Take Home a Tacoma
Posted at 8:33 AM / October 28, 2009
Mike Lembcke of Forsyth, Georgia decided that his daily driver, a Toyota Tacoma, needed some more pep in its step. So, as they say, "out with the old and in with the new."
Built by Atlanta Performance & Fabrication and Grimes Machine Shop, this Tacoma put down an impressive 349 hp and 352 ft-lbs of torque to the wheels through a bone-stock 5.7L LS6 drafted from a 2001-2004 Corvette Z06. The transmission is the trusty T56 6-speed manual. While building the truck, the shops retained the factory Toyota belt-driven accessories on the GM block.
"I love this truck, even when it still had the wimpy Toyota motor in it. That's why I put the LS6 under the hood. Now it's fun as hell to drive", Mike said enthusiastically. "You should see some of the looks I get when people see the Corvette logo on the tailgate. They all think I'm crazy."
Mike handed Planet LSX the keys and gave us the opportunity to test drive the Toy. While pulling out onto the main road, We heard a voice in the passenger seat yelling, "Punch it!" After power-shifting second, followed by third, we were completely surprised that the over sized tires and the factory Toyota rear-end held the power. It was completely predictable. We pointed the steering wheel straight, and it went there. In a hurry, too! This truck is definitely an experience to drive, even at low speeds. The Tacoma also has adjustable shocks on all four corners making it handle better than most.
After a test drive that seemed all too short, albeit extremely fun, Mike explained to me that, "this truck is a blast. But, it's just not fast enough. Not yet. I'm going to be looking at superchargers when I go to SEMA."
Mike promised to keep us updated, so stay tuned for more!
