Turning cars into karts is nothing new. Typically, builders take a wrecked car and strip it down until only the chassis, suspension, and powertrain remain. The builder of this wild-looking machine took things a step further by utilizing only a few pits and pieces of the original donor car to create a one-of-a-kind C5 Corvette kart.
Images courtesy of Cars & Bids
Registered as a 1998 Chevrolet C5 Corvette Convertible, the Carfax history report indicates the car sustained damage to the rear, left rear, left side, and right rear after colliding with a concrete barrier in May of 2018. An insurance company declared the wrecked Corvette a total loss, and subsequently, a salvage title was issued in June 2018, making the car the perfect candidate for a kart build.
The builder began by fabricating a custom chassis, roll bar, and steering setup. The front and rear suspension cradles from the original C5 Corvette donor car are incorporated into each end of the frame. Other C5 components utilized on this Corvette kart are the factory uprights, spindles, brake rotors, and calipers.
The visual styling is more IndyCar than Corvette thanks to the sheet-metal bodywork and aero. The large front spoiler and rear wing are 3D-printed from carbon fiber. A single Corbeau seat, a four-point harness, and a Momo steering wheel add to the race car persona of the Corvette kart. Providing grip are 255/35/ZR18 Toyo Proxes RR racing tires in the front with steamroller-wide 345/35ZR18 tires in the rear, all mounted on Weld Forged wheels. A Wilwood Engineering master cylinder helps the factory brakes bring the kart to a stop.
Tipping the power-to-weight ratio heavily in favor of power is a GM Performance 6.0-liter LS engine featuring a FAST LSXHR intake manifold, a Nick Williams 103mm throttle body, a custom 8-into-1 exhaust, and a Nitrous Express throttle body plate system. An upgraded 4L60E automatic transmission transfers power to the C5 Corvette IRS rearend that houses a limited-slip differential and 4.10:1 rear gears. A Holley Terminator X Max ECU is used to control the engine and transmission.
This Corvette kart is not technically street-legal, and lacking an odometer means it is a track-only vehicle. However, with a wild and rowdy machine such as this, it’s probably best to measure things in smiles-per-mile and drive the wheels off it.