A Ford Maverick Will Fit a Gnarly Twin-Turbo V8—With a Whole Lot of Work
The Drive ·
Why did it take so long for someone to stuff a V8 in a Maverick? Probably because it isn’t easy. The post A Ford Maverick Will Fit a Gnarly Twin-Turbo V8—With a Whole Lot of Work appeared first on The Drive .
When the Ford Maverick arrived in 2021, it revived the compact truck segment that has long been a favorite of tuners and customizers. So it’s not surprising that we’ve seen quite a few modified Mavericks in the short time this pickup has been on sale. Yet there’s one obvious thing no one attempted until now: a V8 swap.
Tucci Hot Rods finally rectified that at the 2026 SEMA show, where it unveiled a 2022 Maverick with a twin-turbo Coyote V8. If you’re not familiar with this Upstate New York shop, it was one of the first that Ford partnered with on Maverick SEMA builds back in 2021. Tucci’s first go was a 2.0-liter EcoBoost truck with 3D-printed parts that gave it a serious street-truck vibe. Ford cited that build as one of the inspirations for the Maverick Lobo , in fact. Now, Tucci has Coyote-swapped that truck.
“When we originally built the truck in 2021 for Ford, it was a pre-production vehicle. The build went over really well, and afterward, we joked that we should Coyote-swap it,” Tucci Hot Rods owner Dave Tucci told Ford Muscle . “Eventually, that joke turned into a real plan.”
As detailed in a post by Engine Swap Depot , Tucci paired Ford’s ubiquitous 5.0-liter V8 with a pair of Hellion 62 millimeter turbos. The engine was also treated to a new intake manifold, oil pan, and fuel rails, while the exhaust was routed through the Maverick’s front fender vents using custom 3D-printed pieces. The setup is good for up to 1,200 horsepower.
The engine is connected to a ZF 8HP70 eight-speed automatic transmission via an LOJ Conversions adapter plate. That’s connected, in turn, to a custom driveshaft and the rear end from an S550 Mustang. Tucci kept the factory rear suspension, but used a modified front subframe with customer lower control arms and an S197 Mustang steering rack and steering knuckles.
Tucci Hot Rods is an enthusiastic user of 3D printing and 3D scanning tech , and that came in handy here. As explained by Ford Muscle , 3D scanning was used to determine the geometry for those lower control arms. The steer rack also had to be moved to clear the engine, and some cutting of the rear crossmember was involved.
It was a lot of work, but just look at the result.
The post A Ford Maverick Will Fit a Gnarly Twin-Turbo V8—With a Whole Lot of Work appeared first on The Drive .