These days, enthusiasts can find performance versions of just about every single model under the sun, but back in the ‘90s, building a truck or utility vehicle for speed was still considered somewhat of an oddity. Some of the better-known examples from General Motors include the GMC Syclone and GMC Typhoon, but the Bow Tie brand had its own answer in the form of the Chevrolet 454 SS pickup.
In true hot rod fashion, the Chevrolet 454 SS pickup mates an enormous engine with a lightweight body, with a 454 cubic-inch V8 stuffed under the hood of a half-ton, short-bed, regular-cab pickup truck. Output from the ‘eight when new was rated at 230 horsepower and a meaty 385 pound-feet of torque, which was enough to propel the pickup to 60 mph in about the high-seven-second range, and down the quarter mile in less than 16 seconds.
What’s more, with so little weight over the rear tires, plus all that torque, the Chevrolet 454 SS would easily roast its tires.
To help it visually stand out from more pedestrian pickups, the Chevrolet 454 SS adds black paint, a black grille, and unique graphics. It also sports separate coolers for the transmission fluid and engine oil, a beefy radiator, quicker steering, suspension improvements, and chrome wheels.
These days, interest in this model is on the rise, especially among enthusiasts. Roughly 17,000 examples were built, most during 1990, with pricing originally starting at around $18,000.
This particular 1990 Chevrolet 454 SS sold new through Serra Chevrolet in Bartlett, Tennessee, and is now offered with less than 50 miles on the clock. It even includes the original window sticker.
Now, it’s headed to auction at the upcoming RM Sotheby’s event in Palm Beach, Florida, scheduled to take place March 20th through the 21st. The pickup will be listed as Lot Number 1121, and will be offered without reserve with an estimated value set between $35,000 and $40,000.
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Source: RM Sotheby’s
Comments
I wanted one of these in the worst way when I was in High School.
Chevrolet should offer a version today.
I was in college and had been working for years so I had a little money. One of these hit the lot in our small town and the dealer didn’t much care for it because we were a rural community and this was not what he thought people wanted so I was the only real interest in it. He hit me at 16,900 plus tag , title , taxes, you know the deal. The only problem was, in 1990 this was still a lot for just a work a day Joe and it was just out of reach. My dad had just bought a new ’89 GMC Sierra, just a regular truck, the year before for 11,000 plus the add on’s so that shows the difference between the costs.
I have never bought one yet but I sure did continue to want one.
I had a few friends buy the 454 and the 1/2 Sport. The 454 guys hated the MPG for daily driving and that it was not all that fast.
The sport guys has the same black look better MPG as nearly has fast.
What I hated was the 454 used the 3/4 ton spindles and this era many people were lowering trucks. Most bought the wrong spindles. Same on the rotors as it did not use half ton parts.
Someone bought this thinking they were going to get rich. They will make some money but not as much if they had invested it. The real shame is they never got to enjoy it.
The 7200 GVWR 3/4 ton spindles were used on sport/ss 1500’s only to enable the brake calipers with larger diameter piston. Rotors were the same as other 1500 series 5 lug. The 7200GVWR 3/4 ton rotors were 6 lug. No problem with most lowering kit spindles as long as a non sport/ss/6lug size front caliper was used. Did a few front lowering and rear shackle jobs on GMT400’s. Agree that the sport package with L05 engine and 5sp was a much better driver at a lot less cost.
I wanted one of these too. But I got the Sport, in 1990 it was my first truck ever, 5sp manual. It booked for around $12K or something but i got it for under $10K new. It had the bench seat but somebody who bought one with the same color interior wanted the bench for a family, so I got his buckets. Very cool truck. I moved to snow country and needed a 4×4 so I sold it in 1994.
Potential buyers of these ‘no-mileage’ vehicles need to consider that they’d be buying a vehicle that has been sitting, undriven— with ancient gasoline, old oil and trans fluid, old brake fluid, and old coolant in it—for THIRTY YEARS. The gasoline and brake fluid, in particular, will wreak havoc on the vehicle’s systems.
might be worth that in 20 more yrs. if handy build your own with a ls or lt based engine it will be worth more
Not really wanting to repute the word of this owner except the odometer numbers do not line up straight as I noticed in the close up photo and as a former sales rep My managers would highly suspect something wrong here ?
Also making it suspect is the stated location of dealer. The sticker on the tailgate is clearly that of Al Serra Chevrolet of Grand Blanc, MI, not Serra of Bartlett, TN. Serra decals are specific to location. Not sure that they even had the Bartlett location in 1990.
they really get out of line when rolled over. if it was close to 55555 and not almost straight then there is something slippery going on
They were definitely big in the “cool factor” department but a major disappointment in the performance department, in fact a lame duck. The sport version with the 350 didn’t give up much to the 454 in performance and fuel mileage was WAY better.
A few wisely chosen performance parts for the 350 and some time spent on the weekend and the SS 454 truck would spend all it’s time in the 350’s rear view mirror.
The SS was basically just another graphics “hot rod”.
I had one. Nice truck, and compared to everything else out at the time, quite fast. 350 Sports were pretty fast too, but compared to a 454SS they were about 1 sec. slower in the quarter. And, whatever you did to a Sport would get better results if you did same to a 454SS. Hard to argue with cubic inches.
Still have my 1989 Sport Black shortbed bought it brand new in July of 89
Built in the Indiana plant only 5300 built
Mine is still on the roadto this day all original except one factory paint over 252,000 miles
Still loving it
I got mine when I was 21. I drove it all over the country and loved it. I still have it in my garage needs a little work but I know it still has lots of life left in it. I broke my back in a car accident 2 years ago and need someone to help me fix a few things on it. Anyone in 714 I’d be happy to pay for a hand.