This Ferrari V12 Is Headed For A Classic Ford Mustang, But It Needs Serious Work First
A Ferrari V12 in a first-generation Ford Mustang. Yes, really. Kindig-It Design is building exactly that, but there’s a fair bit of work to do before this Italian engine is ready for its American home. The V12 showed up at Dave’s Auto Center in pieces, and there is one small problem. Nobody knows what shape the engine’s actually in yet.
The Ferrari V12 Has Seen Better Days
In the new video, Dave’s Auto Center tears into the engine to figure out what can be saved. Someone had already pulled it apart before it reached the shop, so the crew is basically working from a pile of greasy Ferrari parts. Identifying it takes a little detective work, too. The team was told it was a Colombo V12, but after spotting an F101 designation, it ruled that out and pegged the displacement at around 4.8 to 4.9 liters. The shop says it originally ran six Weber carburetors, and that’s a useful clue.
They point toward the carbureted Ferrari 400 GT or 400 Automatic built between 1976 and 1979, rather than the later fuel-injected 412. Both 400 models used a 4.8-liter F101 C V12 good for 335 hp, although the exact variant in this Mustang project still needs confirmation. As for condition, it’s rough. The cam journals are scored, some of the valve buckets are dinged up, and the heads are full of corrosion crud.
The crank journals are rough enough to catch a fingernail, and a few studs are so seized they’ve already snapped several of the shop’s stud extractors. Oh, and the pistons? The crew reckons they look like little go-kart parts. Parts won’t come cheap, either. Kindig’s crew has heard a crank for one of these can run over $25,000, if you can even find one, though they admit that’s just word on the street.
A Ferrari-Inspired Mustang Will Need Plenty Of Work
The engine is only half the fun. Kindig-It Design wants to blend the Mustang with styling from a ’60s-era Ferrari, which means moving a lot of sheet metal around. First, though, the engine has to be mocked up in the car. The firewall is going to have to move to make room, and the crew plans to back the V12 with a more modern five-speed, although the exact gearbox hasn’t been confirmed. Right now, this is a crusty, half-apart V12 on a shop floor, not a Mustang with a Ferrari soundtrack. Once it’s done, though, it’s going to be one gloriously weird pony car.
Sources: Dave’s Auto Center YouTube
Related posts
Latest Post
No Comments