My previous post, about the logistics of swapping a Ford V8 into a BMW, generated a lot of discussion and more than its fair share of controversy. In an effort to restore some sort of karmic balance to the Bimmerlife universe, this week, I’ll be covering the logistics of swapping a BMW V8 into a Ford.
It should be clear by now that I’m more than just a BMW guy. I’m into a little bit of everything. For years, I’ve dreamed of building a Ford Model A roadster (or a Model T roadster pickup) hot rod from scratch. No, it wouldn’t be particularly fast, safe, or comfortable, but the experience of building and driving a car that started life as some raw square steel tubing and a pile of parts sounds like a dream come true to anyone who has ever turned a wrench.
I’d always had a soft spot for Ford Flathead-powered hot rods, until I saw fellow Bimmerlife contributor Mike Burroughs’ BMW M60-powered Model A pickup on Stanceworks. In addition to BMW power, the traditionally-styled hot rod also featured several other nods to BMW, from the Style 5 wheels to the 2002 taillights.
After pulling the complete drivetrain out of my M60-powered parts car, similar ideas begin to percolate in my brain. The M60 is a reasonably attractive engine (if you’re the sort of person who likes looking at engines). From its boxy valve covers to the semi-tubular exhaust headers, it certainly looks the part.
While it’s very likely at this point that I’ll end up selling off the spare engine, automatic transmission, and differential from the parts car and my wagon to free up space and capital, it’s nice to see that Mike’s Model A isn’t a mere fluke.
Bangshift forum user Mykk out of Prescott, Arizona is currently hard at work building a fiberglass T-bucket with a twist. Lots of twist, actually: it’s powered by a non-VANOS M62 with M60B40 heads and a Jaguar supercharger.
While it’s unlikely that I’ll ever actually get around to building a BMW-powered hot rod of my own—I have too many projects, car and otherwise—I’m glad to see that people more talented, motivated, and financially prepared than I are keeping that particular fever dream alive. To end on a similar theme as last week, what non-BMW would you swap a BMW engine into?
