there are lots of parts and kits to do this, ain't no new news here.
About two years ago, Scotty Con Queso shared a meme with the rest of the GRM forum. It’s the one with the cat in the suit reading the newspaper.
Right there in classic white Impact outlined in black, we see the cat’s thoughts: “I should LS swap a Chevy Colorado.”
Two engines and two trucks later, Scotty finally found the right, non-trashed components needed to realize that goal.
The good engine, a 5.3-liter variant, was purchased via Facebook for $300. It came from a rusty 2002 Silverado. “Pronounced Silver-Ray-Doh around these parts,” the build thread notes.
The good truck is a two-door, short-bed, five-speed Colorado named Earl: “Why is it called the Earl Truck? Because I bought it from a legend of an older gentlemen (named Earl) who bought this truck in Arizona in November 2020 and drove it back to Ohio where it sat since.”
Check out the build for yourself by visiting The Earl Truck: An Even Sloppier LS-Swapped Colorado thread.
In reply to billy69 :
There are, and I still enjoyed the build thread! Knowing something is possible is different from seeing somebody document the steps to do it and share their experiences along the way.
Insights gained from someone else's experience (read: difficulties) I find to be extremely interesting and even helpful. I had not even thought about the V8 Colorado swap until I read this. Glad to see others sharing their builds!!
In reply to billy69 :
Many parts are available and it's a well documented swap. The Facebook groups helped me immensely. LS swaps have been done by everyone at this point, but not by me. I learned a ton of new skills doing the swap, and I'm still learning. Basic wiring, making AN hoses, and now I'm moving on to simple tuning. Swapping this truck has reminded me that I like to learn things, and this world is full of things to learn.
I'm sure it helps that you could get a final year Colorado with a 5.3. Can you use any of those parts to make the swap easier?
In reply to buzzboy :
Kinda sorta but not really. Everyone thinks that the motor mounts are the same but they aren't. The v8 wiring harness and computer can be used in the Gen IV swaps if you want a stock computer to tune or set and forget. If you want to swap one of these trucks, look into Current Performance for wiring and Fabbot Fabrication for everything else Fabbot makes some amazing parts at a very reasonable price.
The "you know you could just buy a v8 Colorado, right?" is the most common response I get to my build. Yes, I know that. But none are manual single cabs. And the v8 trucks are crew cab and mostly 4wd pulling a $20k premium.
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