Clones, in general, are tricky beasts in the car world. When it comes to cloning a vehicle that is typically out of reach price-wise for most enthusiasts, it’s possible to justify building your own version of it. But when you’re building a clone of a car or truck that could be purchased for not-insane money, well – the slope gets a bit more slippery in terms of justifying its creation. This six cylinder-equipped 1991 Chevrolet C/K pickup here on eBay is made to look like a limited-production 454 SS, and it’s quite convincing.
Bidding has already crept over $12,000, so the fact that it has a V6 and isn’t an actual SS isn’t discouraging bidders. I will say, the work done here to make a replica SS is very convincing, and the seller deserves some credit for at least paying attention to small details such as the font on the decal kit and the polished wheels. Truth be told, if he had finished the job of installing a 6.0L LS engine, this tidy pickup would be a very desirable clone, so maybe it’s just an engine swap away of being worth every penny.
The good news is the rest of the truck is in excellent condition from a cosmetics standpoint, and of course, it has a manual – a transmission that wasn’t offered on the real-deal SS. The bench seat is in very nice condition, even if the interior is somewhat bare-bones. The seller notes that the A/C is cold and the heat is hot, so from a daily driver standpoint, you could do far worst. The paint also appears to shine nicely, though there’s no indication in the listing if it’s been re-sprayed.
While the 4.3 V6 is a downer, it will at least return respectable performance and good fuel mileage. Looking at the overall package and presentation, it’s hard to fault this build, as it seems to have used an excellent base truck for an SS conversion. If the next owner makes the jump to V8 power, they may in fact be sitting on a pickup that will attract a fair bit more money the next time it pops up for sale – especially if that stock gearbox can handle more performance than what the six is dishing out.
When I first saw this on fast finds I thought to myself WOW. Then I saw the interior and said hey wait a minute….. Didn’t these has red interiors? Then I said hey wait a minute….. These didn’t have vinyl floor coverings….. Then I said hey wait a minute…. These didn’t have 5 speeds. … First off, they did a fantastic job on the body, paint, graphics and even getting the correct rims, love it, and me personally, nothing wrong with a 4.3 and a stick, at this point I’d preffer it with current gas prices. This was well done. I hope it goes to a good home and hope they keep it just the way it is. Nice job.
How stupid not a clone it would have 454 if it was,a V-6 with decals.
Pathetic comes to mind…
Always thought the SS trucks were a joke.
Anyone remember the same year Chevy sports? Visually identical but the ones I had were 350 / auto.
Had a red one and a white one.
Lightening was a better truck, although no where as good looking.
Lightening is always a good idea.
I’ll bet the SS, lame as it was, had a beefier transmission and rear end.
The real SS454 also had a much beefier front suspension. As in regular 1500 parts just plain won’t fit. They were very unique underneath, not just in the engine bay to handle the extra weight & power. I’m in the parts biz & they can be tricky to look up. I’ve a friend with two of them: one original & one tubbed & full race.
As far as I’ve found the zq8 front springs are the biggest difference
I didn’t see anything different in the control arms .
While the 454 SS was lame in it’s day, the truck was already setup from the factory to handle big power. The 14 bolt rear end behind a drive shaft with a larger diameter than a leg from some folks. Combine that goodness with a factory Turbo 400 or 4L80 heavy duty transmission and you are just an engine transplant away from being able to tear up the dragstrip. The truck is a decent handler with the independent front suspension (compared to the Lightning’s twin I-Beam) and a 12.7 to 1 ratio steering box. I have a 92 with a 650 horse 496 and it is a Rowdy Hoot to drive!!!
Nice.
What thinking “wow” here’s someone who did what the factory wouldn’t do: put a 5-speed behind the 454. Alas, no, they didn’t. Rereading the text to learn it’s still a V6. Sigh. Paper tiger. Personally if I were making a “clone” I would ditch the TBI and stay with the automatic. Better yet do your LS swap and benefit from less weight up front.
I would be embarrassed to drive something like this. Let me get me Ferrari- Fiero
Why?
If it were mine I would put a turbo setup on the 4.3. That would give it some kick without requiring a new driveline as the turbo tends to kick in a little later. I remember when these came out that a lot of folks were turned off because they only came with automatics. Otherwise a pretty truck that you could drive all day – and with the 4.3 not be bankrupt at the end of the day.
that’s what i thought too through a turbo in it and give it some boost!
A turbo is useless with a manual transmission. The hesitations in shifting will reduce the momentum You need the steady pull of an auto to fully benefit from having a turbo. Ever seen a manual in a Grand National??
Last year for a manual transmission in any G-body was 1980. I wouldn’t go as far as saying a turbo is useless with a manual. If you are in full on race car, drag racing is certainly easier and more consistent with an automatic. Road racing with a sequential box certainly works well with a turbo. Everyday street driving, a turbo car with a manual is a ton of fun!
Anybody bidding more than $5,000 for a long bed V6 with decals is crazy. Even the write up saying he should’ve put a 6.0L is wrong, it came with the performance 454. This truck ain’t nothing to spend money on, it’s a work truck, always will be a work truck, because the owner was crazy enough to sink money into a work shouldn’t mean someone else should be that stupid.
I’d take the SS 454 off the sides and put (small letters) ss 262 and see what people say when they see it. :)
It’d make a groovy shop truck.
I didn’t like the grill on the 88 to 93 C/Ks, I have a 94 K2500 extended cab short bed Silverado, black with bucket seats and all the extras and in my opinion looks much better than a standard cab. 94s are fitted with the older style interior with the newer raised grill from later models.
I just purchased a similar truck with the same exact drivetrain. $3500, which is a little much but I had to battle about 4 other guys to get it. Has over 200k on the clock and is a great truck. But the 4.3 and manual is fun, but not gonna break any records. I personally don’t think an LS hooked to that manual would make it perform much different as the gears seem to be more for torque than speed. Sure it would probably pull a trailer better, but still not going to be fast.