The 2018 Jeep Wrangler is fresh out of the oven, but the peeps at Bruiser Conversions decided to roll their sleeves, removing the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 from the engine bay. In came the crate version of the LS3 V8 from General Motors, leaving extremely little room under the hood of the JL/JLU.
The LS3 is one of the sweethearts of the swapping scene, for it’s compact, reliable, powerful, and easily tunable. What’s most impressive about the JL LS3 V8 is that the engine is “fully integrated” with the OEM systems. On the flip side, you can wave goodbye to the manufacturer's warranty.
Bruiser Conversions is known for this sort of engine swap, offering LS-based conversions for the JK and JKU from the 2007 to 2017 model years. “Our baseline options,” the Clearwater, Florida-shop highlights, “range from 450 HP to 1,000 HP, with the 450-HP LS3 being the most popular.”
If you were wondering, the GM Performance-developed LS3 crate engine in this JL Wrangler is of the 450-horsepower variety. It develops 460 pound-feet of torque, and yes, it’s paired to the stock eight-speed automatic transmission. Whichever way you look at it, the LS3 is a serious upgrade from the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and even the 2.0-liter Hurricane turbo I4.
Pre-ordering is go for the JL LS3, though Bruiser Conversions didn’t offer any pricing information. In the case of the previous-generation Wrangler, the cheapest DIY swap is priced at $18,900 and comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty. At an authorized facility, the turn-key conversion starts at $23,900. What does this mean in terms of total cost?
With the all-new Wrangler starting at $26,995, make that $45,895 for the V8-powered JL of your dreams. For the eight-speed automatic, prepare to pony up an additional $2,000. If you were to V8-ify the Wrangler, bear in mind that both the front and rear axles of the JL/JLU could use an upgrade as well.
Bruiser Conversions is known for this sort of engine swap, offering LS-based conversions for the JK and JKU from the 2007 to 2017 model years. “Our baseline options,” the Clearwater, Florida-shop highlights, “range from 450 HP to 1,000 HP, with the 450-HP LS3 being the most popular.”
If you were wondering, the GM Performance-developed LS3 crate engine in this JL Wrangler is of the 450-horsepower variety. It develops 460 pound-feet of torque, and yes, it’s paired to the stock eight-speed automatic transmission. Whichever way you look at it, the LS3 is a serious upgrade from the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6 and even the 2.0-liter Hurricane turbo I4.
Pre-ordering is go for the JL LS3, though Bruiser Conversions didn’t offer any pricing information. In the case of the previous-generation Wrangler, the cheapest DIY swap is priced at $18,900 and comes with a 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty. At an authorized facility, the turn-key conversion starts at $23,900. What does this mean in terms of total cost?
With the all-new Wrangler starting at $26,995, make that $45,895 for the V8-powered JL of your dreams. For the eight-speed automatic, prepare to pony up an additional $2,000. If you were to V8-ify the Wrangler, bear in mind that both the front and rear axles of the JL/JLU could use an upgrade as well.