Ford's 7.3 Pushrod 'Godzilla' V8 Can Now Be Bought As A Crate Engine

From over here in Europe, the automotive landscape in the USA looks bemusingly different. As big engines seem to be dropping like flies on this continent, Ford is making a whopping, brand new 7.3-litre pushrod V8 over in the USA. It’s been devised for the F-250 Super Duty pickup, but now, this all-new anachronism is available as a crate engine.

For $8150, you’re getting a tough cast iron-block V8 with aluminium cylinder heads and a forged steel crankshaft. Included in the sale are the intake manifold and throttle body, exhaust manifolds, an oil pan and cooler, ignition coils, a flex plate and a storage cradle.

The huge V8 is capable of producing 425bhp at 5500rpm, and 475lb ft of torque at 4000. Modest figures for the size, but you have to remember this is supposed to be an alternative to a diesel engine in a pick-up truck.

Plus, it should be capable of plenty more than that following an aftermarket tickle. We can’t wait to see what the modding community does with this thing. And remember, as a pushrod design, it’s compact for its displacement, which - in theory - means it should be easier to squeeze into an engine bay not intended for a 7.3-litre V8.

It’ll also be interesting to see if any boutique car companies shirk the popular ‘Coyote’ Mustang option - sold by Ford for $8300 - for this unit. It’s less suitable out of the box than the revvy 5.0 litre, but a 7.3-litre V8 is quite a selling point. It’s also - as revealed by YouTube channel REVan Evan - narrower than the Mustang lump.

It’s been a good month for crate engines, with Chevrolet revealing the LS7-based ‘LS427/570’ V8. At $12,714.70 it’s a lot more expensive than ‘Godzilla’, but with 562bhp, it’s a lot more powerful.

Which would you want for your project car?