By Dean Larson

Photos: American Classic Car Sales

There are some fantastic cars on our classifieds right now, from exotic kits and project cars, to American classics and muscle machines. Recently posted to our listings by Florida dealer American Classic Car Sales, is this striking Factory Five Type 65 Coupe with a clean, no nonsense, LS engine under the hood.

No doubt, the GM-sourced LS will cause many to turn up their noses and cry “blasphemy,” but I really dig the occasional LS powered Coupe for a few reasons. Beyond the whole “variety is the spice of life” thing, the Chevrolet small-block has fantastic qualities that make it an ideal mill for the Daytona, and most any kit car. For one, it’s dirt cheap for what you’re getting, and you have no further to go than your local wrecking yard to get your hands on one.

LS engines are also pretty simple and easy to work on thanks to high parts standardization, and the tried-and-true pushrod design. Plenty of LSs live their first 200k in some ladder-rack laden work truck, before finding a new home in a hot project car after some light refreshing. The aftermarket is swelling with parts for LS-based engines as well, making it easy and affordable to build a high-performance aluminum, or iron block LS.

The seller’s ad doesn’t give any additional info on the LS used here in the Coupe, but the installation is definitely clean, and the engine has all sorts of room to spare in the chassis. Interestingly, power runs through an automatic transmission, something you don’t see often in a Coupe.

The use of gunmetal gray and black tones on the Coupe reminds us a bit of Erik Treves’ FFR Coupe, featured on the cover of our fall 2018 issue. The exterior also features bolt-on Halibrand-style wheels, and a perfect amount of shiny details in the exhausts, mirrors and polished wheel lips.

The interior of the Coupe is as clean and purpose-built as the exterior, although the addition of Vintage Air climate control and a Kenwood stereo system definitely enhance the ride. Overall, I could see myself logging some serious miles in this car, as I’m sure the builder intended. The car is located in Sarasota, Florida, and the seller is asking $52,500. See the seller's ad here on the RCN Classifieds.