Born a ramblin' man, reborn a stallion
Ferrari engines have found there way into a variety of different cars - Lancias, Maserati, even the forthcoming A1GP racecar - but this has to be a first. Someone is shoehorning the V8 from the late, great Ferrari 360 Modena into a 1960 Nash Rambler wagon, of all things.
Dropping V8 powerhouses into classic family-haulers may be nothing new, but this is another matter altogether. To be fair, it's only the bodyshell of the original Rambler. Because the Maranello screamer was made for mid-mounting, Divers Street Rods turned to Art Morrison to craft a custom frame, over which the restored bodywork was fitted. The set-up should be somewhat familiar to fans of the previous-generation Renaultsport Clio V6 and the Volkswagen GTI-W12 showcar, but this wagon is decidedly different from one off-Ferrari "shooting-brakes" like the 250 GTO "Breadvan" and the Sultan of Brunei's 456GT Venice wagon.
Along with the engine, the rodders took from the Ferrari its suspension and, from the looks of it, its wheels, brakes and probably a number of other components for the custom Rambler. Because Ferrari isn't exactly Mopar and doesn't offer crate engines, the parts were taken from a wrecked Modena - unfortunately there are all too many donor cars lying around thanks to drivers with deep pockets but shallow driving talent pools.
We're promised a showing at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show, and we'll be there, cameras at the ready to check out the finished product.
[Source: Carscoop]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Brett- BMW Advocate 6:45PM (10/25/2007)
A Ferrari wagon?! Awesome!
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Philometalist 6:49PM (10/25/2007)
I don't care what anybody says that is one wicked ride.
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Paul Allen 8:24AM (10/26/2007)
It's not a first.
Here's a Ferrari V12 in a Jeep Wagoneer, covered in Road & Track in the early 1970's
http://wagoneers.com/FSJ/rigs/Jerrari-1/Jerrari-print2.pdf
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Dan 12:50AM (10/26/2007)
Now we're going a hundred twenty,
As fast as I can go,
The Rambler pulled along side of me,
As if we were going slow,
The fella rolled down his window,
And yelled for me to hear:
"Hey buddy, how do I get this car outa second gear?"
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W57thNY 8:31AM (10/26/2007)
I have to say, it's only a matter of time before one of you readers asks why a perfectly good Ferrari was sacrificed for this project...I'm pretty sure the sacrificial car was wrecked, or beyond repair, when it became the donor. As much as I'd hate to see such a beautiful car sacrificed, this is a pretty f**king cool project.
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John P. 10:25AM (10/26/2007)
I think this is gonna be amazing when they're done. That body design looks awesome, and their execution looks first class. VERY COOOOOL!!!
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calebe 3:29PM (10/26/2007)
Thats really cool. To bad its just a parking lot cuiser. What is that, 2 inches ground clearance?
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Argen 7:47PM (10/26/2007)
Strangely, it makes some sense. After all Pininfarina did help design early-fifties Nashes and Ramblers, so shoving a Ferarri engine in it isn't too far off the mark.
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Mr Black 5:06PM (10/27/2007)
If I remember correctly, both cars belong to the same guy. This project has been around for a while. I remember the story as the guy's son took the Modena out and ended up wrecking it pretty bad. He decided to transplant the drivetrain into this car after that.
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