In the early 1990s, the Chevrolet 454 SS pickup gave truck enthusiasts something they hadn’t seen before — a factory-built muscle truck with serious performance credentials. Now, more than three decades later, the team at Power Nation has built a modern tribute that makes the original look tame.
Starting with a clean 1989 Chevrolet 1500, the crew set out to create the ultimate sport truck, one that blended old-school character with new-school engineering. The truck’s body was already in exceptional shape for its age, so the focus quickly turned to the mechanicals. The frame was fully boxed and powder-coated for strength and durability, while the suspension received a complete overhaul with coil-overs up front and a reworked live axle at the rear. Four-wheel disc brakes, rack-and-pinion steering, and modern wheels and tires rounded out the chassis improvements.
The biggest story, though, sits under the hood. Power Nation replaced the original 454-cubic-inch engine with a hand-built, Gen VI 632-cubic-inch big block — a monstrous 10.4-liter V8 featuring an 11.8:1 compression ratio, custom hydraulic roller camshaft, and handmade headers feeding an exhaust with electronically controlled dumps. Backing it up is a six-speed manual transmission that sends power to a custom driveshaft and 3.25 rear gears.
On the dyno, the result was nothing short of staggering: 806 horsepower and 812 pound-feet of torque. At the drag strip, the truck ran the eighth-mile in 7.51 seconds at 97 mph, roasting tires through multiple gears in the process.
Visually, the build nods to its 454 SS inspiration with retro graphics and a fresh paint job, while the interior features updated materials, new seats, gauges, and a refinished dashboard.
Part restoration, part reinvention, this 632-powered Chevy 1500 stands as a tribute to the golden era of sport trucks — and proof that the muscle truck legacy is alive and well.