When Ford made the surprising move to bring pushrod power back to its Super Duty pickups, it opened the door to another potential performance engine swap for enthusiasts. To science-out this swap, the crew at SPE Motorsport is taking a forlorn 2010 Mustang and turning it into a Godzilla 7.3-liter V8-powered test bed for the company’s current and future products. Dubbed project “Blue Chew,” this S197 is sure to eliminate any performance anxiety when it comes to converting your pony car to this potent powerplant.
The beauty of a dedicated development vehicle is that it doesn’t have to live a pampered life. Instead, it exists to answer questions, expose weaknesses, and validate new ideas before customers ever bolt those parts onto their own projects. That’s exactly the mission behind Project Blue Chew. Rather than preserving another aging S197 with its factory powerplant, SPE Motorsport saw an inexpensive platform as the perfect opportunity to create a rolling laboratory for the increasingly popular Godzilla 7.3-liter V8 swap.
With a rugged architecture, abundant displacement, and growing aftermarket support, the 7.3-liter has quickly become a compelling alternative for enthusiasts looking beyond traditional Modular and Coyote combinations. That momentum has fueled demand for specialized swap components, and Blue Chew will serve as the proving ground for the parts designed to support those builds.
The donor car certainly wasn’t destined for concours judging. SPE’s team chose a 2010 Mustang because clean examples have become affordable, particularly those saddled with the earlier 4.0- or 4.6-liter engines. Rather than investing time in keeping that original drivetrain alive, the company stripped it out in favor of the considerably larger pushrod V8.
Top-End Upgrades
As the project currently sits, the engine compartment already showcases much of the company’s expanding Godzilla catalog. Front and center is the new SPE Motorsport 4150 single-plane intake manifold, a cast-aluminum design engineered to accept a standard 4150-style throttle body, carburetor, or EFI elbow. That flexibility allows builders to configure naturally aspirated, supercharged, or other custom induction combinations while maintaining strong airflow characteristics.
Supporting that intake are several billet upgrades intended to improve durability and simplify high-performance operation. The factory variable cam timing hardware gives way to the company’s billet cam lockout, which fixes camshaft timing at zero degrees for consistent tuning in dedicated performance applications. Working alongside it is a heat-treated 4140 cam bolt designed to replace the factory fastener with a more robust solution.
Cooling also received considerable attention. A low-temperature, high-flow thermostat is intended to reduce coolant temperatures and minimize heat soak during extended hard use. Billet upper and lower radiator hose adapters convert the cooling system to -16AN braided hose while incorporating a compact 90-degree thermostat housing that improves intake clearance. A billet coolant block-off plug cleans up unused passages when builders eliminate the factory oil cooler or heater-core connection, while an S550-style billet coolant degas bottle provides a factory-inspired mounting solution with improved coolant management.
Inside Out
Inside the engine, SPE incorporated its billet oil-squirter block-off kit. The eight-piece package seals the piston oiler passages when aftermarket piston combinations require removal of the factory squirters, another example of the project’s focus on supporting serious engine builds rather than simply completing a swap.
Adding a splash of panache to the build are a set of SPE valve covers. Machined from aluminum, they integrate factory-style coil mounting while adding -12AN ventilation ports and clearance for either factory or aftermarket rocker assemblies. Feeding the engine is a matching billet fuel rail kit with adjustable mounting brackets and high-volume -12AN ORB ports intended to support larger injectors and the fuel demands of high-horsepower combinations.
While SPE is still chewing on this project, that’s part of the appeal. As the build progresses, it will offer enthusiasts an inside look at what an S197 Mustang with a built Godzilla 7.3 can do. To follow the build as it evolves, check out SPE Motorsport’s social media channels.
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