One Of The Rarest Pickup Trucks Of The 2000s Was This Souped Up Chevy Silverado You Never Knew Existed

One of the wildest automotive niches in America is the sport pickup truck. Take a big and tall pickup, drop it to the ground, and then pump the engine full of power. Americans have enjoyed stupidly fast trucks for decades, and the 2000s might have been the coolest sport truck era. But there is one sport truck that you might not know about. This is the Chevy Silverado RSR, and it’s the bright yellow, tire-burning truck that few people bought.

Honestly, it’s hard to decide on the best era for sport trucks. One of the coolest sport trucks of all time was the 1978 Dodge Li’l Red Express Truck. This slick red truck wasn’t just the fastest truck in America, but technically, it was capable of outrunning pretty much any sports car that was thrown at it.

The 1990s were also a great time for sport trucks. The ridiculously fast and sinister GMC Syclone might be the most famous sport truck of all time. Yet, if you missed on Syclone or its Typhoon sibling, there was still the Chevrolet 454SS and the Ford F-150 SVT Lightning.

Somehow, things got even cooler in the 2000s. If you wanted a speedy truck in the 2000s, you could have chosen from the gorgeous second-generation SVT Lightning, a supercharged Harley-Davidson edition of the F-150, the Chevrolet Silverado SS, or perhaps the apex of aughts muscle trucks, the legendary Dodge Ram 1500 SRT-10. At 4.9 seconds to 60 mph, it’s faster in a straight line than many proper sports cars. Amazingly, that’s still 0.3 seconds slower than GMC’s estimated 60 mph acceleration time for the Syclone.

If you thought that was stupid, the present day is even more dumb. Ford is happy to slap a 3.0-liter supercharger onto any 2021 or newer Coyote V8-equipped F-150. If you’re crazy enough to do that, your reward is 700 horsepower and 60 mph in 4.2 seconds. Honestly, it’s so easy to buy 700 or more ponies from the dealership nowadays, and depending on how you do it, you won’t even spend more than $50,000. That’s insane!

America’s addiction to (literal) speed in pickup trucks has attracted the attention of perhaps countless tuner shops throughout history. Perhaps the most forgotten is the work of Choo Choo Customs. Two decades ago, the shop created the Silverado RSR, a truck that sort of looked faster than it actually was.

I have to admit, I ran into one of these on the Mecum Auctions website several months ago, and the truck has been living rent-free in my head ever since. I think you’ll see why in a moment.

A Reminder That The GMT800 Rocked

The Silverado RSR is built on General Motors’ dependable GMT800 platform. I know folks like David Tracy and Adrian Clarke champion its GMT400 predecessor, but I think the GMT800 hits that perfect mix of modernity and classic durability. When GM started developing the GMT800 in 1993, it found out that many people thought the GMT400 was too small. Further, thanks to the antics of the second-generation Dodge Ram, GM’s truck buyers also wanted a pickup that looked like a mini big rig. GM set up to spend a chunky $6 billion on ensuring its next-gen truck would leapfrog it past Ford and Dodge.

The GMT800 was a smashing success, as I wrote in a retrospective:

The successor to the legendary GMT400, the GMT800, which launched in 1999 added some notable improvements. One headlining change was a three-piece frame as opposed to a single-piece frame. Having the frame in sections allowed GM to mix frame parts to match specific configurations for truck GVWR, wheelbase, and body. The front section of the frame was hydroformed, while the middle and rear sections were roll-formed or stamped depending on the vehicle. Bolted to the GMT800 frame was an independent suspension up front and leaf packs in the rear.

The excellent frame was only part of the equation, as GM fitted these frames with modern truck and SUV bodies as well as a variety of powertrain options ranging from gas engines and diesel to a CNG engine and a hybrid. Some people believe the GMT800 was and remains one of the greatest truck platforms of all time for its honest reliability, affordable parts, user-friendly repairs, and longevity.

Part of that reputation has to do with how GM streamlined production of GMT800 trucks. Magna International was in charge of building the GMT800’s frames and engineers achieved an average part count of 200, down 10 percent from the C/K. Other changes include a switch from painted metal parts to molded-in-color thermoplastic. GM found that while many truck buyers still wanted loads of chrome, plastic parts were likely to do well. The benefit was saving 30 to 50 percent in painting costs.

If you’re interested in learning more about the GMT800, I’ve written deeper history pieces. But I think you got the point, the GMT800 Silverado was a huge deal. General Motors also didn’t just stop at making a truck that was like a rock, either. The GMT800 had thrilling variations such as the 1500HD, trucks with Quadrasteer, and trucks with a good ol’ block of big Vortec 8100.

Faster GMT800s

Chevy also made a sporty version, too. As Thomas explained a few years ago, the 2000s also had what he called “second-tier street trucks.” These were sport trucks that were hotter than pedestrian models, but not as sizzling as flagships like the SVT Lightning or the Ram SRT-10.

One of them was the Chevrolet Silverado SS. Developed by GM Specialty Vehicles Manager Jon Moss and his team of hot-rodders in 1999, it would finally reach production in 2003. The Bowtie’s sport truck had the mean looks, but missed some of the grunt and theatrics of the Lightning and Ram. Still, it was good competition for Ford’s F-150 Harley-Davidson. Thomas notes:

Proving the might of the heroic LS-based V8, the Silverado SS didn’t even need a supercharger to match the F-150 Harley-Davidson’s peak power output, cranking out 345 horsepower from a six-liter LQ9 naturally-aspirated V8. Yeah, if you’re keeping track, this was just the Escalade engine in a Chevy truck, and the Silverado SS got the Escalade’s four-speed automatic transmission and available full-time all-wheel-drive. While this parts bin drivetrain does sound like more recycled pre-bankruptcy GM slop, it was effective, chopping the zero-to-60 time down into the low six-second range.

What’s more, the Silverado SS rolled on dubs, 20-inch wheels bespoke to the street truck, and this thing came on street truck suspension. According to Car And Driver, “the truck sits nearly an inch lower up front and a full two inches in back.” Hell yeah. Mind you, that’s about as far as the Silverado SS went. It wasn’t a cartoon character of a truck, although if any truck showed GM’s “ehh, good enough” mentality of the time, it was this. Come on, the main interior flourishes are white gauge faces and a cheesy emblem glued to the dashboard.

However, don’t let this distract you from the fact that the GMT800 as a whole was one of the best pickup trucks of all time. It was as handsome as Beelzebub in Maison Margiela, and in black with the SS’s monochrome look, equally as sinister. It was built like a tank, has one of the greatest engines of all time, and while GM’s four-speed automatic transmissions never felt like they were made to hold up to such power, if you just kept the fluid happy, these trucks would go to the moon and back. The GMT800 Chevrolet Silverado SS is one seriously impressive truck for something seemingly created on a budget of pocket lint and wishful thinking, and that’s reflected in online auction prices.

Apparently, General Motors did consider making a stupid quick Silverado, and presented the Silverado SS Concept in 2000. That concept truck had a 6.6-liter V8 and 480 horsepower, but that never became reality. The Silverado SS would remain in production through 2006, and while it was overshadowed by the more fabled trucks of the day, it still has tons of fans.

One quirk about the Silverado SS was that it came only as an extended cab. If you wanted your sport truck in regular cab flavor, you had to buy something else. For a short while, that alternative could have been the little-known Silverado RSR.

Choo Choo

This truck was not an official GM creation. Instead, these were tuned trucks by Choo Choo Customs, a shop that was known more for cosmetic changes than hot-rodding.

Choo Choo Customs was founded in 1975 in Chattanooga, Tennessee. Like many shops back then, Choo Choo cut its teeth turning utilitarian vans into private jets for the highway. These were not really vans with murals and water beds, but vans with second-row captain’s chairs, feet of real wood, and upgraded sound systems. Choo Choo’s later vans would sport video game systems, too.

These custom deals got properly weird, too. In the 1980s, Choo Choo was a sponsor of the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.) and offered B.A.S.S. members an interesting opportunity. The company said that you could take any Chevrolet van or truck to Choo Choo, and it would come out of the other side as a B.A.S.S. Signature Series vehicle. Basically, your vehicle got a blue graphics package and a big bass decal on the side windows, among Choo Choo’s other luxury changes.

This would spread to other kinds of vehicles, and soon enough, Choo Choo was turning everyday work trucks into personal luxury cars. Remember, this was before America really warmed up to the idea of luxury pickup trucks. If you wanted a truck that felt like a Cadillac inside, you had to go custom.

Choo Choo Customs also dabbled in dressing up otherwise stock vehicles. As Hagerty notes, when Chevrolet gave the final generation of the El Camino an SS model, it looked just like every other El Camino. That wouldn’t do, so Chevrolet rang up Choo Choo, which adorned the El Camino with a Monte Carlo SS-like face, rally wheels, sport mirrors, and plenty of decals. But it’s noted that Choo Choo’s modifications were only dress-up, and did not get any faster.

Choo Choo also did this with the third-generation Camaro, making what the shop called the “economical Camaro SS,” the “sleek Camaro SX,” and the “ultimate Team Camaro.”

The Choo Choo shop passed through a handful of owners over the years. On September 28, 2000, L.A. West Luxury Vehicles, a company that performed luxury conversions since the 1980s, bought Choo Choo Customs. At the time, L.A. West said, it converted only Ford vehicles. Thus, by buying Choo Choo Customs, it was able to add GM products to its portfolio. The company also said that it convinced DaimlerChrysler to allow it to convert Dodge trucks as well. All of this, L.A. West claimed, was going to make it the dominant player in the luxury conversion industry.

In the mid-2000s, the combined companies made sport trucks for all of the Big Three. L.A. West made the Ford F-150 Boss 5.4 and the Dodge Ram 1500 GTXtreme. These trucks had unique graphics, bold colors, special serial numbers, and even certificates of authenticity. Yet, despite the marketing and the looks, these trucks were all bark and no bite. Under the hood, they were totally unchanged from any truck bought from the dealer.

Thankfully, Choo Choo’s addition to the L.A. West lineup, the Chevrolet Silverado RSR, was a little different.

Regular Cab, Very Yellow

The Silverado RSR started life as a regular cab stepside 2005 Silverado 1500 with a 5.3-liter Vortec V8 under the power barn. These trucks were good for 295 horsepower and 335 lb-ft of torque when new. The Choo Choo conversion, like its previous work, was almost entirely just cosmetics. However, there was a twist this time because Street Legal Performance (SLP) had tuning packages for the Silverado.

Thus, here’s what the Silverado RSR looked like, from Choo Choo Customs:

Stage I – Standard Features
330 HP SLP Performance Pac
1.85 Ration Rocker Arms
Cold Induction System
Stainless Steel Headers
304 Stainless Steel Catback Dual Exhaust w/Custom Dual Walled 304 SS Tips
Front, Lower Body Color Fascia w/Driving Lights
Body Color-Out Grill Accents
Brake Calipers Painted Body Color
Exterior RSR Badging
Rear Bumper Fascia w/Molded Exhaust Ports
2″ Rear Lowering Package
20″ Custom Wheels w/Performance Tires
Custom RSR “Shifter”
Privacy Tint
Sequential Production Serial Number w/Certificate of Authenticity

Stage II – Optional Features
Simulated Cowl Induction Hood
Power Sport Mirrors Painted Body Color
Tail Light covers Painted Body Color
Soft Tonneau Cover
Performance tuned RSR Suspension Package

Stage III – Optional Features
Custom Instrument Cluster/Gauge Package
Custom Color Coordinated Leather Steering Wheel
Two-Tone Custom Leather Seating
Carbon Patterned Interior Trim
Interior RSR Badging

The SLP tune would later be amended to 350 HP. Choo Choo said you could also have the truck in any color you wanted, so long as it was yellow or orange.

This truck was so obscure that I could not find a single review by a car publication. I checked Motor Trend’s entire 2004, 2005, and 2006 catalog and found nothing. My searches on the Internet Archive and Car and Driver also yielded nothing. I also checked any live sites that were around when the truck launched.

With that said, I did find out how much the truck cost. Choo Choo started off with a Silverado 1500 for a price of $25,475. The Stage I kit added $7,528.80, the Stage II kit added $2,133.60, and the Stage III kit added $2,002.80. Completed trucks were delivered to dealerships, where they were then sold to customers. One truck, serial 63, sold for $37,376 ($63,525 in November 2025 money) when new. That made it slightly more expensive than a Silverado SS of the same year, which would have stickered for around $36,440 ($61,935 in 2025).

It’s hard to know exactly how fast the Silverado RSR was, but it likely wasn’t much faster than a Silverado SS, if at all. To me, the biggest selling points of the RSR were the fact that it came as a regular cab and was available with a manual transmission.

It’s also unclear just how many of these were built. The Choo Choo Customs website is offline now, and archived versions don’t say anything about production numbers. I’ve seen one person claim that only 77 were built, and someone else say that production was “under 100” units. Unfortunately, there are no hard numbers, only guesses without much basis. But it is generally believed that these trucks are absurdly rare.

That being said, this is one of those situations where rare doesn’t necessarily mean valuable. One RSR sold on Bring a Trailer for $23,755, and that one had only 2,000 miles. Another RSR sold for $23,500 a year later. One high-mileage example sold for $12,650 at Mecum.

The Silverado RSR comes at a weird point in pickup truck history. Sport trucks were still hot, but not all of them were super spicy. If the Ram SRT-10 was a ghost pepper, the Silverado RSR was more like a jalapeño. But I suppose that meant there was a fast truck for everyone, from the person who wanted to grab life by the horns, to the person who maybe cared more about looks than speed. If that sounds like you, or you want a Silverado SS but with a smaller cab, maybe see if you can find one of these big yellow oddballs one day.

Top graphic image: Bring a Trailer Listing