A Datsun 280Z owner from Canada has started working on turning his classic coupe into a drag car. How? Through an LS engine swap, of course, adding it to our list of crazy vehicles getting an American V8 transplant.

The owner is apparently unsatisfied with the 280Z's stock L28 engine, which only makes 170 horsepower. A quick trip to the drag strip gave him a disappointing 16.9-second quarter mile run, with a slow final speed of 81 mph. The plan is to shoehorn a 6.0-liter LS4 small block V8 into the 280Z's engine bay to make it faster.

The owner is documenting his journey under the LooseFab YouTube channel, with his latest episode showing great progress.

Apart from the engine swap, the owner said that he plans to turbocharge the Chevy V8, though the size of the force inductor is yet to be determined. The final plan is to turn the 280Z into a competent drag racer that can also function as an all-around summer car.

LooseFab's second episode shows that he already managed to remove the old L28 from the engine bay. It's only a matter of time before we get to see this Z car become a threat at drag strips; we won't be surprised if it will even outpower the modern Nissan Z.

Marrying American muscle with a Japanese classic has become quite a common project for car nuts. Datsun's Z series cars have huge engine bays, making them perfect candidates for engine swaps. On the other hand, Chevrolet's LS V8 mills have become the go-to choice for these projects due to their versatility and strong after-market support.

We've seen several examples before, such as the LS3 V8 from a Corvette stuffed into a 240Z. An LS-swapped Z car even made its way to the hands of Jay Leno, who loved driving it.