It no time in the history of automobile customization has wheel offset and stance been more important than it is right now. Whether it's the hellaflush craze or a tucked-and-bagged, super-low VIP stance, nailing the perfect combo of wheel fitment and ride height is essential if hard-parking is your scene. The thing is, we're all about performance here at Modified, so this type of fashion-over-function styling doesn't usually appeal to us. But when a stance master and all-around automotive styling genius like Jayson Pizarro builds a GM LS1 V-8-swapped JZS160 Lexus GS300 that blows the doors off Vipers and Elises at the track while snapping necks in the parking lot, we can't help but take notice.
We've known Jayson for a while now, having featured his benchmark S14 on the cover of the Dec. '07 issue. This Silver widebodied beauty raised the build-quality bar for S14s and still ranks as one of our all-time favorites because it not only looked super aggressive but was also his competition drift car. So when we heard Jayson was working on a new project, we knew it would feature his unique brand of automotive styling along with track-tested performance.
And that's exactly what you're looking at now, a project that represents Pizarro's 15 years of tuning experience in what he calls a "hot rod/import fusion." Having grown up in a rough neighborhood in San Diego where old-school muscle cars and hot rods were king, Jayson's first project was a '72 Chevelle SS with a blown motor. "I grew up around straight domestics, so this is what inspired me to do a GM V-8 swap. My inspiration on the domestic side really comes from the hot rod guys who have a super high level of attention to detail and never compromise. They always get the part they want, even if it means saving for three years to get that wild paint job."
As far as his choice of platform goes, Jay opted for the JZS160 GS300 platform because, "In Japan, these cars are considered a sports luxury sedan, but over here this platform is really only associated with luxury and VIP style. Most of the JZS160s in Japan are built with performance in mind, so I wanted to build my GS to showcase its performance side as much as its luxury and style side. I also wanted to do something innovative and different, something you rarely-if eversee, so that's why I decided on a four-door with a V-8 swap, but done on a budget."
Of course, Jayson's idea of a budget build might be a bit different than a 19-year-old putting together an S13 on a part-time pizza delivery salary. Any machine featuring a custom V-8 engine swap, custom rollcage, custom Bride gradation upholstery, a full Ikeya Formula control arm conversion, HKS coilovers, Volk TE37s and a Vertex bodykit isn't exactly operating on a shoestring budget, but Jay did get a smokin' deal on the chassis. "I bought the GS for $3,000 and sold all the parts I wouldn't be using for $2,200, so the chassis only cost me $800."
Jayson's ability to put together trendsetting project cars that generate a lot of exposure also meant he could keep his costs down via sponsorship support. DGR Fabrication was the biggest supporter of this project, fabricating the GM LSX V-8 engine-mount kit (which fits IS300 and JZS160 GS platforms) as well as the unique rollcage. According to Dan Gallmeister from DGR, "The biggest challenge was building the cage, given that Jay wanted to run a full interior and keep the rear seats functional. This meant doing something quite unique design-wise, where we used a double main hoop so that the rear bars didn't start until behind the rear seats, providing the necessary head space for rear passengers." Even more impressive is the fact that DGR completed the engine swap, paint and body work, and rollcage fabrication in just 10 weeks, investing about 340 man hours into the project along the way.