Whereas its strains are retro, there’s nothing old school concerning the drivetrain or fancy folding high on at this time’s Good Value or No Cube SSR. Let’s resolve if this audacious albeit oddball truck has an equally loopy worth.
In the event you’re something like me, then your imaginative and prescient of yesterday’s 1979 Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow II revolved round fixing its flaws after which looking for out different house owners of the posh marque in it to inquire of them whether or not or not they’ve any fancy mustard to spare. A $9,500 price ticket meant patrons of our Silver Shadow shouldn’t need to go begging for Gray Poupon and likewise resulted in a stable 70 % Good Value win.
In distinction to yesterday’s Rolls which is righteously old-school cool, the design of at this time’s 2006 Chevy SSR solely takes its inspiration from the previous. In its case, that’s from Normal Motors’ Superior Design truck line of the Nineteen Fifties. And, as a not-quite blast from the previous added bonus, the light-duty pickup consists of an origami-like folding hardtop roof.
Chevy provided the SSR in the course of the retro craze of the late ’90s and early aughts. Together with automobiles just like the Plymouth Prowler and Ford GT, the SSR confirmed an American auto business that was prepared to take possibilities and flex its enjoyable muscle every so often. The financial downturn that adopted killed off most of those fun-for-the-sake-of-it autos, leaving the used automotive market dotted with such oddball icons.
The SSR was based mostly on the ladder-frame GMT360 platform, which additionally underpins the likes of the Chevy Trailblazer SUV and its half-siblings, the Isuzu Ascender and Saab 9-7X. Relying in your opinion on the SSR’s styling, the full lack of obvious relation with any of these fashions is both a blessing or completely irrelevant.
This one is correctly kitted with a 390 horsepower LS2 V8 and a Tremec T-56 six-speed stick. That combo feeds a limited-slip differential and ultimately a pair of appreciably fats again tires. The engine sits effectively again of the retro grille and beneath a uninteresting plastic cowl. That hides all of its muscularity and is just enlivened by a little bit of physique shade bling above the consumption.
In keeping with the advert, this SSR has lived its total life in California and therefore has no rust on both body or physique. And, whereas it could possibly be thought-about to have been modded on the manufacturing facility, the vendor notes no after-market shenanigans or accidents.
The physique is painted in what’s formally referred to as Redline Purple, however that comes throughout as extra clearly “Arrest Me Purple” and abets the physique’s distinctive design to get the truck observed. It’s claimed to be all-unique and appears to be in nice form for being practically twenty years of age and having achieved 65,000 miles. Manufacturing facility alloys and a few refined brushed metallic trim complement the crimson properly.
Overall, the truck’s styling could also be purely subjective in its attraction, however it undeniably stands out and is a far cry from the folded-in-anger styling of at this time’s Chevy pickups. The rounded, flare-fender design is complemented by working boards and a full arduous tonneau above the carpeted and wood-slatted mattress.
The trick function, in fact, is the folding arduous roof. That appears to be functioning because it ought to because the advert reveals us photos of it in each raised and lowered positions in addition to in transition.
Beneath that roof is a two-seat cabin fitted with leather-based upholstery and silver accent trim together with the outside shade bleeding down onto the console. It’s all very clear, proper all the way down to the embroidered mats, displaying no indicators of wear and tear or tear.
The title can also be clear and the vendor describes the truck in conventional Invoice & Ted trend, as “wonderful.” For that excellence, the vendor is asking $33,400.
Now, costs on SSRs have slumped a bit over the previous yr or so. For these within the know, that will make this a great time to select one up, particularly when it’s the very best of the bunch LS2/stick version.
The query that you just’ll must reply is whether or not it’s time to pay $33,400 for this one. Or if, regardless of potential collectability, this SSR is simply too goofy a truck to command a lot.
You resolve!
San Francisco Bay Space, California, Craigslist, or go right here if the advert disappears.
H/T to Don R. for the hookup!
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