We've seen a couple of first-generation Chevy S-10s in this series in recent years, and now it's the turn of the SUV-ized version of the S-10. I spotted this well-traveled S-10 Blazer in North Carolina two years ago.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesI'm always looking out for junkyard vehicles with odometers showing better than 300,000 miles, and this truck is by far the best-traveled member of the S-10 family I've ever documented.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesLike most high-mile vehicles I find in car graveyards (with a couple of notable exceptions), it's a bit grimy and faded but shows no obvious signs of abuse or neglect.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesThe 305,621 miles make this S-10 Blazer #4 on the list of Chevrolets in the Murilee Martin Junkyard Odometer Standings, after a 425K-mile 1991 Astro, a 350K-mile 1990 Caprice taxi and a 314K-mile 1994 Chevy Van.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesAdvertisementAdvertisementS-10 family members didn't get six-digit odometers until this gauge cluster design showed up for the 1986 model year, so it's possible that I have seen 1982-1985 examples that traversed even more miles than this truck.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesIt was built with pride at Pontiac West Assembly, where GMC Motorhomes were born during the 1970s. The facility was shut down in 2008.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesThe S-10 Blazer first arrived in showrooms as a 1983 model, one year after the S-10 pickup appeared. GMC dealers got a rebadged version called the S-15 Jimmy at the same time. The S-10/S-15 Blazer/Jimmy wasn't related to the C/K-series-based full-sized Blazer/Jimmy, but so what? Ford did the same thing with the Ranger-based Bronco II starting with the 1984 model year.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesThese trucks were primitive and thirsty, but they were more civilized commuters than the compact SUVs that preceded them. Unfortunately for The General, the unibody Jeep XJ Cherokee showed up as a 1984 model, and it boasted both a comfier ride and better fuel economy than the body-on-frame S-10/S-15 Blazer/Jimmy.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesAdvertisementAdvertisementStill, these trucks sold well. GM moved well over 180,000 S-10 Blazers and close to 50,000 S-15 Jimmys for the 1989 model year, outselling the Cherokee by more than 60,000 units that year.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesThe lack of a four-door version was a problem right away, because these were supposed to be outdoorsy-looking commuters and family haulers, not farm trucks or hunter transportation. For the 1991 model year, a stretched-wheelbase version with four doors hit the street.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesThe following year, an Oldsmobilized version of the four-door S-10 Blazer made its debut. This was the first Oldsmobile-badged production truck since 1939.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesThis is a well-equipped compact SUV for its era, and the biggest available engine resides under its hood: the 4.3-liter Chevrolet V6, essentially three-quarters of the 5.7-liter small-block V8.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesAdvertisementAdvertisementThe 4.3 was introduced for the S-10 family for the 1988 model year, and it was a rough runner but made decent power and held together well enough. This one was rated at 160 horsepower and 235 pound-feet. As we can see from the massive compressor, the original buyer of this truck also took the optional air conditioning.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesIf you're spending all that bread for the biggest engine, four-wheel-drive (4WD) and refrigerated air, you might as well get the automatic transmission while you're at it. This truck even has power windows!junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesAll that stuff makes this just about the most expensive possible S-10 Blazer for '89. This truck appears to have the top-trim-level Tahoe package, which added $715 to the $13,748 MSRP for the 4x4 version (those figures would be $1,979 and $38,045 in 2026 dollars).junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesBut that's nowhere near the out-the-door price for an S-10 Blazer this loaded. Going through my 1989 price guides and adding up the numbers for just the options that jump out of my photos, I get a final figure of $17,127. That's $47,396 in 2026 dollars, and I know I missed a lot of stuff. This AM/FM/cassette radio alone cost $454 ($1,256 today), for example, but was necessary if you wanted listen to the unforgettable tunes of the era in proper style.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesAdvertisementAdvertisementThat's a lot of money, but the owner/owners got their money's worth in the long run (unless this truck was on its fifth transmission or similarly expensive hardware at the end).junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesAdvertisementAdvertisementA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesAdvertisementAdvertisementA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesAdvertisementAdvertisementA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.junkyard find 1989 chevrolet s 10 blazer 4x4 with 300k milesA 1989 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer in North Carolina junkyard.
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