It has been quite some time since Chevrolet offered a proper high performance pickup, but back in 2004, the Silverado SS was everything that you could want in a go-fast truck. The Silverado SS package added unique suspension, unique body bits, 20 inch wheels that looked massive back then and a high performance drivetrain – featuring a 6.0L Vortec V8 mated to an all-wheel drive system for optimal traction.
These low-slung pickups were among the quickest and sportiest on the street at that time, with 345 horsepower and 380lb-ft of torque making the Silverado SS the most powerful truck from Chevy at that time and one of the most powerful in GM’s history. The spiritual successor to the GMC Syclone, the General Motors performance truck of the nineties.
For this week’s Throwback Thursday video, we bring you a look at the television commercial for the 2004 Silverado SS. To push the street truck theme, this commercial shows the Silverado SS rolling into a lowrider show chock full of classic Chevrolet cars and trucks – all of which seemingly celebrate the arrival of the modern performance truck.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umOb7c0SXNA
Sound off on the this one: Has the Silverado SS aged well, or you prefer it’s Trailblazer SS brother instead? Should Chevrolet or General Motors bring back the hot rod street truck, perhaps with LT4 power? Let us know what you think in the comments below.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
