This PWC Has a V8 Hiding Beneath Its Shell, And a Turbo

Everything needs an LS. And a turbo.

22:08

Jonathon Klein

By: Jonathon Klein

Jun 18, 2024 at 9:49am ET

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Though I've seen all manner of LS swaps in cars, trucks, SUVs, and more, the one place I didn't know would, or even could, accept such an engine is a PWC. I should've remembered, however, that this is America. We do things differently. We don't accept "It can't be done!" or even "It shouldn't be done!"

We say, "Why not?"

But fitting an LS V8 to a jet ski is one thing. Fitting a turbocharged LS V8 to a PWC is a whole other ballgame. And yet, here we are, making turbo V8 noises atop the water and trying not to die. Well, the folks over at The Jet Ski Brothers YouTube channel are trying not to die.

The concept is pretty simple, in that it's just swapping a Chevy LS V8 engine into a PWC chassis and turbocharge the hell out of it. But, as you'd expect with fitting something quite a bit larger than your standard under 2-liter PWC engine, many modifications had to be made to fit the massive V8 in the watercraft's body.

Custom parts abound, but the whole thing looks pretty damn stock from the exterior. Minus all the V8 stickers and such that the channel threw at the PWC. As well as when you fire the beast up.

Dual exhausts sit right behind your feet, and there's a massive intake right behind your butt. Those, in combination with the turbocharger, make this PWC sound unlike anything else on the planet, as it's all just intake, exhaust and turbocharger noises backing the symphony that is the LS V8.

What do you think?

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And from the looks of the first ride, the whole thing just works in a way that I doubt the makers of the build would've thought. At one point after the first rip, the pilot stops and says to camera, "My heart's pounding. Once I was moving and punched it, instant lightspeed." I'm guessing it feels not unlike a superbike or even a drag motorcycle.

But things don't go as planned. I'll save that piece for y'all to watch, but god dang do I want a chance to ride this absolute monster.