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What is our SSR?

3K views 31 replies 20 participants last post by  Double-L 
#1 ·
1) Is it a truck?
2) Is it a car?
3) Is it a Sports Car?
4) Is it an SUV?
5) Is it a modern day, custom hot rod?
6) Is it a two seater Roadster Hot Rod with a trunk?

If you think back, they called the '57 Ford retractable, the first retractable hardtop, a car. Was it? It was larger than our SSR. Had a chassis. Fit six passengers, and it had a trunk. Now our SSR, has a chassis, although not really a truck chassis. It a two seater, with a console, center shift, and waterfall. It's a V8, larger rear, custom Italian wheels, and can now be bought with a Corvette engine and six speed.

We should name this vehicle something that will catch on in the SSR circuit, other than a truck. It's far from a truck, and shouldn't even be compared to trucks.

Open for suggestions...let's see what we can come up with. :ssr :confused
 
#2 · (Edited)
The frame is a shortened Trailblazer XT frame. The 03/04 had the optional Trailblazer XT engine and transmission, complete with 4WD fittings, splined front hubs and the hole in the oil pan for the transaxle - sounds a bit truckish to me.

I like calling it a truck - not a big car fan, haven't owned one since the mid 80's, when the 67 GTO and I parted ways. My wife has driven a truck for years as well, and the closest we came to a car was test driving a Magnum R/T to replace her lowered 4WD Sonoma, because she thought it was cool looking. Got back in her Sonoma and said Nope - I'm keeping my truck.
 

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#4 ·
Why feel the need to label it anything other than SSR. Labels are so one dimensional and when you own a vehicle like the SSR you've got to think a bit outside the box. It's a multi faceted multi dimensional vehicle, it's all those things listed and more to some people. I like to think of mine as a muscle car (even though I know it's technically a truck) to each his own label, no need for a committee vote to gather a consensus to slap a label on a vehicle which IMHO defies definition.

Coz :reddevil
 
#6 ·
Coz said:
Why feel the need to label it anything other than SSR. Labels are so one dimensional and when you own a vehicle like the SSR you've got to think a bit outside the box. It's a multi faceted multi dimensional vehicle, it's all those things listed and more to some people. I like to think of mine as a muscle car (even though I know it's technically a truck) to each his own label, no need for a committee vote to gather a consensus to slap a label on a vehicle which IMHO defies definition.

Coz :reddevil

:agree :party :agree
 
#9 · (Edited)
Flassh said:
The frame is a shortened Trailblazer XT frame. The 03/04 had the optional Trailblazer XT engine and transmission, complete with 4WD fittings, splined front hubs and the hole in the oil pan for the transaxle.

I stated this when I first joined the site in one of my posts. I was curious, before I bought it, to see what the undercarraige was like, so I put it on the lift. Mike Kotze, the technician on my forum, who is the head mechanic for Outten Chevrolet and a Corvette specialist, were amazed to see the set up. You would figure that they would modify some of the drive tranny. I met a gentleman at one of the shows, that works in one of the chassis plants for GM in Reading, PA. I'm not sure if some of the frames came out of there or not.

I know on the '05s they changed the rack and pinion and wheel bearings. I wish they would have designed a different front end for the car. :ssr

My 02 ford lightning has truck plates....my SSR doesn't
Plus GM no longer has the window sticker stating "truck"..It now says Super Sport Roadster....

I guess the times are changing today...with all the small cars on the road. I have a '59 Cadillac Convertible in my collection, and it comes in as a whopping 4720 in weight. If they went by weight, they could classify it as a truck. I'm not trying to argue a point with anyone...you could call it whatever you like. If they came out with the Prowler with the rear bed, similar to ours, I wouldn't classify it as a truck. Being the chassis on the SSR is a shortened Trail Blazer, and a Trail Blazer is a mid sized SUV, I can't consider the SSR a truck. I personally would catagorize it with the El Camino, and the Ford Ranchero. All have coil springs all around, straight axle rear, very low capacity for carrying weight, two seaters with more features of a car than a truck. This is just my opinion, for whatever it's worth. :)
 
#10 ·
It's a truck.

Give it a rear end like a High Boy and it could have easily been developed as a Business Coupe. That would have been neat too.

That's not gonna happen as long as the CAFE requirements stay in effect.

Just when was the last time Detroit built a business coupe anyway?
 
#12 ·
As per the insurance CO.

I had this discussion two weeks ago with my insurance agent.

It's listed as a truck.

It's titled as a truck.

It's license plates are truck.

It's used as a truck.

Why doesn't it deserve the utlity vehicle disscount like the other trucks I own?

His response after checking ewith corparate headquaters was.........

It's a PERFORMANCE VEHICLE with a big engine.

What a load of malarky. All of my other trucks have bigger more HP motors than the SSR, but none have a sport supension. The rest are all 4 wheel drives.

So it must be the suspension that makes it the performance vehicle
 
#13 ·
I think I prove pretty conclusively in my book, "The SSR Experience", that the SSR is actually a factory street rod, and a blank canvas for you to paint to your particular appearance and performance needs! :)

Those of you who have not bought my book, take a long look at the various recognizable shapes from prior classics evident in its body, and think about the approach that G used to actually build it.

It's a street rod.

Jim G
 
#14 ·
My truckin' street rod

Yeah, Jim you're right, but it's just easier to say truck....Besides that sounds more practical than street rod and people are really surprised to see what my "truck"reallly is when they see it. :jester
 
#15 ·
05 390 hole in pan

I noticed that my 05 390 motor has the hole in the pan and splined holes in the front wheels .GM must be still useing the old trail blazer parts .anyone else noticed this?? :seeya kay :ssr
 
#18 ·
halifax said:
We are all known by a particular label on this site.....I think your's is "COZ".
Does not have to mean one dimensional!
Actually Coz is my name or handle, not a label.

Just as the vehicle's proper name is SSR.

Now you can certainly try to find one or two words to 'describe' me or 'label' me. (wouldn't be the first time a few choice words were chosen to describe me.) but they would fall short in describing ALL sides of me.

Just as if I tried to slap a single label on my SSR it would somehow seem lacking.

But of course label it if you feel you must.
 
G
#22 · (Edited)
All by it's self.

It's in a league of it's own as far as I'm concerned. Nothing really to compare it to.
Unless you want to compare apples to oranges. And my SSR is no rotten apple.
I think thats 1 reason we all love the :ssr so. As we used to say a few years back
"You got STYLE" :thumbs :lol :seeya :flag

I got a "HotRod" as Black Oak Arkansas would say. :lol :) :lol
 
#23 · (Edited)
I just call mine the SSR (girlfriend calls it my other girlfriend because I am always rubbing her down)

I have a 1932 Chevrolet Roadster car and pick-up and have always just called them roadster car or roadster pick-up. Both are built on a standard 1931-32 chevrolet passenger car frame, roadster pick-ups are some times called canopies.
 
#26 ·
Coz said:
Actually Coz is my name or handle, not a label.

Just as the vehicle's proper name is SSR.

Now you can certainly try to find one or two words to 'describe' me or 'label' me. (wouldn't be the first time a few choice words were chosen to describe me.) but they would fall short in describing ALL sides of me.

Just as if I tried to slap a single label on my SSR it would somehow seem lacking.

But of course label it if you feel you must.
I think I understand your point. To me label ,name ,handle , who cares.
However, if label means a judgement and I think thats your take of it, then I retract the term. A little exercise learned with age for me is not to judge . If I do, well really I'm Judging myself as inferior to, equal to, or better than. Continually internal rating of oneself I find a very negative exercise.

When we lived in northern Canada , Arizona was our favourite vacation spot. A friend of mine use to spend a lot of time in Apache Junction. Back then there was a lot happening in Chandler and Gilbert as I recall most. Got very close to buying a condo in a then new development in Scottsdale (the old woulda,coulda,shoulda situation). Sedona was quite an attraction, but we preferred Scottsdale overall.

So Coz, you are not getting any labels from this guy! Even though this day is memorably difficult, I sincerely hope it is as good as you can possibly have!
All the best to you
 
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