Discussion
Browsing Collecting Cars' USA listings, I stumbled across a vehicle that was, quite honestly, my guilty pleasure.
I have always loved convertible vehicles, V8s and pickup trucks. What could be a better purchase than one vehicle that fulfills all those things?
After a slightly unusual auction process (that I won't expand on), I ended up being the lucky owner of my first convertible pickup!
May I present the 2006 Chevrolet SSR.
Let's be honest and address the elephant in the room. It's not the best looking of vehicles. It's from a rather weird period of time for Chevy and has a face that only a mother can love...and some weird Englishman in Florida.
Having said that, it's a later example with a 6.0L V8 motor that puts 395hp through the rear wheels...with very little weight over said wheels.
This particular example appeared to be very clean underneath. What's more it had less than 8k miles on it.
It's typical mid-2000s inside - crappy plastics throughout...but that doesn't stop the smile across my face when driving it! I had it transported down to FL from KY and picked it up about 10 miles from my house late at night. My drive home was sublime - powersliding around most the corners with the roof down and beautiful late-summer Florida weather. I doubt the car had been driven like that for a while.
It turns out the rear tires were a lot older than I expected/remembered...which probably explains why it was quite so tail happy. New rears have been ordered and I did an oil change. Otherwise, the thing runs great!
I've done about 300 miles so far, still awaiting tires and they have all been great fun! It's a wonderful way to potter around and get stuff done.
I'll post more in a while!
I have always loved convertible vehicles, V8s and pickup trucks. What could be a better purchase than one vehicle that fulfills all those things?
After a slightly unusual auction process (that I won't expand on), I ended up being the lucky owner of my first convertible pickup!
May I present the 2006 Chevrolet SSR.
Let's be honest and address the elephant in the room. It's not the best looking of vehicles. It's from a rather weird period of time for Chevy and has a face that only a mother can love...and some weird Englishman in Florida.
Having said that, it's a later example with a 6.0L V8 motor that puts 395hp through the rear wheels...with very little weight over said wheels.
This particular example appeared to be very clean underneath. What's more it had less than 8k miles on it.
It's typical mid-2000s inside - crappy plastics throughout...but that doesn't stop the smile across my face when driving it! I had it transported down to FL from KY and picked it up about 10 miles from my house late at night. My drive home was sublime - powersliding around most the corners with the roof down and beautiful late-summer Florida weather. I doubt the car had been driven like that for a while.
It turns out the rear tires were a lot older than I expected/remembered...which probably explains why it was quite so tail happy. New rears have been ordered and I did an oil change. Otherwise, the thing runs great!
I've done about 300 miles so far, still awaiting tires and they have all been great fun! It's a wonderful way to potter around and get stuff done.
I'll post more in a while!
As I said, cheap and crappy materials throughout the cabin. Speaking of the cabin, it really does creak as only a mid-naughties American car can do...but none of that crap matters! It's just lunacy wrapped up in a nice light (4,700lb) package.
Fortunately, the seller kept the furry dice but also the rubber over mats. It's lucky we don't get much rain here in Southern Florida
...oh wait.
The seller had the engine cowling painted red to match the calipers which adds a bit of visual excitement "under the hood". It also has a K&N intake (innit bruv) with the original kindly provided also.
The SSR was only in production for 4 years - 2003 to 2006. I believe they made a little over 24,000 over that 4 year run and I was lucky to find a later model. The 03/04 had a 5.3L V8 but the 05/06 got the 6.0L LS2 V8 which I believe also featured in that year's base model Corvette.
Once the hard-as-granite, dry-rotted rears are swapped, it should be ready to go. It does need a detail however.
Fortunately, the seller kept the furry dice but also the rubber over mats. It's lucky we don't get much rain here in Southern Florida
...oh wait.The seller had the engine cowling painted red to match the calipers which adds a bit of visual excitement "under the hood". It also has a K&N intake (innit bruv) with the original kindly provided also.
The SSR was only in production for 4 years - 2003 to 2006. I believe they made a little over 24,000 over that 4 year run and I was lucky to find a later model. The 03/04 had a 5.3L V8 but the 05/06 got the 6.0L LS2 V8 which I believe also featured in that year's base model Corvette.
Once the hard-as-granite, dry-rotted rears are swapped, it should be ready to go. It does need a detail however.
Edited by The Moose on Monday 1st November 00:24
gruffgriff said:
Good for you! It's a silly thing but better placed in FL than the yellow one that resided in Maidenhead for a bit. Please enlighten; where does the roof fold to? Back of the 'cab' or the bed?
Perfect size pickup truck for Maidenhead!Actually, neither. There's a small compartment between the cab and the bed where it goes:
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