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DeLorean "V8 Vessel" Is an LS Swap with a Porsche 911 Gearbox

Ladies and gentlemen drivers, the mix we have here, which involves DeLorean DMC-12s and LS4 V8s, seems to be a match made in heaven - not only does this make for a contraption that sounds like a proper driving instrument, but it also appears to fulfill the serious firepower dreams company founder John DeLorean had back in the 80s.
DeLorean DMC-12 LS4 Swap 5 photos
Photo: jschattenkirk/instagram
DeLorean DMC-12 LS4 SwapDeLorean DMC-12 LS4 SwapDeLorean DMC-12 LS4 SwapDeLorean DMC-12 LS4 Swap
Offered in the U.S. between the 1981 and 1983 model years, the Northern Ireland-based DeLorean Motor Company only brought 8,535 units of the DMC-12 to the world. However, despite plans for a meatier setup, all the cars ended up packing a V6 motor developed by Renault, Peugeot and Volvo, with this delivering a modest 130 horsepower.

Now, multiple enthusiasts have taken the matter into the own hands, which is how we ended up with splendid V8 swaps for the DMC-12, thus facilitating the "wow" effect of a machine packing a stainless steel construction and gullwing doors.

For instance, Josh Schattenkirk has been at it for years. We're talking about an engineer whose LS4 DeLorean swap made headlines back in 2016. Nevertheless, the aficionado has now come up with the next step(s) of his work.

Now, if you check out the image above, which comes from Josh's Instagram profile, you'll notice not one, but two LS4-swapped DMC-12s. The car on the right, with the black rear end, is the one that surfaced last decade, while the other one is a fresh project.

The LS4 was a no-brainer here, thanks to the weight, packaging and cooling assets brought by its aluminum block, with the 300 horsepower output being just right to provide a spicy driving experience. Of course, the latter must come from an entire range of tech goodies and this is precisely what the engineers had introduced.

As such, one of the posts below pictures his LS4 swap "kit", which can be mated to the factory tranny, a Renault five-speed manual. However, as highlighted in a different post, the gearhead is preparing a kit that will see the 5.3-liter V8 mated to a 996-generation Porsche 911 transmission.

When it comes to the suspension, this has received KW-supplied coilovers, fully adjustable upper control arms, billet aluminum lower control arms and new bushings.

The brakes? Well, the front units, which are obviously the ones doing most of the work, have been borrowed from a Mazda Miata.

Josh also likes to powdercoat the Lotus-developed double-Y frame chassis, for a complete approach and here's to hoping he manages to complete his work and spread it out into the world, so more DeLoreans can enjoy the driving dynamics they deserve - the burnouts in the video at the bottom of the page are on the house.








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About the author: Andrei Tutu
Andrei Tutu profile photo

In his quest to bring you the most impressive automotive creations, Andrei relies on learning as a superpower. There's quite a bit of room in the garage that is this aficionado's heart, so factory-condition classics and widebody contraptions with turbos poking through the hood can peacefully coexist.
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