How Would You Finish Off this C5 Project Vette?
For $6500, you can have a C5 Corvette, and a world of possibilities.
If there’s any particular thing that gets a gearhead’s imagination going, it’s a cheap project car. It’s even more appealing when the price is absolutely right. It’s even better when the title says “salvage” and you can eliminate all worry of cutting up a perfectly good car. With this C5, all of those boxes are ticked, but due to it being incomplete, this build could go a few different ways.
Blending elements from a few generations of Corvette, this C5’s main purpose seems to be focused quite heavily on looks. Visual elements include a wide body kit, a half-and-half C5/C7 rear bumper, C6 front bumper and fenders, front exposed headlights and a hood with a million louvers.
We say it’s a “looker” for now, since the drivetrain is all stock, and hooked up to an automatic transmission. Add to that the fact that it’s a salvage title and this C5 could be a great candidate for a dedicated dragster or track car. Or even the next Leroy ‘Vette kart.
Though power to the wheels makes it a “looker,” the stuff under the bodywork plays a better role in performance. Use on track may be the perfect place for this Corvette project to play. As described (but not pictured) in the ad, it has a 6 point roll cage, racing seats, and a 4 point harness (even though you want 5 there). The suspension consists of adjustable coil-overs, with bigger sway bars too, which is promising.
If you’re not put off by the fact it’s a salvage title, it could make for a unique and cool road course track day project. For sure, you’d want to swap out the automatic transmission for something a bit more suitable to that environment, but the potential is there.
