfitted with the 4WD version of this system someday. In the meantime, we’re pretty happy with the performance of our Blazer and we’re ready to have some fun in it.
9. Just before we picked up the Blazer from Metul Munky Fabrication (where most of the wor

Sources
Cervini's Auto Designs 3656 N. Mill Road Vineland NJ 08360 800-048-8605 www.cervinis.com	Big Daddy's Motorsport and Fab 5868 Se Burley Olalla Suite 2 Olalla WA 98359 1-253-235-1762 http://www.bigdaddysmotorsportan dfab.com
Glassworks Unlimited Inc. 5382 Oceanus Dr # A Huntington Beach CA 92649 714-379-9134 www.glassworksunlimited.com	Maaco Collision Repair and Auto Painting - Torrance 924 West 23rd Street Torrance CA 90502 1-310-533-6023 http://www.maaco.com/
Metul Munky Fabrication n/a 909-534-3794 http://www.metulmunky.com