Among modern classic vehicles, there is a muscle car of sorts that is a bit of a sleeper in the marketplace. That would be the later edition of the Chevrolet SSR pickup truck, which was always a bit of a swing and a miss among its target market. However, the last run of the retro-inspired pickup truck came equipped with the burly 6.0-liter V-8 churning out a very respectable 390 b.h.p. and 405 lb-ft torque. This 2005 SSR pickup here on eBay has to come with a good story considering it was locked away with under 1,000 original miles and sharing garage space with a Dodge Viper RT/10.
The Viper appears to still be wearing temporary tags, and it’s not the only resident of this dusty gravel-floored barn. The SSR looks like it hasn’t moved in years given the thick covering of dust, and with only 950 miles on the clock, it hasn’t exactly been tearing up backroads. The listing is provided by what appears to be a consignor, who mentions that the owner is still alive and that “…cash is king” when it comes to making an offer. The asking price is $48,975, and while the SSR in general is not particularly sought-after, I could see a later edition like this with the preferred larger engine, rare color scheme, and the Borg-Warner six-speed manual bringing in some real money.
The interior confirms beyond any reasonable doubt that this truck is exactly what the seller describes it as, which is a new vehicle left inside for years after seeing barely any time on the road. The paint job always had coordinating surfaces inside, and the vibrancy of the plastic trim paint is also pretty hard to fake given those surfaces looked pretty tired after a few years of roof-down driving and fingers and keys scraping against it. The manual transmission was not a given in the SSR since many owners bought them for straight-line cruising, so to find the elusive 6.0L engine with the equally-elusive six-speed has to put this one in maybe double-digit production totals.
Wow – how crazy is that to see? The listing does mention that all of the vehicles in the garage will soon be listed, so whoever owns this SSR has apparently decided it’s time to get rid of vehicles they never drive. The Viper is an interesting option, and the owner clearly has a panache for yellow muscle cars. Other photos show a few hot rods and motorcycles on the property in various stages of disassembly, so for someone with the means, it could be a worthwhile excursion to buy one vehicle and see what else could fit on the trailer before being listed publicly. Would you buy the SSR or one of the other vehicles in the barn?
Alright have to put the elephant in the room. Never washed, climate controlled garage ( pole barn) and probably still has the oil it was built with. Being from Ohio the rodents like to come out of the weather in the winter months so would have to inspect this vehicle closely. These never have hit acollector status, although this one does have the bigger engine with the six speed. Never have driven one of these but they caught my eye when GM upgraded the drivetrain. Not a car but terrible truck.
Sorry has a problem with the rear oil seal leaking even with 10,000 miles on them. Company that sold gm the seals must have been cheap junk. Don’t believe I would touch this. Keep your money for a classic that will hold value. These definitely dont..
You should drive one. 😁
Looking at the other stuff in there, this was an idea that didn’t pan out. Maybe one of the kids wants it,,they didn’t, and it sat. I kind of liked the concept, trying to recapture the old AD design, but by now, most didn’t know what that was, and looked corny. I bet it’s a cool ride, sitting so long will be a chore, however. People sure are in a dream world thinking this is worth $50grand. A quick check shows most are around $15K for a clean one.
Ohio??? I wouldn’t touch it at any price..
Yeah but do they only have 1000 miles on the clock. It hasn’t even been broken in before being broken in lol. I never liked these when they first came out but like anything after a while they grew on me
An odd vehicle in the ugliest color,all for $50,000?
A vehicle that almost nobody wanted when new.You could
buy two really nice ElCaminos for that price.
But why would you want to? 🤣
You can afford a Viper but not a car cover?
It had a tarp over it. 2:04 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3wisXSuceo
Sitting in a damp pole barn for 18 years…every perishable part on it is going to need replaced.
Having pulled many car out of pole barn estates for my job, it will be fine.
I think you’re wrong Clyde. This is tempting but I’m telling you from experience.have a lot of extra money. Rings are probably stuck from sitting will smoke an most likely burn oil. Leave this alone. Buy one ready to drive.
Again, pulled a lot of ulta low mileage cars out of barns to settle estate for the court. Ended up acquiring several of them over the years in my collection, many much older than this in fact. These storage cars are fine and rarely need much other than a lower radiator hose, and that is about it.
My neighbor recently passed. And his wife has one of these stored in their barn, with a cement floor, and a car cover. She’ll be pleased if this cat gets all the money for his SSR.
I do wonder how many of these are out there with owners hoping they become highly collectible. You hardly saw them on the road when new and now almost never. Good luck to the seller.
Probably most of them are in garages, because I never saw one on the street. I drove one when they were new at a car show, but I’m all about 4wd since I live in N/E Ohio.
Talk about an old guy’s playpen!
An SSR, a Viper, what looks like a late ’30s Ford pickup, a deuce highboy with three Strombergs, a disassembled Sportster and a Buell sports bike, plus one of those C5 ‘Vettes turned imitation ’63 Stingray. This ol’ boy seemed determined to acquire all the toys and bore of them pretty quick.
There’s gotta be a heck of a story to go with this collection. I hope it wasn’t a tragic one …
I wonder how many of its recalls the Buell’s had done? The were into double figures – concurrently – at one point.
Like others have mentioned, sitting a lot of years, needs a lot of attention to bring it up to $50,000.00 status. Most likely everyone involved will come to the logical conclusion that the way this SSR sits and the actual collector value given its 6.0/6-speed upgrade, logically, if it were me- I’d be “Kissing the sky” if I got 25k for it. Best of luck. Well written article too.
One thought I had was, this SSR would probably get more money overseas. With the travels I’ve been fortunate enough to have done, THIS car would stand “Head and Shoulders” above a lot of collector cars over there and especially the fact that it’s AMERICAN.
Keep the SSR, I’ll take the Viper, my Hyabusa needs a friend. Never cared for these truck things. Knew a guy that had one new. It did nothing for me then or now. The Viper however is on my car bucket list in the next several years.
I have a 2004 Redline Red SSR. I guess you either love ’em or you don’t. I love mine. She fits me comfortably and perfectly.
Biggest problem other than the price is rodents. 18 years in a pole barn? I had a caddy sts with 3500 miles sat 3 years rats ate all the motor wiring,a mess
Rodents will eat and nest in just about any pole barn… that I learned a long time ago…
But…
For some reason GM wiring seems to be especially tasty based on what I’ve seen.
Soy-based sheathing.
Located in: Waterville, Ohio,
I knew a late middle aged realtor who had one of these with the slushbox. I always thought it was the perfect ride for that realtor. Not quite what it pretends to be, the SSR is much like the real estate business.
Who you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes.
I am a middle age realtor that drives one and those that own them are fanatics. Done people own several IF it were in great running condition, $38k might be doable.
I think they should have taken it in for a detail and dealer service, then presented it as turn key, 1,000 mile truck. They would be ahead in the end.
With the folding roof it’s not if it will leak, but when. And I heard through the
grapevine that the quality control wasn’t that great. So factor that in plus
it’s current condition and French’s Mustard color 50K is a stretch.
What’s the minimum IQ required to keep vehicles in a rodent free environment on concrete and under a car cover?
More $$$ than brains.
Both the SSR and Viper are probably nasty inside, outside and mechanically toast.
Hard pass on these vehicles.
I looked at one some time back, thinking I wanted one….Such a disappointment as the vehicle is truly sort of junky. Typical GM, nothing to see here. Cannot understand why people put a car in a garage let the dust settle, and think that’s a selling point. BTW the one I liked at 3 years ago was half the price
Slingshot Yellow was not a “rare color scheme” for an SSR.
I’ve owned 2005 SSR and I love it!!!! Live in Michigan only drive it in good weather!! I’m listening to all the critics that don’t know what they’re talking about. They’re really fun to drive!!!!
Owner is not Jessie James……he hates yellow!
25k too much. At least wash and detail the thing.
Why not wash it first? How hard can it be?
I don’t get it, why buy a car, drive it several hundred miles and put it away in a dusty, non climate controlled environment. A several years coating of dust doesn’t add any value to it and only makes me think that it’s been a really nice mouse condo for years.
A friend of mine owned a Chevrolet dealership during this period, and I bought and sold a few cars at wholesale with him. He dubbed the SSR:
Slow – Selling – Roadster.
I have a 2006 6spd last year made, most of the parts are from a trail blazer, there are some parts that are tough to get but I’ve had good luck on the secondary market finding them should sell for around 26000.00 maybe a little more because of the mileage, but like a few have already stated needs to be gone through and cleaned up
There’s one running around Ocala, Fl as a daily driver, and it looks it. See it a lot in the grocery parking lot. Ding, ding,ding.
Mice love the soy-based wiring, (covering), that GM and other manufacturers used the soy-based wire.
Must be a fan of Wayne Carini’s marketing ploy–run them through the auction dusty to prove it is a barn-find. Difference is, this is a “new” car that has just been neglected. Doesn’t appear to have fooled any of the Barn Finds readers.
It’s highly probable the retractable top’s 8 hydraulic cylinders have dried out seals and leaked out fluid. Repairs/ replacement will cost $6,000.
Authentic, original barn dust. $500 per quarter inch coverage.
I would still take ssr over viper 100 times out of 100.
Especially THAT early, primitive generation
Remember the marketing buildup where they only showed a car cover, and then the grill: “Grand Poobah of Cool,” they said? But American makers got so spoiled by absurd markups on trucks that they’ve dropped beloved brands and conceded most of the auto market to you know who all. I’d actually love to have a toy like this. If they’d have called it an El Camino and priced it fairly, without keeping a secret that it is a restyled Trailblazer as to parts, they would have found a wide market, sold for years, and I could afford one today. The idea people and the planners, sadly, again were not on the same page. On the other hand, compare this to the retro pioneer P/T Cruiser… something no one knew they wanted till it came out, was as affordable as any new car, became a favorite of millions, and still catches many eyes everywhere today.
I leased one of these with the 6.0 and 6 speed manual but in Silver had the optional running boards and the upgraded rims. This vehicle is more practical than many sports cars as the truck bed has much more space that can hold luggage and golf clubs. One downside is you can’t take it through a drive through car wash as the rear tires were too wide to fit. Possibly this was GM’s solution to poor seal quality? I was fortunate enough to have a second vehicle and I garaged mine to keep from driving it once the snow arrived and I reduced my insurance coverage to reflect that it was sitting for months. Not the best arrangement but my expense allowance was covering the lease payments so I was ok with it. For the right price I would buy mine back and be glad to have it. This seller is hoping to get the sticker price for his. I don’t expect that to happen but the world is full of unrealistic expectations like everyone driving electric vehicles!
“you can’t take it through a drive through car wash as the rear tires were too wide to fit”
Not true.
I own one just like this one, 2005, yellow 6 speed etc. Difference is mine is stored in a heated garage in Maine. I drive it 5 months per year and it is very clean. I also own a 2006 final production run which was a limited production run, one of 32. It is stored in a climate controlled garage in Texas. Mileage on yellow one is 70,000 and 06 is 84,000. To say I like these is great under statement. I have had a few problems with both, but no leaks, no problem with car washes, but lots of favorable comments. These vehicles are ideal for old guys like myself who want a nice convertible with good performance and are easy to get into. Height of seats is good, I am 6ft+. They have wide doors, will run on the freeway at 70+ with the top down and windows up and a wind screen in back and the wife’s hair is hardly messed up. The top is tricky, but kind of like me; use it it lose it and keep it lubricated. The vehicle is heavy (4,000lbs) which makes it very stable and if you do crash it gives you fighting chance to walk away. I also have a few older Corvetts, but the SSR is my preferred ride. My cars are not for sale, never!
I have to say that my experience with my SSR was one of total enjoyment and I completely understand anyone who loves theirs and why. GM in their infinite wisdom underpowered the first iterations and they sold poorly not having learned from their prior mistakes with their vehicles,Corvette being the most obvious.
Following up on this, eBay recommended another SSR: https://www.ebay.com/itm/285134261328
I love how the auction description makes _no_ mention of the bodywork.
I don’t get all the comments about rodents here, geez people any car stored in a garage or barn is going to have rodents, and most car people know that. If rodents got into this this thing those leather seats would be trashed as would much of the insulation and wiring under the hood. Been storing cars in barns and garages for decades and there are many ways and products to prevent rodents from getting into them, and I suspect the owner did that rather than assume otherwise with zero evidence. SMH