RideLust

Ever own a car that you wished had more power? I know I have. Generally the cure for a situation such as this is simple. You can either bolt on a turbo or supercharger, add some heads or an exhaust, maybe a big bottle of nitrous, or simply sell the old bag of bolts and buy something new. There are however those chosen few petrol heads that choose to think outside the box, and go buck wild by simply shoehorning an engine that’s bigger and better between the frame rails. Sometimes it works out great, other times the cars just turn into a Frankenstein mess. Either way though you have to respect the heart, soul and labor that’s put into these projects because 9 times out of 10, they turn out to be pretty darn cool.

• 1988 Dodge Conquest TSi w/ Small block Chrysler 340

Now here’s something that you don’t see everyday. Going from a turbo-charged, fuel injected inline-4, to a small block 340 cu in V8. Hell, even in stock form the 340 would piss all over the original 176 hp 4-banger, so in my book this conversion is first rate.

• 1989 Ford Festiva Shogun w/ Taurus SHO V6

This is one of those rare factory experiments that was just o-so-right! Ford decided to take the 220 hp Yamaha derived V6 from the Taurus SHO and stuff it into the back of a Ford Fiesta. They flared the fenders, dumped the back seat and in turn, created one of the coolest little hot hatches in history.

• 1969 Dodge Charger w/ 6.1-liter HEMI

Fiddle with a carburetor enough and you’ll find yourself longing for something high-tech with fuel injection. The owner of this 1969 Dodge Charger must have felt that way, as they ditched the original Detroit gas guzzler in favor of a new 6.1-liter 425 hp new generation HEMI. They now have power, mileage and no BS carburetor hassles.

• 1988 e30 M3 w/ E60 M5 V10

Arguably one of the best M-cars ever created, the e30 M3 has an extreme cult following. However in stock condition, with only 215 hp on tap, you’ll need to rev the crap out of it to get the most from the little mill. That is where the 500 hp V10 from the e60 M5 comes in. Do some fabrication work, drop the big V10 between the frame rails and presto, instant super car.

• 1980′s MG Roadster w/ Corvette LS1

I have to say that this is probably my favorite on the list. On the outside it’s a simple unassuming MG Roadster, but on the inside it’s a fire-breathing powerhouse, capable of surprising the crap out of just about everything on the street. Kudo’s to the owner for this one.

• 1980′s Mini Cooper w/ Honda K-Series Vtec

It’s small, handles great and now, thanks to the Honda B-series engine stuffed under the hood, has some serious cojones to go with the looks. The only downside I can see to this swap is that this thing must have a monumental amount of torque steer. Otherwise though it’s a pretty wicked little road burner.