Swapping a small block Chevy into a Mustang has been a thorn in the sides of blue oval diehards over the years – but we totally get why so many enthusiasts are doing it. During a recent search of Craigslist, a ’93 notch retired highway patrol car popped up, and unlike the majority of the fox body Mustangs touting a 347 or a supercharged 302, this one is powered by an LS1.

It is not the first time someone has crammed an LS1 between the fenders of the much beloved Fox Body, but since it was done to one of the favored body styles, especially a former police car, makes it just a bit more noteworthy. The GM powered Mustang seems like it could be a fun project, but the $8,000 asking price seems a bit steep to us, but considering that LS1 powered Trans Am’s and Camaros can be found on Craigslist now for under $6,000, the extra cash just for the novelty seems a bit too much. However, one major bonus is that the owner of the car claims that a 6-speed manual transmission was used during the conversion, and with an alleged 346 horsepower to the rear tires the lightweight Mustang could do well on the road course or the drag strip depending on the suspension

However, the lovely state of California is very unforgiving in terms of engine swaps in vehicles that are required to pass emissions testing, and this seems like it could be a real can of worms when it comes time to see the smog tech. It might be interesting to watch the smog technician’s reaction to the LS1 lurking beneath the hood of former California Highway Patrol Mustang, but getting to pass the test is entirely another story.