Zac Quinn 
The name of this Shelby GT350 Ford Mustang may not make sense at first, especially when you look at the car from the back. However, one glance at the hood will immediately explain why people call this test vehicle “The Bulge.” But what did Ford Performance do to require the modification of the hood? That would be dropping in a 7.3L Godzilla V8 engine. Now, we don’t expect Ford to fit the Godzilla V8 into the Mustang anytime soon from the factory, but for those who want to do that themselves, engineers are currently busy making sure that it’s as easy as possible.
Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 With Godzilla V8 Engine: Details
According to REVan Evan, who spoke with Ford Performance and got more insight into what’s going on under the hood of the S550 Ford Mustang Shelby GT350, Ford has been working to make sure the 7.3L Godzilla V8 can fit into almost any engine bay. So, with a GT350 just lying around, they decided to make it the subject for testing. Unfortunately, while the Godzilla crate engine could fit nicely into the Mustang, the real problem and requirement for the bulge comes from the upward-facing entry to the intake manifold.
Ford Performance did come up with a solution to the problem, which means that those who want a Ford Mustang with a Godzilla V8 engine won’t need extensive hood modifications. The solution is quite simple; instead of having the entry to the intake angled, it’s straightened, meaning nothing needs to be cut and modified to ensure fitment. REVan Evan was given a prototype to attach to the 7.3L Godzilla V8 so that dyno testing could be done and we could see some numbers of what the combination could produce. Unfortunately, that video hasn’t been posted yet.
The new air intake for the 7.3L V8 engine will be available on Ford Performance sometime in the 4th quarter of this year, so around fall or winter. The entire thing will be a bolt-in kit with everything you need to apply it to whatever project you might be working on, which may be good for many who have projects and haven’t wanted to do crazy hood modifications to ensure fitment. Pricing has yet to be determined. But aside from that, this Ford Mustang Shelby GT350 with the 7.3L V8 engine sounds terrific.
