Okay I figure I might as well start me a thread to chronicle my odyssey.
I found my truck on Craigslist, 175 miles away in Tallahassee, FL. The deciding factor for me, was a new, dealer installed, 22RE, with only 1000 miles on it. I traded my ATV for it. Pretty much everything works. After driving a 2.2L 5spd S-10 for the last 3 years, I thought, I welcomed the automatic, Not satisfied with the lack of power and sad mileage, I decided it had to have a 5spd. I found a parts wagon, here on the forums, with a 5spd. I worked out a trade deal, and drove 600 miles and towed it home. Additionally, it has all new brakes and steering parts, a 3" Performance Accessories body lift, nice removable top, 265-75 16 tires & black wheels, and a square tube rear bumper.
Again, on Craigslist, I find a local man advertising a 4" rough country lift kit, I work another trade for stock parts and my 15" wheels. I gained 5mpg and a lot of extra power on my S-10 by going with cold air intake and a header. So I already did cold air intake and will soon add a header. Now I have read the posts that claim this is a waste of money, but I can tell a definite improvement in both mileage and power, in that it doesn't constantly search for a gear, down/up shifting as I drive. I switched wheels and started stripping the parts truck. I may not be the barter king but maybe I'm the barter prince?? I'm going in the morning to trade some pistol ammo for a Lincoln 225a stick welder!
More to come...

 

Cold air intake

 

quick update; I have ordered a header, poly bushings, shifter, and I received a Kenwood head unit! I have everything I can, stripped off the firewall of my parts truck, I will pull the tranny next. I plan to strip interior and line everything with dampening material.