The 1980s and early 90s were a wonderful time for aftermarket companies to work themselves into the marinade for any number of new GM products. These vendors did everything from chop roofs off to create convertibles to build custom conversion vans with four wheel drive and luxurious interiors. Choo Choo Customs was a big name for a spell, creating highly customized pickup trucks that rarely saw any actual performance enhancements but swung for the fences as it related to cosmetic overhauls. This 1991 Chevrolet 1500 pickup is a genuine Choo Choo with the short bed and two wheel drive, and is listed here on craigslist with just 28,000 miles for $21,000.
Man, this thing is straight out of the 90s in the best way possible. The tri-spoke polished wheels, the lowered suspension, the custom bodykit, and of course, those epic graphics with a healthy dose of turquoise. The short bed pickup has always responded well to modifications, no matter which generation it is, and bringing it a few inches closer to the pavement is always a good decision. The Chevy sports a custom tonneau cover over the bed, and it’s clear that Choo Choo wanted to make the truck as aerodynamic as possible despite having the profile of a brick. Color-matching was a big deal too, as evidenced by the monochromatic appearance.
The seller reports he has barely used the Choo Choo since buying it out of the Mecum Kissimmee auction in 2011. Aside from a few summer drives, it’s seen barely any use, to the point that he claims it’s never been to a single local car show. The engine bay is spotless and reflects the sub-30,000 mileage. The shiny black plastics, rust-free brake booster, perfect firewall paint, and as-new hoses all point to a truck that was purchased to show or to store as an investment, and it’s seen only gentle use as a result. The bad news is, Choo Choo trucks haven’t become big-time collectibles; the good news is, you can log some real miles every year without diluting the value.
The interior photos aren’t great, but it’s also just a standard-issue early 90s Chevy pickup cockpit, as Choo Choo didn’t do much inside the vehicle. And that’s fine, the outside is loud enough that you don’t need more eye-popping graphics and colors inside the standard cab. The seller is looking for all the money for this truck, which I can’t fault him for: if you strip away the Choo Choo features, it’s still a desirable model / trim / spec with low miles, and the limited production nature of the work that Choo Choo performed absolutely makes this truck a must-have for anyone looking for a truck to drive to the next Radwood show. Have you ever driven a Choo Choo?
Even though it is the more sought after short wheelbase fleetside, done by a known shop, it’s really dated and not in a good way. Regardless of the low mileage and overall condition it’s hard to see it bring $20,000+. Even a potential buyer craving attention at cars and coffee‘s would likely pass since it’s style will be polarizing and would get a fare share of negative reactions.
Steve R
Those wheels ….. ugly back then – just as ugly now.
As usual I agree with Steve. It probably wouldn’t make much sense, but I assume most of aerodynamics bolted on ,why not unbolt them? It really is a low mile, clean truck and a desirable year and model. Just don’t know if the math makes sense,numbers don’t lie.
I owned an ’88 Choo-Choo Custom long wheel base GMC Extended Cab Pick-up that I kept for 300K miles in the same red color, AC and tilt wheel. Choo-Choo Customs had many available options. Mine had custom bucket adjustable seats with fold-down arm rests like a motor-home , a center console, wood grain dash and the optional insulation package. With the seats and the long wheelbase, this vehicle was always my choice for long distance travel. It also had a heavy duty hitch so it was also a great tow vehicle. When I sold it, there was no rust, the interior was like new. It still ran great but it needed a complete front to back mechanical restoration and new paint.
Worth about 10, maybe 12K.
One thing I remember thinking about many of the “customs” I helped create in the 80s was “there goes the resale value”!
Any 3 bladed wheel that had it’s styling cues taken from the bottom of a food processor should be removed and recycled post haste. Has to be one of the ugliest designs ever. Countless cars, especially street rods, were runied by these things. Shun them at all costs.
I read, “Choo Choo Customs” began in 1975 in Chattanooga, TN. ( pardon me boys, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo) They started converting El Caminos, and went bankrupt in 1991, so this could be one of the last ones. Trucks had crossed a line around this time, women became liberated and pickups weren’t for macho cowboys anymore, they wanted in, and this was the result. In 2000, they went out of business and “Honest Charley’s Speed Shop” purchased them and operates in Texas. Obviously, not my cup of tea, but a sharp looking truck,,,if you can call it that.
Did Choo Choo put fiberglass rear fenders on these? Or was it just the one I was looking at over the weekend? I was trying to find out if it’s original or rust replacement. It had no rust otherwise.