Nothing can crack the Toyota Hilux's nonbreakable reputation. Top Gear famously tried to destroy one by driving it where no other car would survive, drowning it in water, and blowing up a building with it on it. A couple of years later, Top Gear drove Hiluxs to the North Pole and even drove one to an active volcano. More years pass by and WhistlinDeisel's YouTube Channel claims he can destroy one. Both presenters fail to destroy one and WhistlinDeisel was so impressed he bought 4 more Hiluxs with plans to jokingly put one into orbit. So what happens when you stick a 950-HP LS engine in one? Larry Chen YouTube Channel investigates.
LS Fest Brings Out The Craziest Rides
Ken Glosser is the owner, builder, and self-proclaimed crazy guy. Ken tells us he got his white pickup in his high school days. His father gave him the old truck and Ken did what every American high schooler would do with a pickup. He put on some rims and gave her all the love she needed. After reaching 320,000 miles on the engine, he decided it was probably time to retire the engine. He tells us he had many different engine configurations in the truck but after finding a 5.3-liter LS from a Chevy Tahoe he decided "what the heck, let's just throw it in."
5.3 Liters Of American Muscle
Although some may see it as a bit of a sacrilege to put an American engine in an import, we have to say the truck looks pretty good. Ken tells us that the engine and trans, especially when it was naturally aspirated, were a perfect match in terms of installation. Everything just fit as it should. As the build progresses, Ken adds a Turbo producing 18Lbs of boost. Ken claims the vehicle now dynos at 950 Hp at the wheels and proves it by running 10.3 seconds at 132 mph on the quarter-mile.
The American Dream Of A Single Digit Quarter Mile
Ken dreams of one-day hitting a single-digit quarter-mile and judging by his last time, it's not that far off. However, car builders know that even an extra half a second can be quite hard to achieve. Ken still has all original steel body panels and box, the original interior with carpeting, and two seats. With a bit of weight reduction, we can definitely see Ken getting closer to that single digit. Good luck Ken!