This Brave Man Swapped a Chevy V8 into a Classic Ferrari

BOLD RIDE

Copyright © 2015 Bold Ride LLC.

 

Posted by Zach Doell

                               

 

Modifying a classic car can be a touchy subject. When the production numbers go down, the rarity goes up, and every little custom modification is usually met with a cringe from those who worship the brand. 

 

So just imagine the looks that this man, Joe Alessandrino, gets when he pulls up in his 1963 Ferrari 250 GTE—one of about 950 built in total, and likely the only that sports a hot rod Chevrolet V8 engine.

To the diehard Ferraristi, it’s a scornful act of sacrilege. To the rest of us, it comes across as pretty darn cool. But don’t worry, a perfectly good GTE didn’t die in order to give life to this custom job…it was already dead.

 

As Alessandrino explains, the original car was sacrificed by a custom shop in order to create a Ferrari 250 GTO replica, using the ’63 GTE’s chassis and engine, ubiquitous among the 250 lineup. Why? Because even some millimeter-perfect GTO replicas are worth more than restored four-seat GTE cars.

Alessandrino simply bought the leftover body, crafted his own frame and suspension, and dropped in a Chevrolet 302 engine from a ’69 Camaro Z/28 to create his sinister Ferrari hot rod…nicknamed “Joerarri.” While its body comes dressed in a limited edition Mitsubishi red paint, the engine boasts an aggressive camshaft, funnels power to a Dodge Viper six-speed gearbox, and puts it to the road via a Ford nine-inch rear end.

Ferrari, Chevy, Dodge, and Ford…Joe’s wicked creation may offend just about every corner of the hot rod market. Oddly enough, even with that American V8 poking through the engine bay, Alessandrino says his GTE is within 80 pounds of a perfect front-to-rear weight distribution. Thumbs up for even attempting such a build.