Who says that when society collapses, and we’re all living in a Mad Max-style dystopia, we can’t have fun? The seller of this C5 Corvette certainly doesn’t subscribe to that idea, as they built what looks like the ultimate post-apocalyptic track toy and you can bid on it right now.
Currently for sale on Cars and Bids is this 1999 Corvette that’s been completely stripped down to its bare chassis, heavily modified, and nicknamed the “Doom Buggy.” It looks plucked straight from central car casting of every post-apocalypse movie or video game. Take this exact Corvette and put it in Mad Max, Fallout, or Rage, and it would fit right in without a single modification.
To make the Doom Buggy, its owner took a C5 Corvette and stripped off every single body part. The only piece of factory exterior bodywork remaining is its windshield. Everything else is gone. It’s just a bare chassis that’s been given a roll bar and tubular steel doors. The only “bodywork” on the Doom Buggy is a headlight fascia panel seemingly from an old Chevy pickup, an actual wooden bumper made from what looks like reclaimed 1×6 lumber, and a wooden pickup-style bed where the trunk used to be. So it can actually handle the weekly grocery run, with the proper tie-downs. It’s a wacky little buggy and I absolutely love it.
It’s also far more powerful than the standard C5 Corvette it’s based on. The engine was replaced with a 5.7-liter LS6 V8 from a 2004 Corvette Z06. The stock Z06 made 405 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque but the seller modified this one a bit, with a custom exhaust and a 3.90:1 final drive. It also has a six-speed manual, Koni Yellow shocks, a Hurst shifter, and Corbeau Forza bucket seats, among other mods. The stock Z06 was capable of 0-60 mph in 4.6 seconds but I imagine this Doom Buggy is significantly quicker, due to not having pesky body panels to lug around.
It isn’t perfect, as there are some issues with its traction control system and its transmission leaks a bit. It’s also been in two accidents (which I suspect is what led to its body removal). However, while I can’t speak for everyone, I don’t think any of its bidders are looking for reliability.
There’s only one day left on this auction and the current bid (at the time of writing this) is $5,200. Considering there isn’t really a market for stripped-out Corvettes in which to survive the zombie apocalypse, its value is truly in the eyes of the beholder. As a track toy, the Doom Buggy is probably an absolute riot and it comes with the added bonus of being fun even when the world ends.
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