“On a long enough timeline, everything gets an LS swap.”
These immortal words from Mr. Regular of Regular Car Reviews - opens in new window or tab. ring true when it comes to the 2022 Holley LS Fest East - opens in new window or tab., the world’s biggest celebration of the General Motors LS V-8. Everywhere you turned, there was an LS or Gen 5-plus LT dropped into the engine bay of a truck, wagon, sedan or compact.
You’d never expect to see some vehicles powered by a V-8 monster. We’re not just talking about Mustangs or ‘32 Ford replicas, but truly insane LS swaps. Here are the 11 wildest swaps we found at LS Fest East 2022 in Bowling Green, Ky., on the second weekend of September 2022.
This year’s LS Fest is presented by eBay Motors.
1991 Grumman LLV
David Stacy, owner of the ‘LS Postal’ build, said:
“We were driving one day, and a Gruman LLV pulled out in front of us. I knew right then that I really wanted to build one.”
Unlike most LLVs, this 1991 example never delivered the mail, instead serving at the previous owner’s college. Stacy turned this Grumman into a deliverer of goods with the help of a supercharged LS V-8 pumping out 700 members of the Pony Express to the back, allowing it to pull wheelies down the quarter-mile. Stacy takes his Grumman LLV - opens in new window or tab. to all the cruise nights, where it never fails to deliver smiles.
1963 International Harvester Travelall
This International Harvester Travelall - opens in new window or tab. built by Mikey Ayers of Street Trucks magazine for LS Fest 2022 has a 6.0-liter LS stroked to 408 cubic inches under the hood, along with tons of Holley’s performance goodies.
The front end has Chevrolet C10 suspension parts - opens in new window or tab. in order to use disc brakes, and the whole thing wears a modified patina paint job with clearcoat to preserve it. The former farm truck needed a new floor pan and firewall to tie everything all together but is otherwise made to look like it just drove off the farm. Ayers says this classic ride steals the attention from all the Lambos and Ferraris driving around his native Boca Raton.
1976 NASCAR Chevrolet Chevette
Stoner’s Speed Shop of Hudson, Iowa, had this Chevette - opens in new window or tab. for less than six months. Those guys didn’t start working on it until two weeks before LS Fest East. The two-week project resulted in a wild ride offering tons of fun while honoring one of the legends in NASCAR. No doubt Dale is smiling down on this hot hatch from the halls of Valhalla.
1981 Ford Fairmont
Luke Corbin had this Ford Fairmont - opens in new window or tab. for three years. But the LS swap only started six months ago. The L33 LS-powered Ford Fox body coupe used to sit in a field, although it had raced regularly in the 2000s. It had a small-block Ford V-8 in the day. But that’s before in its new life as an LS-powered dominator, where it knocks out quick times down the eighth-mile.
Hydrogen-Powered 1948 Chevy
Mike Copeland built his 1948 Chevrolet truck with a Magnuson-supercharged - opens in new window or tab. 6.2-liter LS V-8 to run on hydrogen. Copeland’s goal was to prove that hotrodding can be green and mean. His truck makes over 400 horses and generates 440 pound-feet of torque to the back while emitting only water vapor. He says that every Chevy’s hydrogen-related component is experimental. The truck took 10 weeks to build, plus eight months for the hydrogen fuel system installation. It now drives just like a gasoline truck, except there are no noxious fumes—just water vapor from the tailpipe.
1989 Chrysler Conquest
Blaine Darling replaced the original 2.6-liter four in this captive import (also sold as the Mitsubishi Starion - opens in new window or tab.) with a nitrous-injected 5.3-liter LS V-8. Darling took his Chrysler Conquest - opens in new window or tab. on the Hot Rod Power Tour - opens in new window or tab. this year, putting 1,200 miles on the LS. The V-8 is the second to occupy the engine bay. The previous 4.8-liter LS blew up during the burnout contest at LS Fest 2021.
1993 Nissan 240SX
Will Slaughter says he used eBay for stereo and interior components on his 1993 Nissan 240SX - opens in new window or tab.. In fact, he goes to eBay first before searching elsewhere. Slaughter purchased the Nissan 11 years ago and has lived with an LS1 under the hood for 10 of those years. The swap with a Tremec Magnum transmission - opens in new window or tab. and an Infiniti Q45 rear differential - opens in new window or tab. took some “trial and error” over the first winter under Slaughter’s ownership. But it produced a ride that can hit nearly 11.50 seconds down the quarter-mile while serving as a reliable daily driver.
1992 Volvo 740
The Swedish brick with an all-American heart took Devon Baker four months to build, with the swap taking place in his backyard shed. And the best part? He didn’t trailer his Volvo 740 - opens in new window or tab., driving it all the way from Maryland to Bowling Green for a few runs down the Beech Bend’s dragstrip.
2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe
Damion Malasani said the original motor in his 2013 Hyundai Genesis Coupe - opens in new window or tab. couldn’t make the most of the 100-shot of nitrous - opens in new window or tab. it was given, so he needed something better. He says the LS swap allows it to drive better than the factory, hitting 10.2s down the quarter-mile.
2005 Lamborghini Gallardo
We saved the best for last. Here's the question: Why would anyone LS-swap a Lamborghini Gallardo - opens in new window or tab.? It had a big V-10!
But ICT Billet - opens in new window or tab. of Wichita, Kan. had the perfect reason for the switch, aside from the fact that LS swaps are the company’s specialty. The Lambo's original V-10 had a split block.
The LS swap took ICT Billet three months in 2021, although they didn’t need to wrap the Gallardo. It already wore its lime green wrapping when the shop got a hold of it. The LS and the original V-10 are similar in size (5.0-liters), but ICT Billet technical director Sean St. Pierre says the LS takes up more room than the V-10. An adapter plate needs to connect it to the transmission so the LS was moved back two inches. The LS is more powerful than the old 513-horsepower Lamborghini V-10 - opens in new window or tab., too, delivering 560 horsepower on the stock Gallardo fuel pump.
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