Jamming an engine from Manufacturer A into a car from Manufacturer B can raise all sorts of rioting from the peanut galleries, especially now that the Internet allows people to voice their opinions on these swaps. LS Fest brought out several fine examples that were built by people that just didn’t care about the rules and wanted to go fast by any means necessary.
11: Boss Hoss Bikes and Trikes
Hey, Honda boy: I got yer power-to-weight ratio right *here*.
10: Mazda Miata
It’s a homage to the AC Cobra and the Sunbeam Tiger: Foreign roadster, American V8. And even with the added weight, they were out-handling nearly everything else.
9: Lexus IS300
I walked past this Lexus twice before I noticed. Keep the hood…and your mouth…shut and keep the pipes quiet.
8: Nissan 240SX
Plenty of Nissans were on-hand, but this particular SX caught my eye. Well done, great color, good wheel/tire combo and it was kicking ass in every event.
7: BMW 3-series
This drifting BMW took no prisoners. When the driver got tangled up with a 180SX and lost a headlight and part of a front fender, he didn’t even stop to check for damage. He just lined up and went again, and again…
6: Jeep
I counted five Jeeps that were swapped. One in show-and-shine, two working, and these two crawlers.
5: Early Mustang
This one is for the purists. Sorry about that…
4: Mazda RX7
The RX7 is just like the Nissans: Cheap and light RWD, perfect for the LS. Might have been a bit too much for this particular one, as it got one hell of a case of concrete poisoning after this picture was taken.
3: Ford LTD
Like a Fox Mustang, just bigger and cheaper.
2. Mitsubishi Eclipse
Deep 10’s in the quarter without creating any danger to the manifold. O’Connor would be proud.
1. Plymouth Valiant
If Moparts gets wind of this Valiant being there, expect a lynch mob at this guy’s house. If you don’t count the Jeeps, this was the only Mopar swap on site.
Speaking of Valiant, any news or updates on the infamous VV project?
That’s a Lexus IS300, not an IS250. The IS250 came after they restyled the IS line.
D’oh! Thank you, Nick!
No problem. Although, with that LS1 in it, it is now technically an IS570. And if you enjoyed the drifting at LSFest, do yourself a favor and go check out a Formula Drift event.
Thank you for choosing my Valiant as the number 1 non GM swap. Its great to get recoginition for your hard work. Your coverage of the event was great. I had a good time.
You looked like you were, Eric. Good to see you running out there.
Thanks for picking the two crawlers for your list my buddy and me done the LS swap on them last year.
Knew we should have brought our Slow Motion Speed’s WhiteTrash the PoorVette out. Looked like a lot o fun to be had, but still working on upgrades for the #driveusca #becausestreetcar Chase fort the Ultimate Street Car events. Next year for sure!
Great post! That’s a Lexus IS300, not an IS250. Thanks for sharing that.