CHRISTOPHER MCKITTERICK

1972 Ford LTD
Resto-Rod Project

PICTURED ABOVE is the engine I've decided to use in place of the hot-rod 400M engine that's in the car now. "But whatever for?" you ask. "That was half the reason you bought that car!" Well, lemme say this:

You're looking at a Triton V-10 engine (and 4-speed, full-electronic, automatic transmission) from a Ford F250 pickup truck. 315 horsepower at 4250 RPM, 425 lb-ft of torque at 3250RPM - so it makes a little fewer horsies than the 400M engine I was going to overhaul and soup up, but more torque and both numbers happen at much lower RPM, and it's got the cool-factor of a V-10 engine (how many old wagons with those in there? I'll have to drop a note to Hot Rod magazine when it's done - the mags love oddball swaps).

Even though this engine is 15 cubes bigger than the 400M in the car now, it gets better gas mileage by far (the 400M was going to hit 8 MPG if we were lucky, and this gets 10-14 MPG in a big SUV or pickup, much heavier and less aerodynamic than the wagon). Greater reliability (modern fuel injection, and it only has 28,000 miles). And, the icing: I got both engine and tranny for really cheap, about the price of the old block and parts I can now sell on eBay... Anyone need a 400M engine and a 2-year-warrantied, overhauled, Ford C6 big-block transmission?

Wowza, but is that a giant mass of engine and tranny! I suppose many of you are thinking, "Duh. It is a 10-cylinder, 415-cubic inch engine with a 4-speed automatic transmission out of a giant truck." Sure, but still.... I got this combo as a bargain on eBay (gosh do I loves my eBay) to put into our Hot Rod Wagon, but when I saw the engine/trans sitting in the seller's garage in Oak Springs Missouri, I thought, "My gosh but is that a huge engine! How's it possibly gonna fit?" Check this page to see current fitment.

But will it fit? The thing's huge! See the next page to find out.