Vehicle Description
If you were a Chevrolet engineer in the early 1990s, it was
probably pretty easy to see where the future was eventually headed:
back to the muscle car era. With that in mind, the Chevy 454SS was
born, combining the big block from the heavy-duty trucks in the
lightest half-ton chassis to create the first muscle truck of the
modern era. With an absolutely dialed-in, mostly original
presentation, this first-year 1990 Chevrolet C1500 454SS production
hotrod truck might be the nicest example of one of these the market
has seen in a very long time. If you're a bonafide collector or
just want the best-of-the-best in 'modern classic' ingenuity, then
your search is likely over with this 454SS.
Outside, your color choice was fairly simple for the 1990 454SS:
Onyx Black or buy a different truck. Sure, in the later '91-'93
years, a handful of white and red models were made, but whenever
these trucks are discussed the slick-black livery is all that's
remembered, and for good reason. Chevy's "Heartbeat of America"
campaign was in full swing in the '90s, and red accents separated
the sporty models from the mundane, along with special features
offered only for the 454SS trucks: luxury-level Silverado trim with
blackout effects, an all-black grille, fog lights, factory-tinted
windows, and a big back window with sliding glass. This one has
been altered a bit, but in our opinion for the better, with a
lowered stance, blacked-out rims, and a roll pan out back that took
place of the rear bumper. The lower body molding was deleted, as
were the tailgate decals, giving this truck a smoother look that
really lets that sinister black paint do all the talking, but they
did leave the "454SS" decals on the back of the bed to intimidate
anyone that wants to get cute. If you're familiar with most
vehicles from this era, then you know how lackluster these GM paint
jobs really were, quickly fading after just a year or two out in
the elements, which makes the top driver-quality presentation on
this Chevy that much more special. We can't call it show quality,
but it's still very impressive and even the minor imperfections
can't be fretted over in our opinion. The body is laser-straight
too, with nary a dent or ding to speak of, further proof that this
truck hasn't spent much time outside of the show circuit. The
headlights and taillights are all in excellent shape as well, and
the inside of the bed is so darn straight, clean, and shiny, we'd
be surprised if it's ever hauled anything heavier than a pillow in
its lifetime.
Inside, these 454SS trucks only came one way as well: covered
carpet-to-headliner in Garnet Red cloth trim. High-back reclining
sport buckets are neatly upholstered with the original plush trim,
a center console with storage space and cup holders sit in between,
and a matching set of plush door panels are at the flanks. As you
might expect, everything is in excellent shape, including the
sturdy red carpets, taut headliner, and unblemished and crack-free
dash that anchors the cabin. Much like the exterior paint, the
interior GM materials used in this era never really stood the test
of time, so to see one of these in such clean shape is really an
amazing feat. You got full instrumentation with the 454SS package,
complete with a factory tachometer, digital clock, and even the
original HVAC controls, along with options from both the Driver and
Operating Convenience Group that included electronic speed control,
a comfort-tilt 4-spoke steering wheel, an electronically-tuned
AM/FM stereo (which is just for show and comes supplemented with a
Pioneer AM/F/CD/AUX head unit that was neatly installed where the
factory equalizer once was), intermittent wipers, cold factory A/C,
power windows and locks, and an auxiliary lighting package. So
yeah, it's loaded, very comfortable, and incredibly powerful.
Pop the hood and find the heart of the package: The big 7.4 liter,
454 cubic inch V8. With throttle body injection it makes 230
horsepower and a towering 385 pounds of torque, a number the small
block couldn't hope to achieve, which in this lightweight truck
meant it was leaving Mustang GTs in the dust. It's all stock under
the hood, including the big snorkeled air cleaner complete with
chrome top, and the heavy-duty radiator, separate engine and
transmission oil coolers, power steering, power front disc brakes
and the A/C system all work as they should. Connected to a TH400
3-speed automatic transmission and a heavy-duty 10-bolt rear
differential, this SS454 is no slouch, and the hardware is pretty
much bulletproof. Underneath it's quite tidy and very clean, with a
sporty suspension that featured the GM Performance Handling Package
from the factory, and it's obviously been lowered to the killer
stance and features upgraded McGaughey's shocks, quick-ratio power
steering, and a heavy front anti-roll bar. The 2:1:2 exhaust system
sounds nice and throaty and comes equipped with a Flowmaster-style
muffler, and the whole show rides on blacked-out Raceline wheels
wrapped in 255/55/18 Pirelli performance radials that fill the
fenders perfectly.
Mostly original with a couple of choice upgrades, beautifully
preserved, and surprisingly fast, this is the truck that invented
the modern sport truck revolution, and it's a legitimate
collector's item in its own right today. Call now!