Morgan Evans’ 1988 GMC Jimmy was a staff favorite at the 2025 LS Fest East. It had a steady audience all weekend, with its unmolested, original body and interior, immaculately detailed, and packing a supercharged LS under the hood. Part showpiece, part drag-and-drive warrior, Morgan’s Jimmy represents exactly what LS Fest is all about: clever engineering, grassroots determination, and style.

Hot off her win at the Roadkill Nights event with a Mopar-powered pickup, she brought her Jimmy to LS Fest just to show. When Morgan first spotted the Jimmy just 10 minutes from home, it was a clean, low-owner survivor still rocking its original 2.8-liter V6. That didn’t last long. “The first time I drove it after I bought it, the 2.8 blew up,” Morgan laughed. “That just expedited the LS process.”

In its place went an aluminum 5.3-liter LS, stock bottom end, topped with PRC heads, a Texas Speed 228R cam, and a Magnuson TVS 2300 hot-rod kit. It’s good for about 560 horsepower and 600 lb-ft of torque on pump gas—plenty to turn the Jimmy into a tire-hazing riot. Holley’s Terminator X handles engine management, while Hooker BlackHeart swap-specific manifolds and steering shaft simplify fitment. Fuel is delivered by a Holley retrofit tank hat feeding the stock tank, a detail Morgan appreciates: “I can still fill it up like a normal car. It’s not a race-only fuel cell setup.”

Backing the LS is a built 4L60E, but Morgan admits it’s living on borrowed time. “I originally only planned for about 400 horsepower, so this much boost wasn’t part of the plan. The 4L60 is tolerating it, but not happily,” she says. A 4L80 swap is already sitting on the bench at home, waiting for its turn. Out back, a Moser 9-inch keeps the power planted.

Pop the hood and you can see that this wasn’t just a quick swap. Morgan and her fiancé Jason tore it down, painted the engine bay, tubs, and firewall, and put it back together just six months ago. The result is a bay that looks as good as it runs—clean wiring, tucked plumbing, and thoughtful solutions like an electric power steering pump sourced from a Volvo, which freed up space in the crowded engine compartment.

Inside, Morgan wanted to keep the truck’s original personality intact. Stock seats remain, even with the addition of a six-point cage. “It was a challenge getting everything to fit with the panels and tubs still in there,” she explains, “but I really wanted it to look as factory as possible.”

This isn’t just a cars-and-coffee build. The Jimmy was assembled in just 37 days ahead of Sick Week, where Morgan and Jason competed successfully and completed the entire event. “We have a D150 that we usually run, but we wanted both of us to be able to compete, so we slammed this together,” she says. The truck ran flawlessly all week and is already being prepped for the next drag-and-drive season.

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LS Fest has always been a place where creativity meets capability, and Morgan’s Jimmy is a perfect example. It’s a clean build that could pass for a show truck, but it has the horsepower, chassis, and driveline to back up the look. Fans love a story of a vehicle that’s driven hard, and this one has already earned its stripes on the street and the strip.

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Expect to see the Jimmy back next year—stronger, faster, and with that 4L80 finally installed. In the meantime, it’s a great reminder that the best builds aren’t just about peak dyno numbers—they’re about chasing the dream, turning wrenches, and making it to the next starting line.