Customer direct, for the single camshaft wonder.

If you need a huge production V8 engine in your life, then Ford could provide the solution.

The American auto giant is now offering its massive 7.3-litre petrol V8 as an engine-only purchase option. Although the current 7.3-litre V8 is a three-decade evolution of Ford’s original modular V8 architecture, launched in the late 1980s, it still features a single camshaft.

Displacing a significant 7.3-litres between its eight-cylinders, this engine would appear strangely out of datecompared to modern overhead camshaft designs. Fans of the pushrod valve-gear configuration will point to its reliability and more compact size, as primary design benefits.

Without having to accommodate camshafts atop the cylinder banks, Ford’s 7.3-litre V8 is actually not that tall, for an engine of its capacity. That enables it to potentially be fitted to a diverse array of vehicles, which is why Ford is now offering it as a direct purchase.

For R140000 (estimated price) Ford will ship you one of its 7.3-litre V8s, complete with exhaust manifolds, ignition coils, flex plate and a throttle body. In factory tune, your 7.3-litre V8 will arrive capable of 320 kW and 644 Nm, with the potential for much more.

Those who prefer to keep their 7.3-litre pushrod V8s unmodified will have the use of a petrol engine which could run huge mileages as a bakkie workhorse and hauling powerplant, with negligible wear or reliability issues.

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