Daily Slideshow: LS-Curious? Check Out This East Meets West S2000 LS Swap
What started as a glint in one man's eye turned into a V-8 in a convertible Honda.
1. Curious Jason
"I like to tinker," says Jason Kovach, uttering the four words that have started the stories of more than a few unusual builds "And do things that people say can't be done," he continues, further suggesting what was to come. What came to Jason was the idea of bringing a GM LS engine and a Honda S2000 chassis together. Like more than a few matches, the impetus for this union was a picture posted online. In Jason's case, the culprit was a photo he saw of an LS1 sitting snug inside the engine bay of an S2000—sitting there but not fully connected. It was enough to get Jason wondering and he ran the idea by a GM Mechanic buddy of his. His friend helped talk him into it, proving the best friends are ones that will talk you into trying crazy stuff.
>>Join the conversation about this LS1 Swapped S2000 right here at the LS1 Tech Forum!
2. Man Meets Car
It was no surprise that seeing a Honda like that gave Jason ideas. "I've had Hondas pretty much my whole life," he explained. "My first car was a '83 Prelude, and then I went to a Civic. Now I own two S2000s and my wife drives a Pilot." It was back to the internet to look for a suitable candidate for Jason's car-engine marriage and, as luck would have it, the party who owned the aborted S2000-LS swap project that sparked off his plan in the first place got in contact with Jason, and a deal was done for the rolling chassis. After a couple of days on the road from Atlanta to Oklahoma City and back again, and a lengthy road trip to collect an engine and transmission, Jason was ready to get down to work.
>>Join the conversation about this LS1 Swapped S2000 right here at the LS1 Tech Forum!
3. The Main Ingredient
4. Together at Last
Jason started out by stripping the LS1 of its air conditioning compressor and power steering pump, as well as all their associated brackets and plumbing. He found wiring up the new power plant fairly straightforward, using a stock Chevy ECM from HP Tuners and adding MSD coil packs. Fuel is supplied by an Aeromotive A1000 fuel pump and pressure regulator, fed via -8 braided steel lines from a 10-gallon aluminum RCI fuel cell. An aluminum Summit Racing radiator, with a Flex-a-lite S-blade fan, cools the LS1. "[The swap] had its moments, but it actually fits in there really well," Jason shared confidently. "I can work on the entire motor without a problem. It doesn't have a bunch of extra stuff under the hood because it's all been relocated. If I pull off the headers and radiator, I can remove the entire motor and transmission by myself."
>>Join the conversation about this LS1 Swapped S2000 right here at the LS1 Tech Forum!
5. More Matches
To keep things simple, and with no reason to make a substitution, Jason retained the GM T-56 6-Speed transmission that came with the 2000 Firebird engine, though he did fit a new Exedy clutch. A custom aluminum driveshaft takes power from the transmission back to a Ford Cobra 8.8 inch independent rear suspension set-up. The Cobra rear end is fitted with custom Stage 4 axles from The Driveshaft Shop, along with custom Honda hubs that allow the use of Honda-spec brakes and a variety of S2000-suitable wheel choices. Jason dropped the convertible's body one inch on HKS springs and Eibach Shocks, and chose 5Zigen GN+Pro wheels to keep that S2000-suitable look intact.
>>Join the conversation about this LS1 Swapped S2000 right here at the LS1 Tech Forum!
6. Something Borrowed, Something Blue
Though the exterior may look stock at first glance, with the exception of the carbon fiber Mugen wing, a closer look reveals the substitution of a later, AP2 front bumper, a few strategically-placed vents in the factory hood and rear bumper, shaved emblems, and paint-matched headlight housings. Before spraying the body in Mitsubishi EVO Ruri Blue, Jason went to work on the engine compartment, filling over 60 holes. Aside from adding a bit of Alcantara to the interior, the major modification is a custom instrument shroud housing a Dakota Digital Dash unit, a substitution that worked well with the LS's electronics. What kind of feedback did Jason get on his matchmaking efforts? "People have told me that I ruined a perfectly good S2000," Jason says. "They say it's not a Honda anymore, but really all it is, is a Honda with more torque!" With that seat-of-the-pants V8 feedback, and weighing in a mere 65 lbs plumper, the question might not be "Why?" but rather "Why don't more people do this?"
>>Join the conversation about this LS1 Swapped S2000 right here at the LS1 Tech Forum!
For help with service of your car, check out the how to section of LS1Tech.com.