- An incredibly low-mileage Chevrolet performance truck is heading for auction.
- The 454 SS pickup was sold new in 1990, but has covered just 12 miles.
- Chevy’s big 7.4-liter V8 was rated at just 230 hp, but has 385 lb-ft of torque.
Modern small-capacity turbocharged engines are clever, no question, but don’t you ever yearn for a big ol’ motor with cylinders like Big Gulps, something with heaps of torque, no turbo lag and that you can easily fix in your own garage? If that sounds appealing, keep reading, because this immaculate, unused vintage Chevy big-block truck is looking for a new home.
This fourth-generation C1500 was ordered new in 1990 in 454 SS trim, which for that first year meant upgraded suspension, compulsory Onyx Black paint and an arresting Garnet Red Interior, whose seats are still covered in plastic because this truck has covered only 11.7 miles (19 km) from new.
Related: 9-Mile 1990 Chevy 454 SS Is Still Wrapped In Original Plastics
But the star of the show was the humongous V8 under the hood, which the snazzy ‘454′ graphics on the tail alluded to. It wasn’t a special engine, just a straight lift from GM’s heavy duty trucks of the era, but with 230 hp (233 PS), the 7.4 litre V8 (454 cu-in) was only 20 hp (20 PS) down on a same-year Corvette’s 5.7.
And when it came to torque, which is what muscle trucks are all about, even the Vette’s 350 lb-ft (475 Nm) at 3,200 rpm had to cede to the 454’s twisting force: 385 lb-ft (522 Nm) at just 1,900 rpm. That muscle was fed through a three-speed automatic transmission to the rear wheels and could get the SS to 60 mph (97 kmh) in around 7.7 seconds.
Okay, so it doesn’t sound much to write home about 35 years on, and the far more famous and much smaller, turbocharged, all-wheel-drive GMC Syclone you could also buy that year would do the trip in less than 5 seconds. But it was still an impressive showing for a big truck in 1990, and later models cut the sprint closer to 7 seconds dead thanks to a 25 hp (25 PS) boost, more modern four-speed automatic and a shorter final drive.
This truck was sold new at H&K Motor Sales in Continental, Ohio, but never even had its pre-delivery inspection and appears to have spent the past few decades in storage. The 275/60 15 BF Goodrich Comp T/A rubber is the original, and probably as grippy as just driving on the rims by now.
But we can’t imagine the new owner will be changing out those old tires for something newer and safer when it’s destined to spend its life as a static exhibit. Which is a shame, but it also means the new owner won’t have to deal with the realities of 10 mpg fuel economy.
More: Brand New 1990 Camaro IROC Z 1LE Hidden In A Basement For 35 Years
If you like the idea of owning this truck, it’s going under the hammer at Mecum’s Glendale sale in March. You can check out the listing here. Or if you want something similar, but which you don’t feel guilty about throwing a few miles on, you can pick up 40,000-mile (64,000 km) examples for around $30-40k on classic car sites.
