Craigslist posting doesn’t say how much power this Corvette has, but it’s bound to be a ridiculous amount.
There’s more on craigslist than just shady hook-up opportunities and old furniture that nobody wants. It’s a haven for people looking for car parts and interesting vehicles. Some of them are probably ready to drive for years to come, others would make decent projects, and then there are cars like this 1999 Chevrolet Corvette convertible.
According to the listing, the “chassis has 153XXX miles but the motor has less than 25,000.” For some reason, the original 5.7-liter V8 was yanked out. Was it replaced with another LS1?
No. Not at all. Someone shoehorned a giant Katech 427 into the engine bay…then bolted on a Magnuson supercharger. That’s a lot of work, which is documented in the current owner’s collection of paperwork and service records. Power is routed through an automatic transmission.
The body around that major change appears to be in great shape and sits on top of a set of attractive Fikse wheels wrapped in Bridgestone rubber. Chrome accents highlight the tail lights. The interior, which features black seats and a fabric dash cover, seems well cared for, as well. An aftermarket sound system fills the trunk. It’s hard to truly tell from the pics, but we’re willing to guess the fabric top is in good order.
A glance at the Katech site shows that its supercharged Air Attack 427 (which uses a Procharger with an LS7 intake or a 2.9-liter Whipple) is capable of generating up to 1,000 horsepower and 1,000 lb-ft of torque. No word on exactly how much power this unusual C5 has, but we know it has a lot of potential. The question is whether or not that potential is worth $25,000. What do you think?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
