LS swaps seem to be the go-to for builders of all kinds. The aluminum block V8 was found in all sorts of vehicles built by GM, and they also produced a cast iron block version, found in a lot of trucks and heavier vehicles. Price, accessibility, and a strong aftermarket presence make these engines desirable for many different applications.
Drifters are swapping imports with them. Amateur drag racers are putting them in anything that they can. Some of the most controversial engine swaps are of the LS form. Mazda RX7s having their rotaries torn from their skeleton and replaced with GM’s more reliable V8 may seem like a smart decision, but to some, it’s sacrilege.
Meet Kyle Scaife, or you may already know him from Instagram: @mustangkyle. At the time of writing this, Kyle and the Mustang have 139K followers on the ‘gram. Kyle’s car may very well be the most controversial car on the internet- and it’s not even LS Swapped.
With a résumé that includes features on 1320 Video, Speedhunters and a slew of other automotive media outlets, Kyle’s 1967 Ford Mustang is the epitome of “Built Ford Tough with Chevy Stuff.” The steel body was cut from its original frame and transplanted to a custom fabricated frame over a C5 (1997-2004) Corvette Chassis. It’s not an LS swapped Mustang, it’s a body swapped Corvette. Maintaining the 5.7L LS1 based drive train, the car has a fully custom cage, interior, and aluminum over-fenders shielding the staggered setup Govad Forged Wheels. The frame and cage are the most impressive to me, due to how the suspension is mounted in the car. The extended roof on the car, making it a “shooting brake,” or in normie terms, a two-door sport wagon, really sets the car apart from any other modern rat-rod you may see. The Mustang is truly a piece of art, in every sense of the word. Oh, and did I mention that none of the body panels are painted to match?
With Ontario license plate BTYNPIZA, I couldn’t help but feature the car on Horsepower & Pizza- but don’t get it twisted, I would not be writing this article had I not seen the car in the flesh.
Rewind a few weeks to my vacation to Ocean City, MD for H2Oi. I stayed a few blocks away from Kyle and his friends and had the opportunity to view the car on my morning walk to get coffee. A very rude, middle-aged local harassed me while I took photos of the car, holding me - and only me – responsible for the entire weekend outing and the shenanigans that ensued. Keep in mind that I mentioned the Ontario license plate. Kyle did not trailer the car ~12 hours from Canada to Maryland, he DROVE it. And it’s not the first time he’s done it; he did it in 2017 too! Other than speaking through social media a few times, I haven’t had the opportunity to meet Kyle face-to-face, so I didn’t get the full tour of the car from the man, himself.
So why is this car so controversial on the internet?
· People are so easily butthurt today over the simplest shit, and can’t accept the fact that someone took a vehicle that THEY own and built it into exactly what THEY wanted to.
· The Mustang purists are crying because Kyle decided to cut up a first-gen car that was rotting away to begin with.
· He hasn’t painted the car or “finished” it to whatever people think it should be. FFS, it’s a project car, it’ll likely never be “finished.”
· Who are you to say that art isn’t art?
When did it become standard to throw your opinions at someone you don’t even know and likely won’t ever meet, and expect them to listen or even give a fragment of a shit what strangers have to say? It’s definitely the ugly side of social media and the downside of having the eyes of the world on you and what you’re doing. Simply put, you can’t and won’t make everyone happy, and you don’t need anyone’s permission to be a boss. Tune out the negativity; turn the music up in the garage, and Build It For You.
-B
Huge Thank You to RJ Kresock for allowing me to use his photos, drop him a follow @RJKPhotographs
(If the photo quality looks grainy, I'm writing this on the road and RJ sent the photos through Facebook. Thanks Zuckerberg...)
Kyle is @mustangkyle on IG, @mustangkyle2 on Twitter and "Mustang Kyle" on YouTube to stay up to date on the next build!
Horsepower & Pizza's Black Friday Sale runs now until Monday the 26th with new lower prices, a free gift if you spend $30 and free shipping in the U.S. if you spend $60! www.horsepowerandpizza.com
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