Oh how we love Craigslist. It never ceases to amaze us with the amount of crazy vehicles that we find hidden in its classifieds. However, the folks at Jalopnik may have found one of the best deals since its creation. Today we present you with this ’79 Corvette for only $4,800… Oh and it might be an experimental GM Turbo’d Corvette Prototype.
That’s right, the listing which originated out of Cleveland, featured a ’79 Corvette covered in primer. Let’s be honest, the Corvette by itself is nothing to special, however pop the hood and immediately you’ll find something a little odd. According to the seller, the small block is equipped with a factory GM turbo. That’s a pretty bold claim, and considering there is little (read: No) documentation to back up the claim, it peaked the interest of many out there, including ourselves.
But a GM prototype Turbo huh? Well the folks at Jalopnik may have solved the case:
“This one however, doesn’t make me think Mr. Goodwrench had anything to do with it. This is a Martin turbo kit, which is a draw-through design with both the 4bbl carburetor base and turbo ductwork cast into the manifold. That hooks up to a turbo that seems to be bolted directly to the left-side exhaust manifold. Whether or not the off-side gasses are sent over to help isn’t clear.
These draw-through designs are dirt simple as you can just throw the carb right there on top. On the down side, you can’t run an intercooler, and the fuel pulled through the turbo can severely shorten the life of its bearings.”
Regardless of whether or not this is a legit prototype, we’ve got to admit, a turbocharged ’79 Corvette is pretty damn unique. But was it worth $4,800? We’ll leave it up to you the reader to give us your opinion below!