The custom off-road buggy recently for sale on eBay is a hill-climbing beast. An Evolution Rock Crawler chassis produced by Wide Open Design, a fabrication shop and store in Murfreesboro, Tenn., serves as the foundation. The seller built the buggy using premium aftermarket components, including a Chevrolet LS1 V-8 engine to provide power.
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Right-Sized for High-Power Climbing
Wide Open Design’s steel tube two-seater chassis is the right size for rock-crawling strength and accessibility in tight spaces. The frame measures 50 inches at its widest point—about the same width as most modern UTVs. It has a wheelbase range of 110 to 122 inches. The frame is constructed to manage the stress of high horsepower engines, full-width axles, and oversized tires.
These engines are lightweight and compact. Chevrolet, which used the LS1 engine in 1997 to 2004 Corvettes, claims an output of 305 to 345 horsepower. The builder used a Turbo 350 high-performance transmission and added a 2,700 rpm stall torque converter to launch the buggy.
A Holley Flowmaster ceramic-coated exhaust with larger mufflers and heat shields was added for quiet performance. The radiator fan is controlled via pulse-width modulation (PWM), which runs the fan with minimal sound.
Suspension duties are handled by 14-inch Radflo Offroad remote reservoir coilover shocks with front and rear Radflo bump stops. Raceline bead lock wheels are mated to 37-inch Pro Comp Xtreme MT2 tires for a plush ride with plenty of traction in rugged conditions.
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The buggy’s cockpit has room for a driver and one passenger. The driver’s seat includes position adjustment settings and access to steering wheel tilt positions.
A PSC Motorsports hydraulic-assist steering system provides a mechanical link allowing for manual steering if the hydraulics have a problem.
There’s a heater under the rock crawler’s dash with defrost vents. Full doors and heated PRP seats with integrated seat belt harnesses round out the cockpit amenities. Other vital additions that come with this vehicle include:
- Atlas II transfer case
- Rough Country Bluetooth LED soundbar
- Steel tube cooler rack
- Dana 44 reverse rotation high pinion in front
- Detroit lockers front and rear
- Yukon chromoly axles
- Reid Racing knuckles
- Removable safety glass windshield
- Rigid Industries light bar
- Toolbox
- Rock Assault 9-inch rear axle housing
- Warn 9.0Rc Series winch with 9,000-pound pulling capacity
Over Rocks and Through Traffic
The rock crawler, which was registered as a 1973 Jeep, is reportedly street-legal. It has the necessary brake lights, headlights, taillights, and turn signals required for road use.
The seller had plans to build a hybrid 609 front axle, so the front truss is designed to be cut off and replaced with a new axle. With only 50 miles on this buggy to date, this is as close as you can get to a custom build without lifting a tool. It’s a beautiful machine ready to be put through its paces in the rocky wilds.
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