[joedoh]

MII have relatively short spindles so their ride height range is pretty narrow, lowering 3 inches can cause all sorts of problems with the strut arms (if not running tube arms) and camber. especially camber, short spindles with unequal length control arms will always have this problem. s10 suspension has its own foibles but only at the limit of lift or drop, otherwise pretty stable. the 47 GMC I sold at the end of october rode beautifully, not floaty or truck like, but nice and taut, shocks play a big role in ride quality.

I use the whole s10 donor, engine trans wiring steering column brakes etc. this makes a big difference in setting up and figuring things out, because the bulk of the swap is already made to work together. you can cut down the amount of figuring things out also by buying a prepackaged body swap kit, leaving you to only figure out steering and wiring.

it also makes a big difference when comparing to a mustang II setup, because that is literally ONE COMPONENT compared to what else is needed to directly compare an s10 swap, like rearend, engine, brakes, etc etc. You can get down the road with a MII and still have to figure eveything out, like radiator sizing and engine mounting, brakes, steering, wiring. everything beyond the front suspension is still up in the air. cant wait to see how mr48s dakota crossmember works out with the rest of the truck.

let me describe the s10 in a way other than cheap. it is a fast way to get power disc front brakes, highway gears, power steering, and a chassis set up for just about any drivetrain without any serious welding or bolting of suspension components (especially if you buy a bolt on body kit). there arent any mods needed to the front sheetmetal, just to the lower apron and the inner fenders (which also get modified for a MII).

If you are building a show truck and will sell it for rarefied air dollars when done, you may want a MII because the guys who pay 40-80k for their trucks will expect it. Otherwise I have seen nicely done s10 swaps command a good price from guys who want something they can jump in and drive to the local show and shine and grocery store but still haul a load of bricks with.