THE GRIND
By Steven RuppS
pring has kicked in and that meant it was time
to visit the desert burg of Las Vegas for the
annual Holley LS Fest West. It’s a celebration
of all things LS and, like its counterpart in the east,
shows how popular and versatile this engine really
is. And while the tarmac was stuffed with newer
Camaros and Corvettes, what really blows us away
each year is just how many cars show up that didn’t
come with an LS originally under their hood,
or a GM mill of any sort.
If you can name it chances are some gearhead
has figured out a way to LS swap it. And we’re not
just talking about stuffing an LS into a vintage
Chevy that originally had a
Gen I small-block; that’s child’s
play. We’re talking about LS
engines in things that were
never designed to host an LS
powerplant. Looking at the
variety of these cars, it really is
a testament to how easy the LS
engine is to work with, both in
terms of size and parts availabil-
ity. Want to stuff an LS into an
old Volvo wagon? Been done
already. How about an AMC
Pacer? Too late. There was an LS
stuffed in the back of a Porsche 911
and one under the hood of a Jaguar.
We saw them shoehorned into
Japanese imports and even slid
under the bonnet of a newer
Mustang. Motorcycles, trucks, sand
buggies, Trophy Trucks; the list of
rides receiving what is arguably Chevrolet’s most
successful mill is staggering and nearly endless.
The LS platform offers a lot of performance
in a relatively small package. Add in how easy it
is to bolt on a variety of transmissions, from old
Powerglides to modern computer-controlled four-
speeds and numerous manual transmissions, and
it’s easy to see why the LS is the go-to mill for those
that want to inject a ton of performance and a lot of
coolness into everything they can get their hands on.
Hell, if you can make a Pacer cool with a dose of
Chevy power, anything is possible.4 SUPER CHEVY^ SEPTEMBER^2019
LS Swap Everything
The Holley LS Fest illustrates the popularity
of Chevrolet’s modern mills[email protected]follow us!