what to look for

hi, i am new to the s10 blazers. i looking to purchase a 91-94,,,what should i be looking out for? what things could be problems? etc...

Well commonly the 4X4 models 4WD is buggy and has problems, so check for that. Also electrical problems are common it seems like. The rest of the problems you want to look for are the ones youd look for in any other used vehicle. My .02 cents.

The following are the first things I found when my daughter gave me her 1991 S10 Blazer SUV 4x4 a few months ago. She bought it new in 1991 in Seattle and it was built in Moraine Ohio.    Check the AM/FM/Cassette receiver to see if it works. Good used ones are very rare and an aftermarket AM/FM/CD receiver and 4-speakers will cost you about $400.  I won a perfect 1991 AM/FM/Cassette receiver on e-bay for $50 to replace the old one that was dead  and I feel like I was very fortunate indeed. The console door hinge is plastic and is usually broken.   The dash is plastic so look for broken parts, such as the glove box door.  I have replaced all the door seals. Beside that, the Blazer was in unusually good condition for a 17 year old vehicle and the engine runs like a V8 with a perfect automatic transmission. The nice condition of the paint on my Blazer   is because my daughter  lived in Seattle where the sun seldom shines, and if it does, it is not like the blazing sun and 110 degree temperatures in  Texas where the Blazer is today. Cars from Washington state are usually in excellent condition with no rust and good paint. Fortunately, there were no Blazers built in any GM assembly plant in California. The GM assembly plants in that state must use water based paint which is gone within ten years. In Washington state, the streets and highways are not covered with salt in the winter so rust is not a problem for cars from that area. Contrary to what many people think, rain is not the cause of vehicle rust. The electrolsys between road salt and water is what eats up metal. Keep that in mind and never buy a car from the northeast!

The Chevy Blazer 4x4 alloy wheels can be perfectly restored including clear coat for $100 each at Wheel Technologies, Inc. in Carrollton, Texas ( http://www.wheeltechnologies.com ) or  new ones can be purchased for about $180 each from a aftermarket supplier. A dealer will stick you for the MSRP of $350 for a alloy wheel. Don't get mad at the Chevrolet dealership counterman, he is just doing his job. Some countermen will give you a 20% discount off MSRP. Unfortunately for us restorers, most 4x4 Chevy Blazers are sold to people who want to  see how fast they can destroy them.   Maybe that is better for the restorers that people see how fast they can wreck 4x4 vehicles because doing that will make mine worth more! LOL

Keeping a car outside on the Oregon and Washington coast is the same as keeping it in a enclosed garage.

I just laughed outloud when I read your post.........If you ask me everything!  I bought a 1991 in January taht had a almost perfect body. That's all that was perfect and that's why I discovered this site. Now about 1500.00 later in parts I am a happy camper. If I had not done the work myself it would have been over 3000.00.
 
So i guess it just depends on the individual vehicle. I love my Blazer now but have a lot of skinned knuckles.
 
 

    carfax! cant stress that enough.  Also service records are nice if you can find them.  

I did not know what the brakes were like on The Blazer but I could hear the scrapers rubbing the front rotors. So today, I ordered a pair of drilled and slotted R & L front rotors, purchased new rear brake drums, Ceramix brake pads, and riveted brake shoes from NAPA . NAPA tried to get the rotors locally but there are no drilled and slotted rotors for a 1991 S/T10 Blazer 4x4 in any NAPA store or warehouse within 400 miles of Texas.  They had to order those rotors from a NAPA warehouse in Modesto, CA.  
 
I told my associate that and he  laughed and said he could get a pair of drilled and slotted rotors in a day. He called back in two hours after he made that remark and told me to go ahead order the rotors from the NAPA warehouse in California. Those rotors must have just came off the ship from China. The parts required for a complete brake job for The Blazer will cost $600.  I too had about $1500 in The Blazer before I decided to overhaul the brakes. Now the investment is $2100 in a vehicle that has a market value of $1700. That is OK, I have $56,000 invested in a 1963 Pontiac 421 H.O. Catalina Sport Coupe that would bring about $15,000 at a no reserve classic car auction.  I am obviously not in the used car business but I do like the work.