This 1999 Porsche 911 has a GM LS1 5.7 liter V8 in place of the troublesome M96 3.4 it would have had from the factory. The seller did the swap and seems thorough, as documented on the car’s website. With roughly 350 HP and lb/ft on tap in a 2,800 pound car, it’s said to be very quick and dead reliable, too. The 996 was a good, but flawed 911 model. Most are wasting away and now on offer for cheap once repairs have become a nightmare. This is the first we’ve seen with a creative solution. Find it here on Craigslist in San Diego, California for $25,000. Special thanks to BaT reader Bob R. for this submission!

The seller says reliability was the major motivation in his decision to swap, but adds immediately afterwards that the LS1 weighs 100 pounds less while making 50 HP and 100 ft/lb more than the potentially unreliable M96. This puts it on par with a base 991 on power and surpasses a GT3 in torque. The LS1’s received a host of new OEM parts fitted, and runs an upgraded LS2 timing chain, LS3 water pump, and both an LS6 intake manifold and oil pump. Like the seller says, a cam and a few other relatively affordable parts could push the power balance solidly into 991 Turbo territory.

A conversion kit by Renegade Hybrids was used, and included engine mounts, engine to trans adapter, flywheel and clutch, oil pressure sensor adapter, OEM Porsche cooling system hookup, and wiring harness. It sounds well engineered, and looks cleanly installed. The car has no A/C or power steering, but only the former would bother us much; 911’s keep their weight at the back. We’d save for the expense of an A/C system to make the car day to day useable and enjoy the added clarity to an already excellent steering rack.

Other mods include 18″x8″ and 18″x11″ 996 Turbo wheels, new Sumitomos and K-Sport coilovers, and a rear seat delete – they’re pretty useless anyway. Oil, coolant, brake, transmission, and clutch fluids have all been recently changed. Front radiators were also cleaned, and several expensive sounding Porsche OEM pieces are said to have been replaced. The exterior has a few scratches and rock chips, but is said to be very good for a driver. The seats show no rips or sagging, and despite a fair amount of scratching still look good.

Obvious disclaimer: this car isn’t for Porsche purists. This one’s for pragmatically minded enthusiasts in search of a useable, practical, capable, and very fast bargain.