Grind Hard Plumbing Co's 450cc Barbie Jeep
Redneck PowerBest engine swap
Edwin Olding and Ethan Schlussler of Idaho-based Grind Hard Plumbing Co took a pink Power Wheels Barbie Dream Jeep, the kind that tops out at 5 mph on a fresh battery, and dropped a 450cc Honda CRF450R dirt bike engine into it producing 55 horsepower. They fabricated a full tube-frame chassis, custom suspension, and roll cage underneath the original Barbie body, then took it ripping across sand dunes, through snow, and over Moab-style terrain. Later upgrades swapped in a 525cc KTM engine and a supercharger, pushing the toy Jeep past 85 mph. The channel has over 3 million subscribers and 650 million total views built on this kind of ingenuity.
The most famous Power Wheels engine swap on the internet. Turning a children's battery-powered toy into a legitimate 85 mph off-road machine with custom fabrication, suspension, and a motorcycle engine is backyard engineering at its absolute peak.
engine swapPower WheelsBarbie JeepCRF450off-roadbackyard fabricationGrind Hard Plumbing CoIdaho
votes
| Engine | 450cc Honda CRF450R (later 525cc KTM supercharged) |
|---|---|
| Location | Idaho |
| Top Speed | 85+ mph |
| Horsepower | 55 hp stock, more with supercharger |
| Fabrication | Full tube-frame chassis, custom suspension, roll cage |
| Base Vehicle | Power Wheels Barbie Dream Jeep |
Submitted by
TRWRB Editorial
9d ago
