IS200 Gets V8 1UZ-FE Engine from an LS400
UK-based Nick Wealleans built a V8-swapped Lexus IS200 not for the trophies, but for his own heart. And the trophies came flying his way anyway.
Not Your Average Build
There are a lot of builds out there that are motivated, above all else, by the gratification of impressing onlookers and fellow enthusiasts. Not that there's anything wrong with that. There's something to be said for earning the respect of your peers and gaining notoriety for your hard work. But that's not what Nick Wealleans of Cardiff, Wales was after.
Photos: Fast Car
For the Love of Burning Rubber
He started this project for the purpose of satisfying no one else but himself. All he wanted to get out of it was the ability to hear the rumble of the V8 and smell burning rubber. With that objective in mind, he took on the seemingly impossible task of swapping the IS200's unimpressive 2.0-liter for a 290-horsepower 1UZ-FE V8 unit out of an LS400.
>>Join the conversation about this LS V8 swapped IS200 right here in the Club Lexus forum.
Mission Impossible
And Wealleans will concur with the notion that this was no easy undertaking. Certainly not in hindsight. Especially considering the fact that he never had any formal mechanic training under his belt. He was simply inspired by a fellow IS200 owner who had started a similar swap project and was sharing his experience online. Wealleans saw this as a challenge. " [I] wondered if I could get mine finished and on the road before his – which I did,” he remarks.
>>Join the conversation about this LS V8 swapped IS200 right here in the Club Lexus forum.
Constant State of Modification
In truth, the work on this Lexus started long before the V8 swap began. “I bought the car and I started modifying it on the drive home from buying it!" He started out with basic modifications, slowly customizing the near-mint IS200. He eventually added high-quality suspension parts from Meister R with the goal of getting the car as low to the ground as possible. "If it’s not scraping, it’s not low enough,” is the motto Wealleans lives by.
>>Join the conversation about this LS V8 swapped IS200 right here in the Club Lexus forum.
Trial and Error
Getting the V8 to take the place of the little 4-cylinder was a challenge and a half. Wealleans has his friends to thank for helping him through the process, even if it was simply feeding him pizza at times when he was too excited about the build to remember to eat. It was a ton of trial and error, dropping the engine in and taking it out about 10 times before finally getting it right.
>>Join the conversation about this LS V8 swapped IS200 right here in the Club Lexus forum.
Drivetrain Woes
Numerous obstacles presented themselves along the way, such as the wiring, getting the exhaust manifold to clear the steering rack, etc. But perhaps the biggest issue was finding a way to put the desired drivetrain setup in. That setup consists of the IS200's 5-speed manual with modified clutch and flywheel from an SW20 Toyota MR2 Turbo, and a limited-slip diff from an IS300.
>>Join the conversation about this LS V8 swapped IS200 right here in the Club Lexus forum.
Winning Trophies Despite Itself
The TRD bodykit, the rolled arches, and the oversized Japspeed rear wing give the car a cool look to match the under-hood madness. It also speaks to the fact that the build doesn't take itself too seriously and is ready to have some fun. And ultimately, not caring about pleasing others has ended up impressing a large number of folks anyway, earning Wealleans and his Lexus numerous trophies, as well as features on Fast Car, and of course, ClubLexus!
>>Join the conversation about this LS V8 swapped IS200 right here in the Club Lexus forum.
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