Vehicle Description
The 2003-'06 Chevrolet SSR (for Super Sports Roadster) is a
V-8-powered convertible sport pickup with retro styling based on
the 1949-'55 Advance Design trucks. Just 24,180 were built over
four model years, making the SSR a relatively low-production
collectible today. This Chevy was an ambitious project that went
from a drawing to a concept vehicle to a production truck without
drastic changes to its appearance. The SSR's power hard top was one
of the truck's most novel features. At the touch of a button, a
hatch at the rear of the cab opened to reveal a compartment into
which the vehicle's two-piece roof retracted. The transformation
from closed to open cab took about 25 seconds and didn't change the
capacity of the truck's bed. When the SSR made its debut in 2003,
it was powered by a 5.3-liter (325-cu.in.) aluminum V-8. With a
9.5:1 compression ratio, it made 300 horsepower at 5,200 rpm and
331 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. The only transmission
available was GM's Hydra-Matic 4L60-E, a four-speed automatic with
overdrive. Underpinning the SSR was a frame lifted from the
Trailblazer, with boxed, hydroformed steel rails connected by seven
crossmembers. The front suspension consisted of upper and lower
control arms with struts and an anti-roll bar. Out back, a solid
axle swung from five links with coil springs and tubular shocks
smoothing out bumps in the road. A Torsen limited-slip differential
was standard issue, as were four-wheel disc brakes. For a proper
hot-rod look, the SSR rolled on 20-inch-tall by 10-inch-wide wheels
in the back and 19-inch-tall by 8-inch-wide wheels in the
front.
