Vehicle Description
Someone forgot to remind this 1990 Chevrolet C1500 454SS Pro Street
that it's a pickup truck. Before all the work got started, it was a
highly-desirable, slick-black, O.B.S. (Old Body Style) Chevy
shortbed with a powerful 454 V8 and very low 'believed actual'
miles. Even with all that going for it, the former owners thirsted
for more excitement and decided to turn things up to 11. They
beefed up the big block even further with a host of performance
goodies inside, narrowed and tubbed the rear end, fortified the
suspension to keep all that power planted to the ground, and added
some choice exterior upgrades that transformed this OBS into
something downright sinister. We're really only scratching the
surface of this Pro Street, and if you don't look quickly it will
leave you in a wake of burnt rubber and smoke.
Finished in slick-black paint like any self-respecting OBS 454
truck should be, this 1990 model would ordinarily keep a lower
profile. Sure, these trucks have always been popular and extremely
good looking, but the added ingredients featured on this slammed
beauty have given it off-the-charts curb appeal. With the addition
of a cowl-induction hood, billet grille, and chin-spoiler with
integrated fog lights, the front end gets the party started and
lets everyone know this isn't just your Daddy's weekend hauler. The
low-slung body looks incredible sitting atop the narrowed rear end,
punctuated with fat Mickey Thompson meats out back, topped with a
color-keyed hard tonneau cover that protects the bed, and a custom
roll pan filled with Corvette taillights found down below. If we're
to believe the low mileage (and we do based on the physical
evidence, although Vehicle History Report agencies were still
somewhat in their infancy in 1990 so 100% certainty can be
elusive), then the laser-straight body absolutely makes sense, as
do the great gaps, flush doors, and symmetrically aligned panels.
By all accounts the black paint is a faithful respray, and the pros
that laid it down definitely knew what they were doing. With a deep
luster and great shine, the black finish looks amazing, with only
very minor imperfections to speak of on this top driver-quality
presentation. Black paint can be tricky to get right, and you need
a great foundation to start with, further proof of this Chevy's
lightly used past. Blacked-out trim and a conspicuous lack of any
brightwork and decals add to the mysterious allure, and other than
the red outlined Bowtie in the grille, this truck doesn't need to
advertise. Like the rest of the body, the tailgate has been
smoothed of any decals or badges, and inside the bed you can see
where a lot of the money was spent with those big, shiny wheel
wells that accommodate the tubbed rear end. There's also a
relocated fuel tank back there, and the painted black floor has
been protected with a thick, vinyl mat.
The interior is pretty much standard Chevy pickup, with just a
couple of performance upgrades, but it's not like that's a bad
thing. With handsome burgundy fabric on the original split bench
seat, it is comfortable and attractive for long hauls and given its
fantastic condition, it's obvious this truck has been lightly used
and always been well-maintained. Original burgundy carpets, vinyl
floor mats, factory door panels, and an unblemished dash reinforce
that fact and it's loaded with factory options: A/C, power windows
and locks, a tilt steering column, cruise control, and its original
Delco AM/FM/Cassette player with accompanying equalizer. A full set
of original gauges ahead of the driver monitor the big block,
augmented with a dash-mounted Mallory tachometer and auxiliary
water and fuel pressure gauges from AutoMeter. A Hurst shifter was
swapped-in and mounted atop the transmission tunnel, and it manages
the TH400 3-speed automatic that's been tasked with managing the
gears. Tinted windows add privacy inside, and for those days when
A/C isn't needed, the rear window slides open.
As far as we can tell that's the original 454 V8 under the hood
(correct block casting but the block was decked when it was pulled
to be built-up, so there's no VIN stamp that we can see), but it's
been given a big dose of steroids. Augmented with World Products
Merlin heads, a Comp Cams roller camshaft, a balanced Eagle crank
shaft and Eagle rods, a Comp Cams timing chain, and an MSD ignition
with adjustable timing control, this big block is ready for battle.
It's fed through a dual-line Holley 4-barrel atop a performance
intake, and with that open-element air cleaner and blacked-out
Chevrolet valve covers at the flanks it's also dressed to impress.
The engine bay, even with all the performance additions, still
looks fairly stock, which is always the hallmark of careful
workmanship: preserving the OEM look and feel without going crazy
with the shiny stuff. A giant radiator keeps it cool even with the
hammer down, and those long-tube headers feed into a
Flowmaster-style stainless-steel dual exhaust system that exits
under the rear roll pan. The TH400 3-speed automatic transmission
is a great complement to the big engine, keeping it in the sweet
spot and pegging full power with quick downshifts and the narrowed
Ford 9-inch rear end filled with 4.56 gears won't complain about
all that torque either. The suspension has been lowered and leveled
and features coilover shocks, ATI Super Dampers, and a 4-link out
back. Pretty polished Weld Racing wheels add a performance look and
carry 205/60/15 Goodyear front and 33x21.50x15 Mickey Thompson
meats that fill the truck's big wheel arches perfectly.
An insanely powerful and supercool truck with lots of power on tap
and the suspension to use it. Yeah, it'll still haul, but it would
rather be chasing Mustangs. Call today!
