Need GM H body and S10 help
 

I had to bring this issue here because you are family. On an H body forum, I'm getting some dissing because a lot of people on there think every car should be a pro street race machine. I am well aware that h-bodies have a bad rep for rusting away. I've always liked the body styles, and I live in an area where rust is not so prevalent. Way back in my early 30s, I had a pickup truck 350 put into a 76 Pontiac Astra hatchback. Several years after that, I bought a 1977 Buick Skyhawk with the V6 and a 4-speed manual. Several years after that, I bought a 75 Monza hatchback that already had a 1.8 Isuzu diesel in it. About 7 days ago, I picked up a Pontiac Sunbird hatchback formula, 1980 vintage. For $150.10! The original four-cylinder is toast, the head is gone. In dreamland, I was considering a Vortec V8, in other words the cheapest lowest powered LS engine, like out of a used van or something. The dream would be to somehow have it reflashed like some people have done with a Corvette and got 40 miles per gallon with it. The power would be nice if that were possible to have your cake and eat it too. But I don't want to have a lot of money wrapped up into this and do a lot of extensive work as I am at best only a shade tree mechanic almost 70 years old with no special tools and no welding ability. Okay I'm finally getting to the Crux of the matter here. It would seem to me, that I could buy a nice running Chevrolet S10 with either the 2.5 or the later 2.2, either one with the manual 5 speed, and swap that in there. I've checked, and it doesn't seem like there any crate motor 2.5S available anymore. The car stock is an automatic, and I would really like to switch it to a stick. One guy on the other forum I mentioned, went on and on about how I'd have to switch a million things to do this. I don't know if he was just angry because I wanted to stay with a 4-cylinder or not? The stock car with a stick was supposed to be capable of 35 miles per gallon. That's with the old ratings. But with the old ratings, I used to have a 1992 Dodge Dakota 4 cylinder 5 speed that was rated at around 25, and during the warmer months of the year, I regularly got 37 miles per gallon with it with a Topper on the back and Hauling freight. I want to keep things low dollar, and simple. Do you think the 2.5, or the 2.2 would be a good idea? Thank you for the long read! Here is a picture! I like The Styling particularly of the roof line, and the practicality of the hatchback. I would like to add Monza fiberglass doors hatch and Hood, though the hood would probably have to be modified for the Sunbird because the grill is very different and the hood is not squared off like the Monza is. I'd love to cut the weight down too maybe a hair under 2,000 lb down from 2600 or so? The only serious rest on the car whatsoever is simply the battery tray! The stock Factory Dash does not have one crack in it, and nobody has marred up the fake wood around the gauges and glove box

I'm no help, but I also like the body style. I remember wehn it came out -- the most notable feature was the swoopy lower window line. Interesting that the new Ioniq has a line that rises in the middle.

Other than taking an S-10 off the road I see no problem. Would it get a wide-body kit or tall, narrow tires and skirts?

If I Stay 4 cylinder, it would be middle of the road. I like the Decon monza's, how for 2 years in a row they mop the floors on Porsches, granted they were allowed to be tube frame cars. I don't really want to go to the opposite extreme. I have the insight with the skirts for Optimum. I'm just looking for a pretty Cruiser that will get great mileage like on an overnight trip to another state. It doesn't have to be fast. The 90 Corvette has that covered. I would tend to lean toward the taller skinnier Tire, but not too extreme as I do care about the car's visuals. The big bad crash bumpers will definitely have to go! Not sure about wheels. The Buick Skyhawk look pretty good after I put Moon discs on that. But now I'm not sure I want a steel wheel. I'm all for a pretty massive air dam up front. I'm sure it could be cleaned up underneath. I just put an aluminum Belly pan from killer3cyl on the Insight yesterday and also did preventative measures of taking those roof moldings above the side windows off, and sealing off the clips, to not have the dreaded wet seat belt situation. I've had that car for over a year, and intentionally have never driven it in the rain because of that potential problem. Now that it's covered, I feel like I can enjoy driving a year-round in the rain now. Sorry, I went off on a rabbit Trail there! Just want a happy middle of the road good mile per gallon highway Cruiser. I know it's not going to handle like a crx, but that's okay. Different vehicles for different uses.

'75 Monza
 

Someone I dated in college had the Chevy version with four-banger and manual. I drove roundtrips in it, from Lubbock to Houston. It never demonstrated remarkable mpg.
The V-6 and V-8 are less efficient engines, heavier, are 'shoe-horned' into the engine bay, and require drilling holes in the inner fender-wells to reach some of the spark plugs, and loosening one motor mount and raising that side of the engine to reach the last plug!
I think you'd end up hating the V-engines.
The fastback body IS attractive, but it needs the rear spoiler. The roofline is 'wrong.'

Never changed #6 plug in a V6 s10? I know of examples where the plug stayed the entire life of the truck

plug stayed
 

I remember when PORSCHE introduced platinum spark plugs. Lots of of non-Porsche owners bought them, thinking that they had superior performance than what they'd been using all along, only to learn that their only attribute was electrode longevity, not 'performance'.
The 'cost' of a tune-ups with new sparkplugs on the 6-cylinder engines were so prohibitive to many owners that Porsche pulled the trigger on the 'longer-lasting', 100,000-mile BOSCH technology.
Some local shops are currently fleecing customers, implying that tune-ups and oil changes need to be performed at shorter-than -necessary intervals.
Public education. Wouldn't want any.

I remember that those fancy plugs were replaced at standard intervals at most dealers for loads of money.

Had a set in the 78 dodge Le Van, don't recall ever replacing them, did clean them a lot.