What's more fun than a Twin-Turbo, LS-swapped, short-wheelbase, and street-legal Datsun that runs 10s on pump gas? Nothing.
Drag 'n’ Drive competitor Dan Olson's 1972 Datsun 1200, sports a full chromoly tube chassis and a turbocharged LS, turned heads—and tires—at the 2025 LS Fest West.
Olson saw potential others didn't, in a gutted shell of the Datsun on Craigslist a few years ago. The previous owner abandoned his own drag project. With fabrication help from PMR (Phil Mandella Racing), Olson constructed an NHRA-certified drag chassis under the body. PMR squared the frame, precisely placing the motor for optimal weight distribution (49% front, 51% rear). The result? A car that launches straight and hooks effortlessly.
"It was kind of an engineering process with those guys. And they're real metallurgists. They understand metal when you're welding up chassis or sheet metal," said Dan. "Those guys could teach a class on metal, and on top of that, they're racecar fanatics." PMR knows metal, and Dan knows fiberglass, which is a part of his day job. He constructed the wild, weird hood per Drag 'n’ Drive rules (engine bay must be covered).
Under that crazy hood lies a Summit Racing-sourced 6.0-liter Chevrolet Performance crate engine. Olson swapped in forged internals, including Scat rods and pistons, gapped rings specifically for boost, and added a cam designed to handle forced induction. Then topped it all with a pair of 64mm CX Racing turbos. Currently tuned conservatively at 5 psi, this setup pushes roughly 650 horsepower to the rear wheels, tuned at Westech Performance.
"So I've been just testing it 5 pounds. But I am absolutely good to go with a 20 PSI tune-up if I want," said Dan. "And believe me, I want to do that. I just feel like it's so easy just to go to the gas station and fill it up than trying to get the race fuel."
Though many LS enthusiasts swear by fuel injection, Olson chose simplicity and reliability, running a blow-through Holley carburetor. "I know everybody loves fuel injection, but I've had such good luck with the Holley carburetor," said Dan. "It's like a John Deere tractor. It just goes, man."
At LS Fest, while neighboring teams endlessly tuned EFI setups, Olson said, "I only checked tire pressure, topped off fuel, and socialized."
Behind the powerhouse LS sits a bulletproof Mike's Powerglide transmission Powerglide, delivering consistent shifts and worry-free passes.
Olson didn't build a trailer queen. Olson designed it for comfort and reliability. He regularly road-tests the car on scorching 110-degree days near the California El Mirage Dry Lake, ensuring every component—from the custom suspension with Strange struts and fabricated rear housing, to the hidden high-capacity brake master cylinder—works flawlessly under pressure. It's a simple setup designed to be worry-free.
Despite its drag-strip credentials, Olson's Datsun completed a portion of Hot Rod's Power Tour, showcasing its genuine dual-purpose capability. He hints at future Drag Week ambitions, confident the car can handle cross-country torture tests thanks to a robust cooling system, ample fuel capacity, and meticulous engineering. The Datsun had no problems on the ‘drag’ or ‘drive’ portions of the drag ‘n’ drive competition.
