Unhappy with turbocharged diesel engines and frustrated by the tiny 4-cylinder motors, gearheads must have felt on top of the world between 1990 and 1993 when Chevrolet offered its C1500 454 SS.
The Chevy truck, in fact, would feature what the most traditionalist drivers were looking for: a huge big-block V8 engine to make their truck growl as deep as possible. With some outstanding specifics and cool peculiarities, the C1500 454 SS has been a true game-changer. Here are the most surprising things most people have probably forgotten about it.
8 Not A Model, But The Sickest Edition Available
The C1500 SS 454 has never been identified as a model, in fact, it was an edition, labeled with the code RPOB4U. Part of the C/K family, a name would be abandoned in 1999 and replaced with Silverado, this truck held the highest peak in sports truck performance.
The 454ci engine was mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. Stock, it didn't produce insane power tough, but 230HP and 405 lb-ft of torque was very decent numbers for an early '90s pick up, especially considering the engine was naturally aspirated.
7 The Return Of The Big Block
How could you go big on an under-dimensioned pickup truck? Let's go back to the start to understand the obsession with big engines. The first pick-up trucks that arrived on the market, along with cars, of course, were ridiculously heavy. Only huge engines with lots of horsepower could make them move decently.
With time, the big-block engines would start to appear in some lighter cars, and of course, the overall performance benefited from it. From that moment on, the big block has always been a symbol of indomitable power, and especially on this Chevy truck, it was able to give some new vibes to old-school enthusiasts.
6 Surprising Acceleration
Capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in only 7.2 seconds, the Chevy muscle truck was absolutely one-of-a-kind. The engine pulls best at low rpm, so quarter-mile time was not that impressive, taking 15.8 seconds.
In the early '90s, there were other muscle trucks ready to challenge the Chevy 454 SS, such as the turbocharged V6 GMC Syclone. Although the Chevy wasn't as fast as the Syclone — which could go from 0 to 60 mph in less than 5 seconds — the 454 SS was still pretty impressive for a naturally aspirated truck.
5 Not The Cheapest Truck To Run
Of course, we could not expect this heavy muscle truck to be super frugal on gas. Cranking your car uses about the same amount of gas as idling for 10 seconds, and guess what happens when this huge big-block V8 engine starts up and moves its first meters.
City mileage was rated at 10 mpg, while the highway number was only one greater. But considering the reason behind the vehicle, we can turn a blind eye. This would definitely not be a cheap truck to daily drive, but the feeling of driving this huge growling monster is definitely priceless.
4 Effortless In Turns
As soon as the truck was launched in the market, everybody expected it to show its mightiness on long straight roads. Everybody was amazed when, after the first tests, the 454 SS was also brilliant in the corners.
The performance handling package included Bilstein gas-filled shocks, a front stabilizer bar, and 12,7:1 ratio steering. The result was a truck that would go through demanding maneuvers with the minimum effort. The 16" tires, in fact, would grip onto the asphalt more than you would do on your nice red seat.
3 The SS Aesthetic Package
"SS" stands for "Super Sport" and it brings us back to the first SS editions of the most competitive Chevy muscle cars, like for example the gorgeous '72 Chevelle. The SS truck, in its sport-oriented soul, wanted everyone to remember which family it belonged to, and its aesthetic look was all about that.
It came with a special appearance package with 454 SS decals, a heavy-duty black front grille, fog lights, and blacked-out trim, the only color offered was black. Over the years, some of them have been repainted in brighter white and red colors.
2 Not-So-Obvious Options
With fancy full-red interiors, the Chevy truck would come with a sports steering wheel, red floor mats, bucket seats, and a cassette stereo. In addition, there was air conditioning, cruise control, power windows and locks, and a full set of needleless gauges.
The six-slot chrome wheels just look gorgeous and perfectly matching with the era this truck comes from. Also, this truck features a rear sliding window, located behind the driver's back.
1 Limited And Expensive
For $18,295 ($36,450 today) drivers could get the coolest pickup truck around. Sure, today that amount of money makes it sound like a bargain, the high-end Chevy 454 SS was too expensive to be used as a work truck.
We just can't stop thinking how evil it looks, especially when you compare it with the brash, chrome-laden full-size trucks of today. The 454 SS is definitely the product of a very different era, but that's what makes it so compelling.