SSR Chevy, Brother's Daily Driver

[speed220mph]

Anyone have a cooler ride for cold or wet weather? Here's what my brother got for such conditions. The really cool ride stays clean and dry in the garage.

[TheSaint71]

Awsome, I also like chevy, but am usually sightly partial to FORD, but thats a nice ride, Im sure your brother will really enjoy it. Good color choice as well... I like all these throw back designs

[RallySnake]

Speed,

I generally dislike pickup trucks. Putting all the weight on one end of anything is bad (look at the deadly 911). However, with the weight of the top equalling things out, this one makes more sense. The looks are outstanding, too. I really wanted to get a yellow one for my wife, but for the price, she got the Jaguar.

Paul

[ToyCollector]

Paul,

Anything is deadly in the wrong hands. The 911, when driven correctly is actually one of the most well planted sportscars out there, just not overly forgiving until the 90s if someone should "panic lift" the throttle mid corner. It is also probably the single most winningest GT/Endurance/Long Distance race platform ever made. I have actually just thought for 5 minutes what other continuously produced platform has won more races/championships that it has. If you know anyone who has the RUF Faszination video, you must watch it, and see how it's weakness can become an asset in the proper hands.

Respectfully,

TC, 911 and Cobra admirer

P.S. Would I let my kids drive a 911 until they had proper training--hell no. But then I wouldn't let them near a Acura NSX either.

[RallySnake]

Toy,

I thought that comment might stir someone up. Even the Porsche engineers admit that the 911 engine's in the wrong place, but the marketing people can't stop selling the things. Probably no more deadly than a Cobra, though. I wonder if there's any way to research this....

Just think how many more races the 911 would have won if the engine were in front of the rear axle. Maybe it would have dominated Sports Car racing to the point where it killed the series like the 917/30 did in Can Am...

In actual fact, I understand last year's winner of most fatalities goes to the Dodge RAM pickup. Just goes to show; common sense, isn't.

Paul (No, not Ralph Nadar )

[ToyCollector]

I hear you Paul about the common sense bit No harm, no foul by the way. That RUF video is really really awesome. If you ever watch the Victory by Design show on Porsche, or the one that is sometimes on TLC about 911 history, there are clips of a Yellow RUF (Porsche tuning house) 911 Narrow-body Turbo (this car is known as the Yellowbird) smoking it's tires exiting a turn in full drift mode---that is a clip from this video. There are better scenes on the actual tape as the guy goes around the Salzburgring. Tape is a bit pricey, but one of those you can watch over and over again.

[RallySnake]

Toy,

I guess I have a bit of a grudge. My Cobra was overheating one day going South on the 101 and a 911 buzzed me. I couldn't do anything about it! I have made up for it several time since, though.

I'll look for it on Victory by Design. I love that show!

Paul

[Sizzler]

I looked at that. Tried it on. It's big enough, roomy enough. but the performance just isn't there. For the image, and given the engine, I'd expect a LOT more oomph from it. I'm told its lack of performance is due to its 6000+ lb weight. You'd think maybe some aluminum could of found its way into its structure, or a carbon-fiber roof; something, anything to get its weight down to merely elephantine, instead of planetary. Looks are good, size is good, just don't understand why the performance can't match the appearance, especially given that it seems to have been designed from a clean piece of paper. Bummer

[speed220mph]

Paul,

I think I'll get a Lightening. Only problem is the top doesn't go down . . . at least not easy and only once.

[CRZN427]

speed220mph,

I would not wish to take any wind out of your brother's sail, or yours for that matter.

When the original Chevy truck came out, that your brother's is a retro-copy of, I didn't much care for it, I still don't care for the style as GM has presented it now.

They do have a couple good ideas and probably present them well, I have only seen one of these from adistance so far.

You asked if anyone had a cooler ride for cold or wet weather, well I believe that my wife's new car fills that bill nicely.

I'm not camparing it to the Chevy, just saying it is a cool ride for wet and cold weather.

Please excuse the distortion of the pictures as I merely photographed a brochure.

Our car is "Speed Yellow" rather than the color in the pictures.

[G.R.]

Sizzler--what would your reaction be if the SSR was based "ala retro" on 50's Ford pickups ? The same ?

Most of the new "catch your eye" vechicles from most any American marque don't have the "oomph" or "performance" one would expect from the vechicle

Why bad mouth a guys ride---Speed's Bro bought a vechicle that "he" not "you" wanted .

One in every crowd

[CobraDan]

The most amazing part about the retro radical SSR street-truck-rod is that it's in production. Image, of course, is the culprit. The SSR's mission is to demonstrate what a cool and innovative organization GM really is, or wants to become.

Base Price: $42,000 and dealers are getting $8,000 to $9,000 over as a premium.
Engine: 5.3 Liter OHV V8 300HP
Weight: 4,760

Dan

[jmkkingpin]

Why can't you guys be happy for the guy's brother who bought the SSR Know body cares if you like it or what your wife drives!!!

[Chaplin]

I didn't think I'd ever say this, but I agree with Sizzler I LOVE the look and style of the SSR, really is one of the coolest looking vehicles to come out since . . . well the 1950s But for the $$, they should have more performance. (If you could drop one of those 502 crate motors in there you'd really have something. )

But G.R. is right, many new cars have the same problem. One need look no further than the new T-Bird for an example of a car that suffers the same affliction as the SSR; hopefully the SSR won't suffer the same fate as the new T-Bird, b/c I really do like the way it looks.

[CobraDan]

Not the 502 when you could use the new 572

[RallySnake]

Kingpin,

This is a Cobra website. I think we have a general agreement that the Cobra is the most fun car on the road. The Cobra does not fullfill everyone's needs, though. There are few of us that could get along in life with ONLY a Cobra. So, when someone brings up another vehicle to our attention it stimulates interest. Some comments are positive (as, your's truly tries to be) and some are negative. But, there is something to be learned from all of them.

I really like the new SSR. Enough to go to a dealer before it was released to put a deposit on one. Then, I found something we liked better. I appreciate all the folks comments here. If you don't, click somewhere else, don't just drop a load of s... I think Speed knew what he was doing when he opened this up for discussion. Do you think he just wanted verbal pats on the back?

Paul

[speed220mph]

I don't think it will turn out to be another PT Cruiser, but the dealer offered my brother $2,500 not to take delivery of his SSR! Word is dealers are getting $10--15K more than invoice! Why not just get a Z06 or whatever?

And unlike some other cars mentioned, you can tow and haul mulch in an SSR!

CRZN427: Wind? Doesn't both me. Whatever floats your boat.

[speed220mph]

For cold weather, here's my other adrenalin car.

[Sizzler]

Originally posted by speed220mph


And unlike some other cars mentioned, you can tow and haul mulch in an SSR!

You might be able to haul mulch, but I think you'd have a little problem shoveling it out with the "trunk" lid there. It's a new El Camino, my cousin once owned 5 El Camino's at once, he liked them so much. Too bad the price on El Camino's seems to have rocketed so much more than the price of Malibu's.

But what I really wanted to know more about is this tunnel ram you're running on a 427 SO, per your bio data. I looked through your gallery, but couldn't find a picture of it. What kind of tunnel ram is it, what sort of carb(s) do you run, how does it run overall?

Thanks

[ToyCollector]

Tom,

You a pilot? Based on that front 'Stang plate, I figure yes.