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 to race their 1981 Mercury Zephyr in Las Vegas.
Jordan purchased the car four years ago from a friend—it’s all-original, with
only 14,000 kilometers on the odometer. 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 setup 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 drives it home again.wagon from British Columbia—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. The trip consisted of almost 4,000 miles.
The drivetrain is from a 2002 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
using Wilwood rotors and discs.OCTOBER 2019 CARCRAFT.COM 59T
he 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 homebuilt, LS-swapped projects.THE SCHWING SWAP
What: 1975 AMC Pacer
Who: Dick Hamm
Where: Tucson, AZ
Drivetrain: Turbo 5.3L/Turbo 400
This excellent 1975 Pacer caught our ears
before it caught our eyes. A mess of wires
accompanies a big 78/75mm VS Racing turbo,
as Dick Hamm slammed this project together
in 16 days for LS Fest West. It’s a 2001 model
5.3L LS backed by a Turbo 400 transmission.
The fueling is a Micro Squirt with 80-pound
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.THE MAPLE BACON
What: 1981 Mercury Zephyr
Who: Jordan and Lauren Vander Woude
Where: Lethbridge, AB, Canada
Drivetrain: Turbo 5.3L/4L60E
Despite the LS powerplant, this father/
son duo from Canada are Ford guys: “I
was born and raised a die-hard Ford fan,”THE BEACH CRUISER
What: 1959 Chevrolet Nomad
Who: Dave and Jenny Cook, plus Bill Little
Where: East Gate, BC, 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, wife Jenny, and
friend Bill Little drove this 1959 Nomad