A Tacoma with an LS6 V8?
Jason Lancaster | Mar 11, 2009 | Comments 31
Here’s a new one – Tundra Racing is building out a fast-as-hell Toyota Tacoma…with a Corvette motor.
That’s right – they’ve shoehorned a specially tuned 460 horsepower LS6 into an 05′ Tacoma Regular Cab 2wd. Does that sound like a fast truck or what?
2005 Tacoma with a V8 LS6 Corvette motor.
How about a very fast truck.
Getting a Corvette V8 to fit in an engine compartment that was designed with a 4.0L V6 in mind is a little challenging. First, Tundra Racing had to create custom motor mounts. Then they had to fashion special brackets to attach the alternator and radiator.
They also had to put a Corvette style exhaust on this Tacoma – huge headers and a custom exhaust system terminate to a mean-looking quad exhaust just under the rear bumper (note – the bumper needs paint).
Corvette headers and a quad exhaust.
This is going to be a fast truck. But we said that already, didn’t we?
Of course, going fast means you need brakes – big brakes. Tundra Racing has a custom big brake kit with huge 13″ rotors to help stop this lightweight truck.
Custom big brake kit.
Here’s a full list of this 2005 Regular cab 2×4 Tacoma’s tricks:
- Vette LS6 motor (modified to 460 HP)
- 4L60T tranny
- 2500 stall converter
- 9″ Ford rear end / posi / 350 gear
- TundraRacing.com Brakes -13.2″ front dual piston big brake kit up front with a 12″ rear single piston Pro Series disc conversion.
- Complete gauge package.
- Custom stainless steel headers and exhaust, mandrel bent and tig welded.
- Custom aluminum radiator
- X-Runner Hood
- Stock rear bumper modified by Tundra Racing for quad Vette exhaust
- Air conditioning (this is a Florida truck).
- Leather seats from a 2006 Tundra with a 4-point racing harness.
- Tundra Racing front grille.
Custom Tacoma Gauges
This truck is currently a work in progress – it’s still missing some paint so we don’t have any full images just yet. Once it’s all done, you can be sure that we’ll post all the pictures.
Filed Under: Featured Vehicles
I can almost read the silly comments from brand loyalists using their engine to power an import truck… almost.
Actually the Baja version from (Tundra racing I think) also has a chevy engine in it too. So this isn’t the first for this.
One question…why?
Ingle – Word. Too bad that Toyota doesn’t offer a Supra anymore, or Tundra Racing could shoe horn one of those motors in and be done with it.
Mickey – No kidding – good comment.
TXTee – That’s a very rational response. I can only come up with “Why not?” 🙂 Boys and their toys, right?
Why does Toyota need to still offer a Supra for that engine to be an option? I imagine there are still a few 2JZs floating around here and there. Is it because some states won’t allow an engine from an older vehicle to be swapped into a newer chassis?
Besides, I think the 2JZ would be longer than the LS6, being an inline 6. So, I doubt it would fit without cutting out the firewall and having the engine in your lap.
OMG, I just realized these comments are 5 years old!
LOL! This is an old post. Thanks for commenting though!
-Tim
I’m not entirely sure what kind of engine they put on the Supras before but I have seen one with a souped-up stock engine that had 1200rwhp. I think i saw it on youtube somewhere. With that kind of hp I’m sure even an LS6 V8 can’t touch it.
Interesting toy still…..I just wonder where the idea came from. 😉
As a brand loyalist i was kind of hopping to see a Tacoma with a Toyota 5.7 v8 and a blower. My question is why not this set up?
Morenoc12 – I’m guessing it’s because the Vette engine was a lot less expensive…but I want to see that too.
I have a 92 extended cab 4X4 with 5 speed that I want to put my 03 tundra V8 in with the auto and front and rearend. I got hit in the doors of the tundra and have only 40K on the truck and 250+ on the 92. Anyone got information on the exchange?
thanks, Everett
I don’t blame them for using a GM engine. Toyota’s engine are just hard to work on. Not much support from aftermarket companies and of course a tight lid on the codes. There’s a forum member either on TT or TS installing a 5.7L Tundra 2nd Gen engine to a 1st Gen Tundra.
He can make the engine fit by cutting here and there, relocating some parts, but I have yet to see how he can make the computer work without eliminating or disabling some of its sensors. Or maybe he can find a way to fool the computer.
Art64 – EXCELLENT point – you’re 100% correct about the electronics and the new 5.7L. Toyota is reluctant to release their electronic stranglehold on the engine codes because it will hurt their dealerships…if independent mechanics can “crack the codes,” Toyota dealers won’t see as many repairs.
So why doesnt the Tacoma have a Toyota 5.7?? Has anyone seen the 2010 Raptor 6.2 liter?? What is the purpose of a Prerunner and a Tundra TRD offroad package without 4X4??
WCX – Troll alert!
hey i was wondering if you had anymore specs on this, or do you have a write up page?
Thanks
Eden
Eden – We’re going to follow-up on this once our contact at TundraRacing sends us more info. We’ll do another post then – hopefully with some exterior shots and a dyno graph.
cool thanks jason, this is an amazing setup, i would love to put this in my x-runner, thanks Jason
Eden – You bet.
Eden – We’ve got more pics on this truck coming up on the 17th – be sure to check back.
I find it rather silly that Tundra racing has been forced to use a Chevrolet engine, but I guess the bottom line is that the Chevrolet small block is just one great engine; reliable, easy to work on, parts are cheap and can easily be built to put out bodacious amounts of horsepower and torque; basically the opposite of the Toyota 5.7.
So what’s next, are they going to start using a Silverado chassis?
Jeff – LOL. The small block chevy is kick-ass sir. I’m a big fan of Toyota and I’ve got no problem admitting the 350 V8 is a great engine – especially for hot rod projects.
TXTee- WHY THE HELL NOT?! TROLLLOLOL
This is about the stupidest waste of a perfectly good truck I’ve seen….rest of comment deleted.
If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. What’s more, if you’re too afraid to put your name on a comment, you probably shouldn’t say it.
Actually , it was not a perfectly good truck. 4 cylinder automatic, 16″ steel wheels and that sewing machine exhaust note…..
A supra engine is a 2JZ GTE and there are people who swap the engines in tacomas a lot im planning on doing a 2JZ GTE twin turbo in my 05 pre runner
a chevy motor in a tacoma the 2JZ gte would be fast enuff i heared in dallas texas there stuffing tacomas with 4c4 turbo diesels which get 40 mpg but $20,00 is a lot for a swap the supra motor bolt into the tacoma i mite do that when my 2.7 goes south
I have a 2001 Tacoma and I’ve been looking for a clean chevy small block conversion without much luck. I(s it really even possible. I live in the south so AC will be
a given and for horsepower I’m looking for some4thing that got good horsepower but it doesn’t have to be a animal. And a manual transmission is preferred. Any help would be appreciated. I can fabricate and I have Both Mig and Tig welders of my own so I’m not looking for someone to do my work.
Thanks
Hey Guys, I realize this is an old thread but here is the scoop. This project began in early 2005, long before the 5.7L Tundra engine was born.. We felt that the Supra motor was too long without firewall mods. We had access to a 2004 vette Z06 (405 HP) that had been wrecked. Tweeked with headers & tuning.. 450hp was in sight. We still have the truck, its rocket fast the the A/C blows cold.. BTW, we are building a Tacoma prerunner double cab, long bed with a blown 5.7L engine. Stay tuned!