8 Cars We Want to See LS Swapped
There are a lot of good cars that would be transformed by a V8 engine. Here are eight unusual cars that deserve an LS transplant.
Some Cars Beg for an LS Swap
We sat down recently to list out the cars we want to see swapped with an LS motor. The criteria were simple - pick cars that practically beg for V8 power. We avoided GM cars, cars that originally offered a V8 engine, and anything that regularly receives LS transplants. At the same time, we wanted to avoid novelties like the LS swapped postal truck. Instead, we went with good cars that would be transformed for the better. Ranked in order from oldest to newest, here's what we came up with.
Photo: Chevrolet Performance
MGB GT
There are a lot of companies that restore and restomod MGs, and in the UK Frontline Developments is arguably the best. But while this bespoke MGB's craftsmanship makes an Aston Martin Vantage look like a Fox Body Mustang, its Mazda four-cylinder lacks the charismatic burble an LS delivers. On this side of the pond, MGBs are cheap and common. Parts are plentiful and you can build an MGB any way you want it. The MGB's engine bay was designed for a Rover V8, making it easy to install an LS engine.
Photo: MG Frontline Developments
Triumph TR7
Triumph heralded the Triumph TR7 as "the shape of things to come". Its wedge-shaped body is meant to invoke comparisons to the Lotus Esprit and was revolutionary compared to the TR6. It included a larger, more comfortable, more modern interior and better safety than other Triumphs. Unfortunately, it suffered under British Leyland's mismanagement and flying doorstop styling was a "love it or hate it" proposition. But the TR7 has two things going for it - Triumph designed it for the Rover V8 and produced a limited run of TR8s with that engine. An LS swap would fix most of the TR7's problems, leaving you with modern performance in a period of 1970's body.
Photo: Hemmings
DeLorean
Gullwing doors, stainless-steel body, Lotus tuned suspension, the DeLorean had it all. But it was a dream machine with sleepy performance. It made do with the 130 hp PRV V6 jointly developed by Peugeot, Renault, and Volvo. An LS motor would be a shot of adrenaline, waking up the performance, and it would be a good match. John DeLorean ran both Pontiac and Chevrolet and was responsible for the original Pontiac GTO. A V8-powered DeLorean could run with the fastest cars from those companies.
Photo: DeLorean
Third-Generation Toyota Celica
This writer has a soft spot for the third-generation Toyota Celica. It was the first good car I owned. Sharing a platform with the Toyota Supra, it handled great making it a good backroad companion. It shared everything with the Supra except for the Supra's sweet 5M-GE straight-six engine. Instead, it had the 22-R four-cylinder truck motor producing all of 97 hp. With the air-conditioning on, 0-60 mph took... days. What 50 extra hp would have done for that car, let alone LS level power. Then it would have been epic.
Photo: Zero260
Maserati Biturbo
If people drove a car in hell, it would be the Maserati Biturbo. Built to compete with the BMW 3 Series, the Giugiaro-designed Biturbo offered the best of 80s Italian style and performance. It also offered the worst of Italian reliability, making British Leyland look like Lexus. Most of the problems stemmed from the twin-turbo six-cylinder engine that leaked, overheated, and burned - that's if it ran. An LS swap would cure most of the car's ailments and the rest could be dismissed as "character".
Photo: Maserati
Nissan 240SX
The Nissan 240SX, or Silvia in JDM parlance, is a prolific drift car. Most people add turbos to the 2.4-liter four-cylinder, or swap in a 3.0 or 3.5 Nissan V6. But there are heroes out there that combine the Silvia with an LS motor and take the time to do it right. This one is a perfect example, and recently sold on Bring a Trailer for $54,000. It may be wrong to LS swap a Silvia. But if it is, I don't want to be right.
Photo: Bring A Trailer
Volvo Wagon
In addition to being a fine actor, Paul Newman was an accomplished race car driver. He also liked sleeper cars, and his Volvo wagon was the ultimate. "It will chew anybody's ass from 20-100 mph" he once told David Letterman on "The Late Show". Letterman was so impressed he bought his own wagon. Most of Newman's wagons were Ford-powered, but the combination of a boxy Volvo and an LS motor is much better. Yes, it's been done, but it hasn't been done enough.
Photo: kinja-img
Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86
For years car enthusiasts pined for an inexpensive, lightweight coupe with Miata-like performance. Then Subaru and Toyota teamed up to deliver a brilliant car that nobody bought. "It needs more power!" people cried. The Subaru flat-four cylinder engine puts out around 200 hp, which isn't bad. But lacks a sonorous engine note, sounding blatty and flatulent with an aftermarket exhaust. The LS engine would cure both problems, turning the docile Toyobaru into a best that hunts down supercars.
Photo: Subaru
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