The short answer is that anything is possible with enough time and $$$. Will the Ford engine drop right in? No. Will any other engine besides the LS engines drop right in? No. Even the LS engines are extremely tight and IMO do not have enough room. If you're talking about the DOHC 'Stang engines, I can tell you that there would have to be some serious mods done.....my friend has one and those things are HUGE!! I'd love to see one in the back of a GTM, but it would take LOTS of work to make it happen. Even the SOHC engines are fairly wide, so mods to the frame would definitely be in order.

 

E.D.G. I guess you haven't heard an LS motor running through the Kooks exhaust? When you do exotic is what comes to mind. I have a Ford DOHC motor and Shane is right they are huge. I think it would take major frame mods to make it fit.

 

What about an old pushrod SBF?

Or is that blasphemy?

Best,
Matt

 

Being a chevy man, and having a healthy respect for the Gen3&4 SBC (aka; LS-series), I don't like the idea of a pushrod SBF in a GTM, but I don't think anyone here would say it's blasphemy. You're not going to get the kind of responses you might get in other (cough) parts of the FFCARS forum when proposing an alternate engine. Some people seem to think GM engines are crap because they see the dreadful cars GM has produced in the past and assume everything GM is crap.The reality is that the LS is a VERY good engine. GM spent a LOT of money to insure the next gen SBC would live up to it's long-lived and very well respected ancestor, and it's light years ahead of any pushrod small block ford V-8. The General has been producing some good new models the last few years and most of them use(d) an LS engine. It's ok to jump in to the bowtie pool.. the water's fine in here :yes:

 

The General has been producing some good new models the last few years and most of them use(d) an LS engine. It's ok to jump in to the bowtie pool.. the water's fine in here :yes:

Sure....until your car is 5 years old and you can no longer get replacement parts for it. I wouldn't touch one with a ten foot pole.

 

I find it interesting when someone does something "out of the ordinary".

More power to ya.

I'd like to see a V10 or a small V12 in there. I think it could be done with some frame changes and the right transaxle choice.

Won't be a budget build, but it will be incredibly unique.

 

I'd like to see a V10 or a small V12 in there. I think it could be done with some frame changes and the right transaxle choice.

Won't be a budget build, but it will be incredibly unique.

There's a man that's speaking my language. I happen to personally know a great V12 engine to start with. I think there's even a pre-fab adapter plate for the BMW V12 to the G50 box now. There's also an off-the-shelf stack injection system that is pure art. Plenty of Lambo replica guys have gone this route to get the right exhaust sound and the right "look" without a cheesy fiberglass engine cover.

To say it will blow the budget is right, but it's not insurmountable. I found my way around it in the Roadster. Someone should go for it.

Cheers, John

 

I don't know about mating to a G50. Think it would probably stick out the rear a foot or two, but how about something like an Xtrac 345 or 6012?

The 6012 was built specifically to deal with the issue of a V12 in a mid engine car.

Here's a link:

http://www.xtrac.com/pdfs/6012 Supercar Transverse Synchromesh Gearbox 08July.pdf

 

Great responses!

I've got nothing against GM, or any other proven powerplant. I'm just so incredibly low-tech that I prefer old school solutions. I need to be able to see the workings to comprehend the operation, & electronics, black boxes, etc, continue to baffle me.

Thanks for all the points & counter-points!

Best,
Matt

 

Hey man I am in the process of doing research on putting a supra's 2jz in a gtm, I love the sound of the engine and I think it would match the exotic look of the gtm perfectly. I think your next step should be to search for deminsions to see what is a possibility, then go from there. If you decide that you can make it work then I say go for it! It might take longer to build and more money but when its all said and done you can say that you not only have a car that is literally a one off but also say that you built it, its hard to put a price on that!

 

I'm anxious to see the specifics on the new 5.0 engine going into the 2011 Mustang GT's. Sounds like it's a completely new engine from the ground up and from pictures looks much more compact than the 4.6. AT 412 HP stock and approx 20 Lbs. heavier than the LS It could be a viable solution depending on dimensions. In my case it would be a plus to mate directly to the Ricardo without the need for an adapter plate. Stay tuned.:001_unsure:

 

If it's the one going into the new GT500, I just saw the specs come accross my desk Monday.

5.4 liter all aluminum making 550 HP..........with a supercharger.

Ford is definitely behind on the engine front.

I understand that it is .8 liters smaller, but why go that route and then add the complexity of a supercharger just to get where the LS3 is, roughly, without the use of a SC?

Doesn't seem to make sense to me.

Maybe they just don't want that type of power capability in the run of the mill Ford vehicles which will surely not have the supercharger as even an option.

Then there is the NASCAR purpose built engine.

I don't even see how this is possible. I thought that all NASCAR engines had to be based on a publically available "stock" block?

Either someone is billing this thing improperly, or Ford is going down an interesting path that I didn't know existed.

 

Nascar has a set of dimension limits like bore spacing and cam height, but as of this year, every maker now has a clean sheet design. Ford and Dodge were the last ones to go with a fresh design. Look at Toyota. They never had a pushrod V8 in the life of the company.

 

Obviously I am not up to date on the NASCAR engine rules. I just think it is the wrong path for a sanctioning body to go down when they are going to have manufacturers building purpose built engines, yet then having the COT in a stated attempt to keep cost down and racing close. Just doesn't sound right to me.

Seems to me that a very simple set of rules could be made that would allow tons of innovation, yet still keep it "real".

Things like max HP allowed using factory publically available components. Period. Check the top 5 points leaders and race finishers on a dyno every race.

But we are moving away from the original question. It will be interesting to see what Ford comes up with in the next few years that may fit into the GTM a little better. They have to do something to compete with GM.

 

The new Ford 5.0 (smaller than the LS2/LS3) will have 412 Hp (no supercharger). That's not doing too bad in my opinion. It has a 7000 rpm redline and 11.0 compression ratio.