SEMA Chevy 1500 Build Takes Us Back to the ’90s
Street trucks went out of fashion years ago. But this wild Chevy 1500 makes us wonder – is it time for a comeback?
Back in the ’90s, street trucks dominated the custom car world. Everybody and their mother (well, maybe not momma) wanted to own and drive a cool, slammed, two-wheel drive, regular cab pickup. Shave the body, throw on some huge wheels, slap on an audacious paint job, and just drive the thing. But like many passing fads and fashions, street trucks didn’t survive the test of time. And pickups like this Chevy 1500 we spotted at GAA Classic Cars look a little, well, strange today.
Not that that’s necessarily a bad thing. It’s just that we, as an enthusiast community, have moved on to monstrous, lifted four-wheel drive, crew cab pickups. Heck, you can barely even find a regular cab, two-wheel drive truck on dealer lots these days. And if you do, it’s a Maytag white work truck. This ’95 Chevy 1500, on the other hand, was built as a SEMA show horse. Which means that it was designed specifically to sit still and be stared at.
It all starts under the sheetmetal, where you’ll find an array of AccuAir air bags attached to a heavily modified suspension. That allows the pickup to sit on the ground and hug those 22-inch billet wheels like your grandma hugs you after an extended absence. But of course, you’ll notice that only after feasting your eyes on the smoothed out body covered in blazing red paint and unmistakable custom graphics.
Like any proper SEMA/street truck build, this Chevy 1500 has an equally unique interior, too. Red leather covers most of the surfaces, while aircraft “bomber” seats serve as attention-grabbing centerpieces. Throw in a massively powerful stereo with a 12-inch Kicker in the custom console (for good measure), and the formula is complete. Love it or hate it, this stunning package makes us wonder – is it time for the good old street truck to make a comeback?
