A different type of LS swap!
Projects always taken on a life of themselves, and that's exactly what happened with this drift car. What originally began life as an early Lexus LS turned into a Frankenstein of a drifter with a full cage and the body of a 1951 Chevrolet Styleline sedan. If you're into weird, quirky, mad-scientist type builds, you'll definitely want to check out this video to see the car in action.
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As original as a Lexus LS drift car is, owner Jake Caldwell – of the aptly named Spare Parts Speed Shop – wanted something that was even more unique. So he did what any sane hot-rodder would do: cut the body off and swap it out with something that had a little more attitude. And a rusty old Chevy with lots of patina made for a perfect candidate.
Best of all, the he bought the body for just $400, and he has around $1,500 invested in the whole build after acquiring the Lexus from a friend for "super cheap." Amazingly, grafting the body-on-frame Chevy body onto the unibody Lexus took just 65 days to complete!
The stripped-out interior shows evidence of the Lexus floorpan, and the Lexus' gauges were incorporated into the Chevy's dash; the giant handbrake is the first hint this car is setup for drifting. To keep the car's patina, Penetrol was added to the body to act as a clear coat, while the painted accents add more character. On the trunk is hand-spun gold leaf , while the "244 CID V8" paint on the hood calls out the Lexus' 4.0-liter V-8 under the hood.
Cars like this always show the ingenuity and passion that goes into being a true gear head, and the only thing cooler than looking at the car is watching it drift around the track.
