Some folks show up to LS Fest with track-ready Camaros and polished drag cars. Michael Schulz showed up in a turbo LS-swapped, family-hauling 1981 Mercury Zephyr wagon.

Nicknamed "Bacon Strip" thanks to its woodgrain sides, the Schulz wagon doesn't take itself too seriously—until you hear the whistle of the 78/75 turbo.

"We built it to cruise, not race," Michael said. "But it's been down the track before. The last motor—a 6.0-liter—ran a 7.19 in the eighth."

The current motor is a cammed 5.3, the third engine to live in the wagon. The wagon caught fire last year, and Michael and his wife, Jessica Schulz, pulled the 6.0-liter in a single night and had the new 5.3 in and running by morning. That’s pretty snazzy.

"I think I've got maybe $15,000 in the whole thing," he said. "Three motors, a turbo kit, suspension—it's just a fun little cruiser."

The car now runs coilovers up front, Strange 10-ways in the rear, and a Fox-body 8.8-inch rear end—which fits, since nearly everything under the Mercury Zephyr wagon is compatible with a Mustang of the same era.

Inside, it's cleaner than you'd expect. Corbeau seats, a full interior, and a surprisingly tidy custom dash wrapped by a buddy. A Holley Terminator X Max controls everything with a 7-inch dash to keep tabs on the boost, temp, and vitals.

Tuned to be fun. Designed to be shared. Even the tires? "More of an intimidation factor than anything," Michael admits.

He found the car in Wolf City, Texas and bought it from an older gentleman going through a tough time. "His son was in the hospital, and I ended up giving him double what he asked—just wanted to help him out," Michael said. "Now we just cruise. Me, Jess, and the kids."

Check out Holley’s lineup of innovative LS swap parts here.

Explore our complete LS Fest Texas coverage here.