If you’re around my age, you have youthful memories of the Chevy 454SS pickups of the early 90’s. There was one in my hometown and I would get glimpses of it every once in a while cruising Main Street on a summer Friday night. This particular truck is a 1990 and can be found here on eBay with a requested opening bid of $5,000 and a buy-it-now price of $7,000. The truck is located in Santa Rosa, California and the seller says it hasn’t been driven in about a year.
The idea of putting a big engine in a small vehicle is the foundation of hot rodding. Over the years, manufacturers have followed this theory with pickups also. From the Dodge Lil’ Red Express to the Ford Lightning, V8’s in single-cab pickups have been produced by the “Big Three” automakers. Dodge even put a V-12 Viper engine in some pickups called the SRT-10! Chevrolet introduced the 454SS pickup in 1990 and it only lasted for two years with most being produced in the first year.
There isn’t a ton of information in the ad for this truck, but there are quite a few detailed photos. It appears that there is very little rust in this truck and the majority is surface rust on the frame. Unfortunately, there aren’t many details regarding the history of the truck, the condition, etc. It does say that it needs exhaust work to pass California emissions.
You can tell the truck has been driven and enjoyed. There are some dents and dings that will require some minor body work. The interior is worn and showing it’s age. Overall, this doesn’t appear to be a bad project. It could make a pretty good candidate for a factory-style restoration. I don’t think these trucks have hit collector status yet (that would warrant keeping it in original condition). It will make a fun project for someone.
Another beat up old truck asking the moon.
Crazy.
The SRT-10 Dodge, as well as the Viper had a V-10, not a V-12.
Didn’t know the 454 was still available then. Looks like throttle body to me.
IIRC, the engine was long gone and had to be purchased from a marine engine supplier, where these beasts power offshore racing hulls.
From your post, I have to wonder if Bob C. edited hos original post. it seems your reply is in regard to Arizona Speed and Marine, who back in the day offered a port fuel injection conversion popular for use on these trucks
The 454 7.4L engine was built from 1970-2000, IIRC. The first year of the “454SS” was 1990. It is, in fact a TBI engine, as were all 454SS trucks.
https://dustrunnersauto.com/heres-makes-chevy-454ss-awesome/
“The engine in the 1990 454SS was a slightly hopped up version (only 230 hp) of the current 454ci big-block Chevy had in its production line. It did, however, produce quite a lot of torque – 385 lb-ft to be exact. The transmission was a TH400 with a lower than standard 3.73:1 rear gear ratio to improve acceleration. The rear axle was unique in that it was a 14-bolt from a 3/4 ton truck, but with a 5 on 5 bolt pattern instead of the typically 8 lug pattern.
In 1991 the 454SS received the new 4L80E transmission with increased horsepower to 255 and torque to 405 lb-ft. Along with the increased horsepower was a lower rear gear ratio of 4.10:1 which improved acceleration. All of this combined pushed the 454SS down the quarter mile in 15.6 seconds which wasn’t too far behind the Camaro IROC-Z. In today’s standards, that kind of quarter mile is kind of disappointing, but you have to remember this is back when American cars we’re behind strangled by emissions standards.”
Adding to your reply, from 96-00, the 454 was built as the Vortec 7400, with 290 HP and 410 lb ft of torque. I have owned a 2000 crew cab SRW for 15 years, and have pounded on it the entire time. It is now north of 200K miles, and still gets between 11-14 MPG. It even flooded up to the top of the tires during Hurricane Harvey and fired right up after the water receded. I have become convinced you can’t kill hese trucks unless you try really hard.
“Sporty” ? Looks like a brick with some stickers on it. Did I miss where someone called it a “rare collector’s item”?
These trucks were dogs. 454 cubic inches and a weak 230 hp lol. Probably get about 9-10 mpg.. downhill downwind in neutral of course.
A close friend of mine had one of these . He was all excited about buying it but in less then a weeks time his mood changed to one of disgust. He swore it was the slowest thing that he ever drove and pretty <power handling too. His best day of owning it was when a tree fell on it & the insurance company totaled it. He replaced it with a current year 1992 , C10 with a 350 which he said felt like it could run circles around the 454.
Even as a total GM guy, and owner of their trucks for decades they’ve always bombed at their “performance” truck game. 454SS was a dog, and the later Silverado SS wasn’t much better with the fairly ho-Hum 6.0L LQ9.
Leave the toy trucks to Ford, and GM should stick to making work horses ;)
A close friend of mine had one of these . He was all excited about buying it but in less then a weeks time his mood changed to one of disgust. He swore it was the slowest thing that he ever drove and pretty ill handling too. His best day of owning it was when a tree fell on it & the insurance company totaled it. He replaced it with a current year 1992 , C10 with a 350 which he said felt like it could run circles around the 454.
I’ll take my 98 GMC over this fuel hog dog any day, the 305 still sings with 205k on the clock
Ive had many big block trucks ,take the junk tbi off it and put on a intake ,carb and distributor and itll run better . 87 they went tbi and was worst thing gm could do . The ss was nice but useless imo as trucks are made for one thing and its to haul !