Engine swaps are a common thing among car enthusiasts, but a Lexus V8-powered Jeep Wrangler is almost unheard of. If you don’t take this one into account, of course…
The Wrangler is a very capable, off-road 4×4 that traces its roots back to the World War II Willys MB, but this YJ’s 4.0-litre inline-six was on its last legs, as redditor American Locomotive explains. So, naturally, a swap was in order, but instead of going to a similar unit (or something from the same continent, for that matter), the owner of this ageing 1995 Wrangler decided to squeeze a Lexus 1UZ V8 engine with 200k miles (321,868 km) on the clock.
The donor motor came off a wrecked 1995 LS400, costing a measly $250. For that that amount of cash, the project received a perfectly running, double-overhead-cam, 32-valve powerplant, which boasts 256 HP and 353 Nm (260 lb-ft) of torque.
However, getting the engine to drive the Jeep’s wheels was the real challenge, as the project got quite complicated. The end result is described as a huge cluster of different parts that were somehow fitted together – with the YJ receiving a re-drilled Toyota 4Runner V6 flywheel and pressure plate, a Camaro V6 clutch disc, a Jeep NP231 transfer case, and a 1967 Chevy SM420 4-speed.
By the looks and sound of it, everything turned out OK, albeit hearing a Wrangler bouncing off the limiter or accelerating that fast, is uncanny.