One enthusiast’s love affair with the “Truck from Hell”
The year was 1990. GM wanted to cater to those who had a strong right foot, but also needed to haul and tow. With the sport-truck craze in full force, they decided to make a pickup with a high performance pedigree that would appeal to them. The 454 SS was born and filled a niche with a power packed ½ ton, short wheel base truck that hadn’t exited GM assembly lines since the 70s. Its rounded, modern day body lines, 454 SS badging and graphic package, distinctive and sinister egg crate grille and chrome sport wheels combined with the torque monster under the hood made the “Truck from Hell” a force to be reckoned with. The production lasted from 1990-1993, with only 17,000 trucks being sold across the nation. The 454 SS truck is now rare and collectible, with a price that will make you double-take.
SRIYANTHA WEERASURIA HAS SUCCESSFULLY ASSEMBLED THE ULTIMATE TRIFECTA OF 454 SS PICKUPS. THE “TRUCK FROM HELL” MADE HISTORY WHEN GM INTRODUCED IT TO THE PUBLIC NEARLY 30 YEARS AGO.”
Sriyantha from Austin, Texas has a passion for the 454 SS truck. He currently has three of them in his collection, and has had approximately 20 before that. Like most gearheads, Sriyantha’s cam shaft thumping passion came from his father who introduced him to the world of power and speed at the ripe young age of 14. Sriyantha, owner of Elite Motorsports Austin, Texas has turned his tire-frying passion into a successful company where he spends the day buying and selling exotic cars like Porsches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris. With more than 30 years in business, Sriyantha has been able to live his passion fueled by a lifetime of experience behind the wheel of everything from Trans Am’s to exotics and of course his coveted 454 SS trucks.
RED 1993 454 SS
SRIYANTHA’S RED 1993 454 SS WAS PURCHASED NEW IN AUSTIN AND DROVE DAILY UNTIL 2000.
Kicking off the 454 SS collection is Sriyantha’s red 1993 454 SS, which he purchased new in Austin and drove daily until 2000. The low 24,000-mile truck underwent some updates in late 2000 with the addition of big block 502 from Scoggin’ Dickey Parts Center in Lubbock, Texas. This tire-burning big block is stuffed with a Comp Cams Hydraulic Roller Camshaft, a forged crankshaft and rods, aluminum polished and ported heads, and an Edelbrock Intake Manifold. It’s also topped with a Holley 850 Dual Pumper Carburetor. Hooker 2-inch headers with Flowmaster mufflers and a 3-inch custom stainless-steel exhaust are paired up with an MSD starter to light the candles. An upgraded 4L80-E transmission with a 2500 Stall speed converter hooked to an aluminum driveshaft delivers the 648 horsepower and 610 ft-lbs of torque to the factory 14-bolt rear end loaded with 4.10:1 gears. Griffin Metal Shaping, Austin, set the truck up with a 4/6 Drop complete with Belltech drop spindles. QA1 coilovers were installed in front. Setting off the slam are 20×8-inch front and 20×10-inch rear American Racing Grey Spoke Torque Thrust II wheels mounted on P245/40ZR20 front and P295/40ZR20 rear Yokohama skins.
Sriyantha installed an Alpine head unit with a JL Audio 1000 watt amplifier and MB Quartz speakers behind the seats. Friend Nathan Gonzales installed the spine tickling beats in the SS’ cabin.
The factory 14-bolt REAR END with 4.10 to 1 gears will now have 648 horsepower and 610 FTLBS of torque.
ALL-BLACK 1992 454 SS
THE SECOND TRUCK IN SRIYANTHA’S 454 SS LINE-UP IS AN ALL-BLACK 1992 MODEL THAT HE TOOK TO ANOTHER LEVEL
The second truck in Sriyantha’s 454 SS line-up is an all-black 1992 model that he took to another level. Purchased in 2014 from the original owner’s family after he passed away, the truck took about a year to complete. What makes this truck stand out? Don Hardy Racing, to start with, built the 408-cubic inch LS. DHR assembled an LS with a forged rod and crankshaft. The camshaft was custom ground with 238-232 length and 622-612 height. The Cloyes timing system ensures proper rotation, and CNC ported LS3 cylinder heads allow the aluminum mill to breathe properly. The 102mm Holley LS3 high ram modular intake, fed by the Precision 6766 Turbocharger pushing up to 26 pounds of boost, is the crowning glory of this tire-spinning powerhouse. Fuel delivery is ensured by Bosch 95-pound fuel injectors. Dual electric fans, an aluminum radiator and a 3-inch stainless steel exhaust with Magnaflow Magnaflow mufflers keep the engine cool.
DON HARDY RACING BUILT AN ILLUSTRATED 408 CUBIC inch LS WITH A FORGED SCRANKSHAFT. THE RESULTING ENGINE IS PUTTING OUT 840 REAR-WHEEL HP AND 800 FT LBS OF TORQUE.
The truck, with 840 rear-wheel horses and 800 ft lbs of torque, is a beast that surprises many supercars. A GM 4L80E transmission with a 2800 stall convertor and shift kit is responsible for transferring all this power.
Griffith Metal Shaping of Austin, Texas used Belltech spindles, QA1 Coil-overs and rear frame C Notches to achieve the correct stance. Boyd Coddington Timeless 5, mounted with Nitto P245/40ZR20 tires on the front and rear, are tackling the tarmac beneath this powerful muscle truck. The factory GM 14.-bolt rear with 3.42 ratios is still intact, and it takes a beating from the LS. Sriyantha bought this truck with 7,000 miles original mileage. It now has 7,800. The trucks are driven but the odometer is kept in check.
WHITE 1993 SS 454
SRIYANTHA’S WHITE 454 SS IS A 1993 AND ONE OF ONLY 88 PRODUCED BY GM. This ULTRA RARE MODEL IS ALSO THE MOST MILDLY MODIFIED ONE OF THE BUNCH. ORIGINAL OWNER PURCHASED IN AUGUST 2015, TRUCK HAD ONLY 12,000 MILES.
The third and final 454 SS truck in Sriyantha’s stable is a 1993 white 454 SS which is one of 88 produced by GM in white. It is the least modified and most rare of all. Sriyantha purchased the truck in August of 2015. It had original mileage of 12,000 when Sriyantha took it home.
The first thing to do was adjust the stance. Griffith Metal Shaping of Austin installed Belltech drop spindles, springs, and coil overs. This improved the stance and handling. GMS C-sectioned the rear frame rails and installed a flip kit to lower the truck’s backside to the correct altitude. All said and done, the truck plummeted 5 inches up front and 7 inches out back, barely hovering over the 20×8-inch front and 20×10-inch rear American Racing Torque Thrust II wheels mounted on P245/40ZR20 front and P295/40ZR20 rear Yokohama rubber.
The Factory 454 Cubic Inch Engine has been upgraded to a WHIPPLE Supercharger that pushes 8 Pounds of Boost.
Sriyantha added a Whipple turbocharger that pushes 8 pounds of boost, along with Headman headers feeding dual flowmaster exhausts. Sriyantha’s factory-fast 454 is equipped with a GM 14-bolt back end and 4l80-E automatic transmission. A custom audio system using Alpine and MB-Quartz components pumps beats into the cab to accompany those impromptu drives or highway throttling blasts.
This 88-98 CHEVROLET GETS A PERFORMANCE INSPIRED LOOK WHILE MAINTAINING A DEPENDABLE FEATURE OVER HUNDREDS AND THOUSANDS of MILES.
Sriyantha Weerasuria assembled the ultimate trio of 454 SS trucks. The “Truck from Hell” made history when GM introduced it to the public nearly 30 years ago. We’re glad to see Sriyantha is keeping that history alive with these well-preserved pavement blistering pickups.
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