With the introduction of the (fifth-generation) C5 Chevy Corvette for the 1997 model year, America’s sports car became more of a track-focused offering as compared to the more grand touring approach used in prior generations. One owner took this ethos to the extreme, stripping down his 1999 Corvette Coupe to the bare essentials while adding some extra goodies in the process. Now, the creation – aptly named “Doom Buggy” – is currently listed for sale online.
Up for auction on Cars & Bids, this track weapon is largely a Corvette in name and powertrain alone. The most notable aspect of this C5 is the exterior, or lack thereof, as the body panels have been omitted in the name of a more open air driving experience. In their place, a blue roll cage has been added in the form of doors and a roll bar. In fact, the only original Corvette exterior piece is the windshield, along with what appear to be bits of the cabin and chassis.
Interestingly, the front and rear of this creation are quite atypical, with the former featuring a very non-Corvette “grille”, while a slab of wood serves as the bumper. Even more unusual than that is the rear, where the hatch area has been replaced with a wooden cargo bed.
Per the seller, this 1999 Corvette was involved in an accident in 2012 and 2015, which likely served as the reasoning behind its unusual state at present.
Regardless, under the hood lies a modified variant of the naturally aspirated 5.7L V8 LS6 gasoline engine, which was allegedly sourced from a 2004 Corvette Z06. It’s mated to a six-speed manual transmission powering the rear wheels. A 3.90:1 gear ration out back along with Z06-spec rollers are present and accounted for.
Moving to the interior, everything has mostly been stripped out aside from the gauge cluster, dashboard, and steering wheel. Driver-focused modifications include Corbeau Forza Sport fixed back bucket seats, SFI Racing harnesses, and a Hurst shifter.
So, what do you think, dear reader? Is this unusual 1999 Chevy Corvette worth the buy? Let us know what you think in the comment section below!
Update: the auction for the Doom Buggy has ended, with the final bid coming in at $9,210.
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Comment
Dang, would have looked fine with my collection of 64 to 66 chevy pickups. At least the grill would be the same.