Attack of the Silverado SS Clone

Chevy enthusiasts who have a need for speed and all-around on-road aggression hold the Super Sport lineup of Bow Tie clad vehicles very near and dear. The muscle cars of the past bearing the distinctive SS badging let onlookers and would-be competition know right away what they were rocking with. From upgraded interior trim packaging, more responsive suspension components to more power under the hood, Chevy SS cars are in a class all their own.

Throughout the years, Chevy truck fanatics have had the opportunity to join in on the SS lineage with special edition pickup models since the early ’90s, but none have been more popular than the release of the Silverado SS in the early 2000s. These trucks are true timepieces of style and performance, and while there might not be too many for sale out there in everyone’s area, there’s always a way around that problem.

Once upon a time, Rolando Lopez, of Pharr, Texas, found himself searching for a truck of his own to build since he had some friends in a local club (shout out R2R Truckings). Seeing his buddies working on their projects and spending time with each other at shows was enough to reel him into the action. Throughout the years, Rolando has owned a couple trucks that turned out to be show worthy, but his most recent project is the one that he has invested the most time and effort into.

When Rolando found his 2005 Silverado, it was already half built by someone else. While that can sometimes be an issue, he took it in stride by working with the modifications he was cool with and changing things up where he saw fit. Now, most guys see the crew cab as a desirable model since they’re passenger friendly and offer a lot of interior space, but Rolando couldn’t take his mind off trying to give it some SS flavor, even though all the Super Sport Silverados came in the extended cab configuration. The transformation of his truck wouldn’t be impossible, however. It would just require some imagination and hands-on detailing to make it work.

To start the project, Rolando began with the chassis. Wanting his truck to look like a true SS Silverado, only a modest drop was in order. The rear of the frame was C-notched to allow for ample suspension travel, and the front was lowered using 2-inch springs. Wanting to run with a sporty wheel selection while still making a lasting first impression, Rolando selected a killer set of 26- and 28-inch Intro Retro wheels to fill in the remaining fender gap. He then found some Dunlop rubber to fit the wheels, and felt it necessary to upgrade the braking system with front Wilwood 16-inch, 6-piston calipers—good call there.

Rolando was able to get his hands on an OEM SS body kit, which was honestly half the battle of ultimately accomplishing what he wanted with his Silverado. The kit was carefully molded and pieced together to fit his truck’s four-door façade.

“My truck finally fit the description of what we call an official SS clone here in Texas, only mine just had two extra doors,” Rolando says.

To capitalize on the generous size of the cab, Rolando also made the decision to run with a dual sunroof setup to maximize the amount of fresh air circulating throughout the cab.

To push the styling of this truck a bit further, Rolando recruited the assistance of Bobby “Good Times” Garza to bless the Silverado with a fresh coat of House of Kolor Orion Silver paint and some killer graphics on the hood, both sides and rear of the truck. The custom artwork features HOK Galaxy Grey and Torch Red colors to produce contrasting paneling with honeycomb detail that almost appears to be real metal mesh inserts—it’s that good!

With the exterior of the Silverado cleaned up nicely, Rolando then focused his attention to the interior. He reached out to Palmas Upholstery, in McAllen, Texas, to treat the OEM seating to some fresh leather skins and matching colored plaid inserts. An Intro Retro style steering wheel was also brought in to class up the interior and complement the exterior wheel selection. Now, Rolando had a lot of real estate to work with inside the cab, and he wanted to capitalize on it by wiring up a full audio system. A Pioneer head unit controls the show, which features two 10-inch JL Audio subs complete with a custom ported box enclosure for the correct breathing space.

Now, is this truck a legitimate Silverado SS? No, but it damn sure is legit in its styling and attention to detail. Rolando mixed his love of Chevy’s Super Sport spirit, and his admiration of the true Silverado SS to create the four-doored crowd favorite you see here. His truck boasts a super clean exterior appearance, an undeniably killer set of big billets, and a decked out interior space that great for show and long trips on the road.

Rolando spent two years molding his truck into what it is today and has had the opportunity to display it at numerous Texas events including Spring Break Jam, LST, Texas Holdem, October Truck Madness and the super local RGV Showoff. Catch this insanely cool SS styled crew cab Silverado on the streets of southern Texas or at truck shows statewide. Rolando is proud of his latest build, as he should be, and isn’t holding back on bringing it out to hopefully inspire others to build the exact truck they want—even if it is built to look like something it previously wasn’t.

TRUCK SPECS

 OWNER

Rolando Lopez
Pharr, Texas
2005 Chevy Silverado SS Clone
R2R Truckings

Chassis & Suspension

  •  Monster C-notch
  •  Shortly narrowed rearend
  •  Two-inch front drop springs
  •  OEM shocks
  •  Wilwood 16-inch 6-piston front brakes by The Drop Shop, Mission, TX
  •  Rear OEM drum brakes and master cylinder

Engine & Drivetrain

  •  6.0 stroked out ’05 V-8
  •  Turbo kit by Turbonetics
  •  4L80 transmission

Wheels & Tires

  •  26- and 28-inch Intro Retro wheels by Alex “Billet Plug” Martinez, Edinburg, TX
  •  275/25R26 and 295/25R28 Dunlop tires

Body & Paint

  •  Shop: Paint and graphics by Bobby “Good Times” Garza, Alamo, TX
  •  House of Kolor Orion Silver and Galaxy Grey
  •  Custom honeycomb graphics using Galaxy Grey and Torch Red
  •  OEM SS grille and bumpers
  •  OEM SS body kit molded and pieced together to fit a four-door crew cab
  •  Tubbed front and back
  •  Double sunroof

Interior & Stereo

  •  Shop: Palmas Upholstery, McAllen, TX
  •  Custom bucket seats and center console to match front captain seats
  •  Upholstered in black leather and silver/black plaid fabric
  •  Matching door panels
  •  Intro Retro steering wheel
  •  Pioneer head unit
  •  Two 10-ionch JL Audio subs and amp in custom ported box

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