At $39,995, Is This 2005 Chevy SSR A Silly-Good Deal?

Nobody needs a convertible pickup with a six-liter V8 and a six-speed stick like today's Nice Price or No Dice SSR, but gosh darn it, there are some fine folks out there who really want one. Let's find out if this truck's price makes it the one.

A moniker arose during the late 1980s to describe a certain category of the automotive market: the UJC, or Ubiquitous Japanese Car. This described the then-popular mid-sized (or large for the home market) sedans that proliferated during the era. Whether Honda Accord, Nissan Altima, Subaru Legacy, Mazda 626, or Toyota Camry, the consensus was at the time that each car was interchangeable and none had much in the way of individual personality. 

Unfortunately, many of those cars have been lost to the pages of indistinguishable history. Luckily for us, we had a 1989 Toyota Camry All-Trac as our contender last Friday, and that AWD sedan came away as sufficiently unique in today's market to garner some laudable enthusiasm. At just $3,000, it proved a decent value, as well, earning an overwhelming 84% 'Nice Price' win in the voting.

Looking back to the late 1980s is fairly easy. Anyone who lived through that era likely has an old CD Walkman in a drawer somewhere, and maybe even some neon-hued parachute pants and acid-washed jeans squirreled away deep in a closet. For those too young to have experienced the '80s, it's still recent enough to feel quaint and possibly provide fodder for a timely Halloween costume.

Now think about looking back even further, say to the immediate post-WWII era, before most of us were born. That'll take some effort, but it's just what General Motors' designers did while penning the look of today's 2005 Chevy SSR pickup truck. Taking a cue from Chevy's Advanced Design trucks that debuted in 1947, the SSR broadly replicates that model's bulbous nose, horizontal grille work, and round headlamps. Separate, stepside-style fenders and optional running boards complete the retro look. Everything else about the truck, from its electrically operated origami-style folding hardtop to its Corvette-inspired drivetrain and interior, eschews such old-school notions.

Another consideration that separates the SSR from its inspiration is that while the latter was always intended as a work truck, this modern interpretation sucks at being a hauler. Instead, the SSR's entire raison d'etre is as a ride-or-die mount for cruise night and car shows. This one in particular has all the right specs to impress. That includes the 6.0-liter LS2 V8 from the Corvette and a six-speed Tremec M10 manual gearbox. As fitted in the SSR, that drivetrain pumps 390 horsepower and 405 pound-feet of torque to the live, and very lively, rear axle.

Richard Hammond chose an SSR for the Grand Tour's "Eurocrash" adventure, and was so smitten with it that he bought the truck after the shoot was finished. He brought it back to the UK, where, in light of it being left-hand-drive and wider than the average bear, it's even more ridiculous than in the U.S. There's just something about these goofball trucks that makes people want them.

This one, in silver with a subtle red pinstripe over a black-and-silver interior, looks like a pretty good one to have. According to the seller, the truck comes with a clean title and has only a mere 19,807 miles under its belt. With so few miles, it's no surprise that it looks to be in almost as-new condition, despite it being fully two decades old. 

As it's dealer-offered, we don't get much in the way of sordid details regarding the truck's history or why it's on the market, but the ad does make the claim that it "Runs, Drives and looks new." What more could we ask?

Craigslist

And, while retro in style, these do have most of the accouterments of the modern era, including A/C, power windows and locks, a CD stereo, and airbags galore. Again, what more would any of us need, especially when we have nearly 400 ponies on tap, and our choice of six gears to route them through?

So, unlike its spiritual progenitor, this SSR is almost all for show and not really for doing pickup things. I think in Texas they call that "all hat, no cattle." Is that necessarily a bad thing, though? The Plymouth Prowler we looked at not too long ago posed a similar perspective. Both the Plymouth and the SSR are "just for funsies" vehicles, and we now need to decide if this truck's fun factor is worth the $39,995 price tag.

What do you say? Is this well-kept and appropriately equipped SSR a deal at that $39,995 price tag? Or would it be totally no fun to have to spend that much?

You decide!

Vermont, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.

Hat tip to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!

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