Car Craft’s 10 favorite home-built LS swaps from Holley LS Fest West
The scene is always evolving, but the Car Craft ideology remains constant. We set out to build the best, coolest cars using our might and ingenuity, and not our wallets. Love it or hate it, the LS is inexpensive, makes monster power, and is easy to swap into a classic (or modern!) car. Over the past two decades, GM’s garden-variety V8 has filled junkyards and garages across North America, making it the engine of choice for many Car Crafters. For the 2019 Holley Performance LS Fest West in Las Vegas this past Spring, we searched out our 10 favorite home-built LS-swapped projects.
The Maple Bacon
What: ’81 Mercury Zephyr
Who: Jordan Vander Woude
Where: Alberta, Canada
Drivetrain: Turbo 5.3L/4L60E
Despite the LS powerplant, this father-and-son duo from Canada are Ford guys: “I was born and raised a die-hard Ford fan,” said owner/builder Jordan Vander Woude. “But, it’s way cheaper, and there are more performance options with the LS.” Dad, Lauren, chimed in, “it doesn’t know it’s not a new Chevy truck… until you’re on the boost.” The pair drove more than 1,000 miles from Alberta, Canada to race their ’81 Mercury Zephyr in Las Vegas.
Jordan purchased the car four years ago from a friend—an all original car with only 14,000 kilometers. Now, it’s powered by a junkyard 5.3L with a Precision 72/75mm turbo, Holley Sniper EFI, and a stock ECU—although, they have plans of upgrading to the Holley Terminator X. The set-up made 722 hp to the tires and ran a best quarter-mile e.t. of 10.60. They’ve turned up the wick since then and plan to break into the 9s. Back home, Jordan drives the car two hours to the local dragstrip with spare drag wheels/tires and then drives it home again.
The Beach Cruiser
What: ’59 Chevrolet Nomad
Who: Dave and Jenny Cook, and Bill Little
Where: Alberta, Canada
Drivetrain: 6.0L/4L60E
Here’s a pivotal reason for the LS swap’s popularity: big road trips in a cool car. Owner/builder Dave Cook, his wife Jenny, and friend Bill Little drove this ’59 Nomad wagon from Alberta, Canada. It’s the fourth time they’ve made this trip. They wrapped through Northern California and even stopped by Donut Derelicts in Huntington Beach for the weekend cruise, before heading to Las Vegas for LS Fest West. This trip will consist of almost 4,000 miles.
The drivetrain is from a ’02 Denali with a 6.0L, 4L60E, and factory ECU. Hooker cast manifolds dump into a homemade exhaust and the stock tank is retrofitted with an Aeromotive Stealth fuel pump with a return. They used Dirty Dingo engine mounts and a Holley mid-mount accessory system. The Nomad uses a hydraulic-assist braking system from Classic Performance (CPP) using Wilwood rotors and discs.
The Schwing Swap
What: ’75 AMC Pacer
Who: Dick Hamm
Where: Tuscan, Arizona
Drivetrain: Turbo 5.3L/Turbo 400
This excellent ’75 Pacer caught our ears before it caught our eyes. A mess of wires accompanies a big 78/75mm VS Racing turbo as Dick Hamm of Tucson, AZ, slammed this project together in 16 days for LS Fest West. It’s a ’01 model 5.3L LS backed by a Turbo 400 transmission. The fueling is a Micro Squirt with 80lb injectors. The rear axle is a GM 8.5-inch clipless 10-bolt with 3:08 gears and welded spider gears—the poor man’s locker.
Hamm found a Craigslist ad for a group of five Pacers and managed to haul home two before the seller backed out of the deal, afraid he sold them too cheap. He built the car to compete in the burnout competition and drag racing. His goal is simple: “go home alive,” said Dick, who ran a best of 11.60 e.t. at 116 mph, and plans to break into the 10s this summer.
Granny’s Burnout Machine
What: ’83 Mercedes 240D
Who: Three-Five Customs
Where: Napa, California
Drivetrain: Twin-Turbo 6.0L LQ4/Tick Performance T-56
This plain-Jane Mercedes 240D has 416,000 miles on the clock, but it was brought back to life with a wild twin-turbo 6.0L LS powerplant. The 862 heads are accompanied by a Tick Performance Stage 2 cam with titanium valve springs and pushrods. A Tick-Performance-built Tremec Magnum takes care of shifting duties and fuel management comes by way of a Holley HP. It features two 60mm turbos and beautiful piping under the hood.
It’s no surprise this burnout machine puts on a good show. The original rear axle features welded internals to keep both tires spinning. The car will be given away at LS Fest East in Bowling Green Kentucky September 6-8, 2019. Go to ThreeFiveCustoms.com to enter!
Landscaper Work Truck
What: ’87 Mazda B2000
Who: Brothers Jeff and Roy Kay
Where: Chatsworth, California
Drivetrain: Twin-Turbo 4.8L/ T-56
When the Kay brothers aren’t mowing lawns, they’re mowing tracks with this ’87 Mazda B2000. We found former auto-body shop teacher Jeff Kay of Chatsworth, CA and his brother Roy road racing the truck at LS Fest West. Surprisingly, the truck has stock front suspension, with only an upgraded electric power steering rack from an MR2.
The engine is a junkyard 4.8L LS with 6.0L LQ9 heads, which lowers the compression making room for boost from two 60mm ball-bearing turbos. The truck features a McLeod twin-disc clutch and T-56 transmission. Out back is a narrowed 9-inch with a Detroit Locker, 3:50 Yukon gears, and homebuilt four-link.
The cab is small, but luckily there’s plenty of room in the bed which now houses a surge tank with two Walbro 450lph fuel-pumps inside. The Weed Eater and rake cover the roll bars in the bed, and the push mower is gutted and fixed in place.
Rough, Tough & Fast
What: ’64 Chevelle
Who: David Kenney
Where: Salt Lake City, Utah
Drivetrain: Single-Turbo 6.0L LQ9/TH350
With a weathered exterior and satin-black spay bomb paint, David Kenney’s ’64 Chevelle is one of the fastest featured. In his first day of testing he made four passes, three of which being 10.0 e.t.s.
A former nitrous car, this was David’s first outing with his new turbo set up. The engine is a junkyard 6.0L LQ9 rebuild with Callie’s forged crank and rods, and Wiseco forged pistons. It features AFR 245 heads and a combination of fueling components including Holley injectors, Edelbrock fuel rails, Accufab throttle body, and Holley HP ECU. Lil John Motor Sports of Bardstown, Kentucky, spec’ed the cam and turbo combination. A TH350 feeds power to a 9-inch rear axle, and the A-body runs on 275mm tires.
David has been fine-tuning the car for almost a decade now. He started with a 283ci, then a built 350ci, and now the LS. “Just do a little bit every year,” said David.
Bag ’Em & Drag ’Em
What: ’78 Cadillac Deville
Who: James Kabke
Where: Las Vegas, NV
Drivetrain: Twin-Turbo 6.0L LQ9/4L80E
James Kabke of Las Vegas, NV, bought this ’78 Cadillac Deville with the intent of making it a quick flip. Instead, it turned into an ever-evolving project. Now, it features a 6.0L LQ9 with a pair of 70mm CXRacing Turbos. “I drove it all over,” said James. “The car is reliable and fun, then people started noticing it, and I just went off the deep end.”
The chassis features a mild 24V hydraulics system, which still uses shocks in the rear and original springs up front, so it rides comfortably but doesn’t bounce high like a traditional low rider.
The 4L80E features a Precision Industries billet converter, and hardened input and output shafts. Power exits through a 10-bolt rear axle with Eaton Truck Loc. It makes 600 hp at the tire on 9-pounds of boost.
LS-Love Bug
What: ’99 VW Bug
Who: Dave Hill
Where: Provo, Utah
Drivetrain: Front-Wheel-Drive LS4
Yes, this ’99 VW Bug has an LS in it. Dave Hill of Provo, Utah, owner of Hills Automotive, found this VW on Craigslist for $200 with transmission issues. He’s become known in Provo, Utah, for performing unique LS swaps, so the local junkyard called him when a front-wheel-drive LS-powered Monte Carlo came to the yard. It was a match made in LS heaven.
“It’s just something fun,” said Dave, “…built to surprise people.” The drivetrain is stock LS4 from a ’04 Monte Carlo SS. Dave welded the Beetle’s outside portion of the half shafts to the inner section of the Monte Carlo’s. He is working with a company to produce billet half-shafts to replaced his welded ones. It took him two months to complete, and he scrambled to have it done by LS Fest West. He plans to build a pickup conversion using the Smyth Performance body kit.
The Swedish Swap
What: ’83 Volvo 240
Who: Sean Fogli
Where: Portland, Oregon
Drivetrain: 6.0L/T-56
Possibly the cleanest build at the show is this Volvo 240. There’s something about a clean, simple, and boxy design, even if it is a Swedish car. Builder and owner Sean Fogli of Portand, Oregon, found the car in a field with a rotten interior. He’s built a few other projects before, but never a Volvo, “It doesn’t matter,” said Sean. “I just like cool stuff.”
The engine is a junkyard 6.0L Sean freshened up and topped with an LSA blower from eBay Motors. The Volvo features an ACT clutch, and T-56 pulled from a ’02 Camaro, built with upgraded carbon-fiber synchronizers and bronze shifting fork pads. The car sits on CCW wheels measuring 18×10. He widened the rear inner fenders by 2 inches and pulled and rolled the fenders 1.75 inch. Sean has only 300 miles on the build and plans to do a little of everything with the car.
The Silent AMC
What: ’78 AMC Pacer Wagon
Who: Phil and Susan Cary
Where: Las Vegas, NV
Drivetrain: LS3 Connect and Cruise
Built as clean as a factory restoration, this ’78 AMC Pacer features a fresh coat of factory-code paint, new interior, and a monster LS3. What blew us away was just how quiet it is, with the dual factory-style exhaust. Easily, it was the cleanest and sneakiest swap at LS Fest West.
Phil and Susan’s son bought the car intending to build a high school project. He went off to college and left the car. Eventually, the couple decided to make it their own. “This one took 41 years to become cool,” said Susan. Unknown to most is the fact that the Pacer was designed all those decades ago to accommodate the wide Wankel engine, but the rotary proved too dirty, too leaky, and too expensive for production, making its engine bay unexpectedly commodious for the LS V8 and Chevrolet’s Connect-and-Cruise kit.
BONUS!
Big Boost…Little Car
What: ’77 Austin Mini
Who: Dario Gaiga
Where: 100 Mile House, Alberta
Drivetrain: Supercharged 4.8L/Turbo 350
Dairo Gaiga of Alberta, Canada is an LS Fest All-Star. Last year he put on a big smoke-show with his Pro-Street style Chevette. Like that car, this is also a budget-conscious, purpose-built vehicle designed to do one thing one: epic, smoky burnouts.
“I always end up with a bunch of extra junk around,” said Dairo who builds cars for a living. “So, I decided to build an Aussie-style burnout car.” This Mini is powered by a 4.8L with a roots blower stolen from a 2-stroke diesel engine along with the small carbs on top. He hand built the intake to fit the LS. The frame consists of simple 2×4 rails with the radiator mounted under the seats. The car only took three months to build.
Read More About 2019 LS Fest West!
Event Highlights & Results
Roll-In Gallery
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