Motor swap questions
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: NV
Motor swap questions
So my Gs400 was recently totaled. So in the market for new car was wondering what chassis can I swap my motor and trans into because they have less than 1k miles since rebuild.
ANY chassis. Just a matter of getting custom brackets for the motor mounts.
Are you looking for ANY car, or another Lexus?
It will be a direct fit for any LS, GS or SC of any years
Are you looking for ANY car, or another Lexus?
It will be a direct fit for any LS, GS or SC of any years
Thread Starter
Driver School Candidate
Joined: May 2016
Posts: 35
Likes: 0
From: NV
I'm open to any car was wondering if i could squeeze it into Is wagon or any other wagon prefered. But open to any body.
there was a famous guy years ago that did that exact swap. took a gs430 motor and tranny and shoved it into a is300 and made it work. it looked like a huge ordeal. there was nothing easy or straight forward about it. it was on a tv show. i think chip foose or rod millen was involved in it. im sure you could find it on google or you tube.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Aug 2012
Posts: 4,592
Likes: 31
From: TN
How good of a wrench and fabricator are you? Main thing is going to be sorting out the wiring, the newer the car, the more of a PITA the wiring job will be.
People have swapped Chevy LS motors into the IS, but then again the LS motor is pretty small physically(no huge heads like an DOCH V8).
As for you wanting to swap the motor into a wagon, there aren't a lot of good canidates because that body style is unpopular here in the US. You can always swap it into something vintage, take your pick of any 50's/60's/70's Detriot Iron. For something newer, about the only things that come off the top of my head are a Volvo 240, 740, or 960(all RWD, newer volvo wagons are FWD with the engine sitting sideways in them), or a 90's Caprice or Roadmaster(those things are heavy tanks though).
You could swap it into a 90's Jeep Grand Cherokee or Cherokee. That has been done before, and the guys on the Jeep forum are very active and helpful.
People have swapped Chevy LS motors into the IS, but then again the LS motor is pretty small physically(no huge heads like an DOCH V8).
As for you wanting to swap the motor into a wagon, there aren't a lot of good canidates because that body style is unpopular here in the US. You can always swap it into something vintage, take your pick of any 50's/60's/70's Detriot Iron. For something newer, about the only things that come off the top of my head are a Volvo 240, 740, or 960(all RWD, newer volvo wagons are FWD with the engine sitting sideways in them), or a 90's Caprice or Roadmaster(those things are heavy tanks though).
You could swap it into a 90's Jeep Grand Cherokee or Cherokee. That has been done before, and the guys on the Jeep forum are very active and helpful.
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there was a famous guy years ago that did that exact swap. took a gs430 motor and tranny and shoved it into a is300 and made it work. it looked like a huge ordeal. there was nothing easy or straight forward about it. it was on a tv show. i think chip foose or rod millen was involved in it. im sure you could find it on google or you tube.
1 OF 3 VIDEOS of the build
TTE Europe ALSO built a IS430
I would jam your motor into a sandrail or something similar
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