This Geo Tracker does two things few cars can do at the same time: it runs nine second quarter miles and also takes its owner to work and back each day. Featuring an incredible engine swap that resulted in the wheezy four-cylinder getting tossed in favor of a turbocharged LS motor, the videos on YouTube are worth a few minutes of your time to see this former beach buggy trouncing everything in its path. Find the converted Tracker here on craigslist for $14,500, and thanks to Barn Finds reader Rocco for the find.
I can remember when these cute-utes were plentiful on American roadways, usually wearing teal or yellow paint. This one is a much simpler affair sporting a white finish, but it still retains that 90s pinstriping that was so popular in the early 90s. The seller notes that the Tracker is “totally streetable” and has never ridden on a trailer, being used for commuting duties as well as driving to and from the dragstrip.
The details on the build are impressive, and the seller notes this is one of three turbocharged LS vehicles he owns. The Tracker is getting sold to make room for new projects, and he advises that rookies should avoid owning this unassuming beast of a truck. The drivetrain set-up consists of a 6.0 LQ4, 4L80e transmission, and ON3 7875 turbo. The seller also notes that “….the factory front disc brakes combined with Ford Explorer rear disc have no problem stopping the Geo from 135 m.p.h.”
135 m.p.h. in a Tracker is a thought you wouldn’t even consider in pre-swap form, but fortunately, safety was also a consideration in the build. The seller notes that the Tracker features “….an 8 point roll cage was installed by Goff Motorsports,” as well as both standard seatbelts and a five-point harness for racing. This is a wicked build and hopefully, we’ll see it in another 50 years with perfect patina and still beating up on cars twice its size.
Wow my Kudos to the builder. What a ride. Can I take it for a test ride?
All that power in a small wheel base? Hang on, hammer down!
my daily driver. i welded in the back portion of a Suzuki pickup cab. ive got a gooseneck plate in the back for a goose neck, tandum axle camper trailer, I converted to a flatbed.. its still stock and takes a while to get up to speed, but starts and goes, every day.. youll notice in the photo, I push one trailer and pull the other, when I go over to my storage units. cops haven’t caught me yet. my neighbor, a retired cop, told me, if he was still a cop, he would give me a ticket for willful, reckless.. ive been doin this for quite a while. works great..
I hope the part about pushing one trailer is a joke.
yes,,, I do pull one trailer and push the other. the longer trailer up front, is easier to keep up with, if it gets out of line.. about 20mph is manageable.. the farmers keep wanting to buy it for irrigation duty. I have the drivers seat and tool box on the pass side. they have a full frame, thought light weight. the only thing I don’t like is the strut front suspension, which uses the inner fender well as support. they cave in if you off road too much. ive got a 97kia sportage and its got a killer strong, full frame, with double wishbone front suspension. both have ford pickup bolt pattern. the little Suzuki has a center, triangle upper wishbone to locate the top of the rearend, similar to a 58 chevy.
Suzuki side kick frame..
Now that would turn heads at my local drag strip..!
My gawd, that LS swap is freakin ridiculous! However, I’d still rather have a Samurai with a TDI swap. 40+mpg and the ability to crawl over anything. And if you wanted to, you could go with some big injectors/turbo, chip it and get 400ft/lbs.
Lynn, that push me, pull you is awesome! Is ‘Farm Show’ magazine still out there? They always had incredible farm made creations like yours in every edition.
I bet he surprised a lot of muscle and sport car owners at the stop light.
What the hell???!!! No way I’d even show
this to my SIL! She’d break her neck
driving this thing! Sounds like a real fun
ride that reminds me of the ’61 Valiant I
built as a kid. It ran a 750 HP 392 hemi
V-8, a beefed up 727 Torqueflite tranny,
and a dana rear axle. Needless to say, it
got me into quite a bit of trouble, so I
sold it to a friend of Dad’s who raced it
at the dragstrip at Assumption, Illinois
in the mid ’70’s. Hmmm. Maybe one day
I’ll see it here on Barn Finds!
nice touch with the lawnmower battery! must be another optima or something with more than 350 CCA to fire that beast up.
Perfect vehicle to educate Barn Finds readers and writers what constitutes a true sleeper. Hopefully it can silence the readers that suggest to put an LS engine in any make or model with 4 wheels.
Could be a sleeper, but the big DOT slicks on back necessary for the 9 second et’s kind of force the driver to show some of their cards, though…
How about some mini tubs and narrower rear axle to bring the tires in some?
With that short wheel base the owner must know how the drivers of the Bantams. Fiats and Anglia’s felt when the light turned green.
Now tell me how this qualifies as a Barn Find here and my 1941 Cheverlet Coupe did not? It was found in a carriage barn and I fixed up kept original drive train and posted it for sale and it was denied.
Hi Mike, we would have featured your Chevy, but you were asking $8,500 and vehicle doesn’t have an engine or even a title. The price would need to be significantly lower and we would need more photos and information to even be able to present it. Let us know when you are serious about selling it and we will see what we can do. Thanks.
I was in a accident driving Geo Tracker…
I just brought a month before, the front drivers air bag if existed never opened, really hurt my head and neck, was wearing seat belt.
Two really surprising things here. 1. The intake for the engine is directly under the passenger seat (I’ve not seen that before), and 2. One single (albeit huge) exhaust pipe. There is some incredible engineering in this little beast. too bad he had to drop the 4WD option.
That intake pipe is due to the mid mounted turbo I’d bet. A hairy scary experience going thru the traps . SIT DOWN, SHUT UP & HOLD ON !
I love my 1996 Geo tracker. Original owner. Having trouble passing OBII…..told me to drive 300 miles. I got 100 miles to go. Bay Area 707
All I can say is really? Dammit, the fastest I ever took my Cobra up to was a little over 140! Heck I scared myself in it! I don’t think that my old heart could handle 135 in this thing! But what a ride to remember that would be! Haaaahaaaa!
Just the vehicle for the Woodward Dream Cruise in August! It would dust off most everything out there! I really wonder, though, just how long a set of rear tires last? It reminds me of the Altereds that were really popular back in the ’60’s! I wonder how you keep the front end on the ground!