The entire reasoning behind the Rough Start series was to find reasonably affordable vehicles that were possible options for turning into a really neat project vehicle. Some were cool just because of what they were, others because of what they could be. In the case of this 1988 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer, it’s a bit of both. As it sits, this mini-Blazer is about as good as one can get, hunkered down over N90 wheels raided from a Monte Carlo SS. The Forest Service green paint is a bit of an oddity, but compared to it being a mess of peeling clearcoat and dusty single-stage paint, we’ll take it. The powertrain is a mystery V6 and a five-speed manual transmission. If lucky, that would be the first application of the 4.3L V6, which had become a new option for 1988, but don’t focus too hard on that.

Instead, look at every positive angle of this deal: you have a super-clean Blazer that is a running, driving, no-work-needed piece right here. Yes, it maxes out the Rough Start $5,000 budget, but you can use it now with no real worries and it will handle your day-to-day stuff just fine. In the meantime, may we suggest locating a six-speed fourth-generation F-body that’s in the process of being recycled? You know this little beast needs to be swapped. There’s no mystery to the build at all…it’s been done for decades now. Don’t add stripes. Don’t change the wheels. Don’t put on a hoodscoop. V8 six-speed S-Blazer, like it was from the factory. It’s totally worth it.

Craigslist Link: 1988 Chevrolet S-10 Blazer