92 Chevy S10 over heating

things should be tested before replacing them , first do the fans come on when it gets hot ? Is the coolant topped off ? No doubt there are junk parts/thermostats out there but replace thermostat when symptoms show bad one . You can't drive without a thermostat that'll get you more problems .. If it over heats quick it may be a blown head gasket , is the exhaust white is there goop under the oil fill cap ? do a compression test . If it's a different motor than what it came with the air flow around the radiator may be the problem along with any spoiler/venting in the front .

My apology in not being detailed enough. He had this problem and replaced the thermostat X2, replaced water pump, didn't fix the problem so he bought a new truck and the S10 sat for a bit. Now he's trying again and has replaced radiator, thermostat was only taken out to test the overheating, then reinstalled. He's installed new fan blades and spacer. So far I think that's all. Thank you for all your help, I'll pass on the info.

I left out that it doesn't overheat very quickly, and when on open highway temp goes back down.