2004 CHEVROLET SSR Convertible Pick-up

2005 Chevrolet SSR LS

AUTOCHOICE Is Yours Dot Com, LC is pleased to present this handsome, imited production, hree owner 2004 Chevrolet SSR convertible. This modern day American classic is a true enthusiast's performance truck! Finished in original Torch Red, aint finish shows extremely well with only minor imperfections visible upon close inspection. Both the front and rear painted bumpers fit nicely and compliment the body. Inside, he original black leather front heated bucket seats looks great with no major signs of wear visible. The door panels and dashboard are are also in excellent condition, testament to the care this truck has received by its prior owners. The clean CarFax shows only three owners from new as well as a value add of $500 above retail due to the complete history found on the truck which includes all inspections, ileage reporting and registrations. This extremely low mileage sports truck is rare for that exclusively discrepant buyer. Call Don today at (509) 301-1498 with your questions and make that appointment to see this beautiful gem!HISTORY AND ARTICLES:

Chevrolet SSR Chevy gives the flamboyant SSR pickup a much-needed 90 more horsepower. Apr 2005 By ANDRÉ IDZIKOWSKI Photography By JIM BROWN Short Take Road Test

The press and public reactions when Chevrolet unveiled the SSR concept at the 2000 Detroit auto show were overwhelmingly positive. The message to Chevrolet was: Build it and they will buy it. The whole idea was outrageous: a pickup truck/roadster with bulging fenders and huge wheels. It just screamed for attention.

Most observers of the car scene laughed at the notion that Chevrolet would ever build its outlandish concept truck, ut to everyone's astonishment, M green-lighted it. For once, earheads got what they'd wished for. Well, ort of.

The production SSR remained close to the concept. The compromises included moving the outside mirrors from the A-pillars to the doors, dding marker lights to the body, nd losing in the translation the sweeping metallic band along the tailgate. We were amazed and pleased that the muscular, ulging fenders made it to production.

Then the excitement waned. The show-circuit SSR had a 6.0-liter V-8 from a three-quarter-ton Silverado pickup, ut the real deal ended up with a 5.3-liter V-8 that had only 300 horsepower to motivate more than two tons of truck. And it was only available with a four-speed automatic transmission. Reviewers described the SSR as all show and not much go.

Chevy had missed the boat in the same way Chrysler had with its 1997 Plymouth Prowler, flashy hot rod that was hampered by a wimpy V-6. The SSR also brought to mind Ford's weak and jiggly retro Thunderbird that went on sale in 2001. In fact, he looks and the attitude were only skin-deep. To qualify as cool and desirable, hese car toys need to not only look fast but also be fast, r at least quick. The Prowler fizzled out two years ago, nd the Thunderbird is destined for the same fate. Things haven't looked much rosier for the SSR since it went on sale in 2003. On December 1, 004, M had a 300-day supply of unsold SSRs. The corporation sold 9648 SSRs last year but had envisioned selling 13,000.

Now instead of simply waiting for the ax to fall, hevy has taken steps for 2005 to give the SSR what it deserved from the start--a big honking engine and a manual transmission. The 5.3-liter V-8 has been replaced with a 6.0-liter LS2 V-8 that churns out 390 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque. It's the same engine found under the hood of the Corvette and the Pontiac GTO, lthough in those cars it's tuned to crank out another 10 horses. A four-speed automatic also found in the Corvette is the standard transmission, ut for an extra $815 there's a Tremec M10 six-speed manual. The combination of this engine and the six-speed tranny gives the SSR some rabid bite to go along with an already hairy bark. The SSR we tested in September 2003 took a leisurely seven seconds to go from 0 to 60 mph. This 2005 tester, ith the six-speed manual, erformed that task in 5.5 seconds. The 0-to-100-mph time was even more impressive. The new SSR whacked six seconds off the previous car's time and reached the century number in just 14.1 seconds. The quarter-mile ET and speed went from 15.4 seconds at 89 mph to 14.1 seconds at 100 mph. These are respectable numbers that put the SSR in the same league with more conventional roadsters like the BMW Z4, onda S2000, nd Nissan 350Z when it comes to straight-line acceleration.

Chevrolet also enhanced a few other things in the revised SSR, ost notably the steering system, hich now has a retuned valve assembly and new bearings and seals for more precise on-center feel and a reduction in steering effort. The steering does feel a bit more accurate, nd it's easier to maneuver the SSR around town, ut the truck still isn't any fun for slaloming through corners. Push the SSR, nd its truck roots are quickly revealed by its bouncy ride. The SSR pulled 0.82 g on the skidpad and stopped from 70 mph in 185 feet, he same distance as the one we tested in 2003.

Amazingly, espite the added 90 horsepower, ne thing that hasn't significantly changed on the SSR is its sticker price. The first SSR we tested had a base price of $41,995; this latest 390-hp version starts at $43,180. It's easy to pile on expensive options, hough. Our tester had, mong other options, he 1SB Preferred Equipment Group ($1900), hich includes heated seats, Bose premium sound system, nd an engine cover insert, nd the Cargo Compartment Trim package ($895) for a hefty total of $47,375.

We won't argue with the SSR's eye-candy value or its ability to attract lots of attention, ut there are a number of roadsters out there that offer better all-around performance at the same price. GM should have put a bigger, ore powerful engine and a manual transmission in the SSR right from the start. That's what this radical, niquely American-looking vehicle deserved.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, ear-wheel-drive, -passenger, -door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $47,375 (base price: $43,180)

ENGINE TYPE: pushrod 16-valve V-8, luminum block and heads, ort fuel injection Displacement: 364 cu in, 967cc Power (SAE net): 390 bhp @ 5400 rpmTorque (SAE net): 405 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 116.0 in Length: 191.4 in Width: 78.6 in Height: 64.2 inCurb weight: 4746 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS: Zero to 60 mph: 5.5 sec Zero to 100 mph: 14.1 sec Street start, -60 mph: 6.6 sec Standing 1/4-mile: 14.1 sec @ 100 mph Top speed (governor limited): 125 mph Braking, 0-0 mph: 185 ftRoadholding, 00-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g

EPA fuel economy, ity driving: 13 mpg

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, ear-wheel-drive, -passenger, -door convertible

PRICE AS TESTED: $47,375 (base price: $43,180)

ENGINE TYPE: pushrod 16-valve V-8, luminum block and heads, ort fuel injection Displacement: 364 cu in, 967cc Power (SAE net): 390 bhp @ 5400 rpmTorque (SAE net): 405 lb-ft @ 4400 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed manual

DIMENSIONS: Wheelbase: 116.0 in Length: 191.4 in Width: 78.6 in Height: 64.2 inCurb weight: 4746 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS: Zero to 60 mph: 5.5 sec Zero to 100 mph: 14.1 sec Street start, -60 mph: 6.6 sec Standing 1/4-mile: 14.1 sec @ 100 mph Top speed (governor limited): 125 mph Braking, 0-0 mph: 185 ftRoadholding, 00-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g

EPA fuel economy, ity driving: 13 mpg