Remember Monster Garage? Remember when it was shiny and new and every wrench-head you knew watched it religiously? The air date was July 14th, 2003, the challenge was to turn a '73 Corvette into a rootin' tootin' mud-bogging dragster. We remember it like it was yesterday. Our inner redneck was cheering the team on as they stripped it down, built up the 454, tossed in a roll cage, a junkyard Toyota front axle and tied it all up with baling wire and duct tape (and a $10,000 House of Color paint job). The Sling Ray went to auction during the last Barrett Jackson Auction and even though we couldn't find the final sale price, we'd be shocked it it was more dear to a buyers heart than the flying Esperante. What do you think, more or less awesome than the F350/Corvette mashup on the blocks at the Ebay? Detailed description of the auction lot below, plus a poll.
Gawker Media polls require Javascript; if you're viewing this in an RSS reader, click through to view in your Javascript-enabled web browser.
If Jesse and his team are going to create a suped-up, mud-spitting off-road dragster, they're going to start it off right: with a 1973 Corvette whose engine is nothing other than a 454 Chevy big block. The cars moving parts include custom front and rear drive shafts. Sprockets for the chain drive were welded to output shaft and front-drive shaft. Additional machine parts included a 5-gallon aluminum fuel cell. Body modifications were done to the wheel wells by slightly enlarging them to accommodate the tires. The team's biggest challenge was creating a 4-wheel drive chassis that is as light as possible, yet strong enough to take a beating. THE TEAM: Jesse James, custom-bike builder/designer, West Coast Choppers, Long Beach, CA, John Best, Corvette mechanic, Brea, CA, Dave Collier, electrician/desert racer, San Marcos, CA, Chuck Courty Jr., national mud-bogging champ, Pittsburgh, PA, Dick Guldstrand, racecar racer/builder/designer and Corvette expert, Guldstrand Engineering, Burbank, CA, Bobby McCurdy, fabricator, Henderson, NV, Mike Stapleton, head mechanic, Wilson Motor Sports, Bellflower, CA, and Don Vierstra, freelance artist, Buena Park, CA. VEHICLE SPECS: Engine: 454 Chevy big block; Pistons: Chevy stock (eight); Camshaft: Edelbrock Performer from Jeg's; Induction: Edelbrock Performer carburetor/intake manifold from Jeg's; Ignition: HEI; Exhaust: Hooker flanges, zoomie headers by Jesse (chromed); Transmission: 400 Turbo; Converter: 2,200 rpm stall; Drive Shaft: custom fabricated with chain drive and jack shaft to front axle (4-wheel drive); Rear Axle: Ford 9"; Front Axle: 1984 Toyota 4Runner front end purchased from junkyard. Steering: original Corvette steering box turned 90 degrees to link up with Toyota front end. Front Suspension: racing air shocks from King Shocks, custom-fabricated linkage. Rear Suspension: racing air shocks from King Shocks, custom-fabricated four-link with panhard bar. Front Tires: Mickey Thompson Baja Claw 33x13.50-15LT; Rear Tires: Mickey Thompson Baja Claw 35x15.50-15LT; Wheels: Mickey Thompson Challenger 15x29. Interior: The bulk of the original interior was removed. A custom-fabricated roll cage was installed. Stock seats were replaced with Cobra racing seats from Subé Sports. A nitrous tank from Nitrous Express was mounted in the storage space. Electronics: Nitrous was wired to the horn; a nitrous purge was mounted on a Maltese-cross template under the dash. Body: The original Corvette fiberglass body was only slightly modified; the hood was removed. Paint: House of Kolor white-sealer base coat, then a blend of 12 different colors created with true-blue pearl, magic-blue pearl and snow-white pearl. Height: 52"; Width: 69"; Length: 185"; Ground Clearance: 8"; Weight: 3,000 pounds. **SOLD ON A BILL OF SALE ONLY. SPECIAL CONDITIONS APPLY**