Monster Ghibli

I'm not a fan of shifting engines like this conversion but nonetheless it looks like a very professional installation. Depending on what year the Chevy engine is, it's either a 375 or 400 horsepower engine, a significant increase over the original Ghibli engine. I wonder what the conversion has done to the performance of the car?

Elliot

 

Is this perhaps the Mercury Marine ZR1 engine from the Corvette?

That would explain the Mercury reference.

It's a great engine.

 

I bought my set of Borrani's from him. Very nice guy......and into many other cars too.

I visited the shop that did the conversion as well. Top notch all the way.

 

Who knows, it might have a significant power advantage as well as a weight saving. If he bought a car with a blown motor and did the work himself, who's to say? He could always put a Maserati motor back in at some point.

 

Yes, that is the DOHC LT5 vette engine from 1990-95.

Walter in San Antonio about 1993 there was another Ghibli with SBC engine running around.

 

It looks like a nice monster. I would not have placed the trident on the motor though.

 

The entire drivetrain was Vette if I recall correctly. That's why the wheels stick out a bit further than normal.

 

Monster is right. I'm not a fan of this engine swapping kind of thing. Maybe unless the car was bought with no engine or a completely busted engine. It does look like a professional job, though.

But how about the brake reservoirs? If it's got a Vette drive train: then does it also have independent rear suspension, larger brakes, etc.?

 

Yup, looks just like a new corvette, lots of electronics and crammed in like a sardine can. No thanks! Shame to spend all that time and money in an effort to devalue a beautiful Ghibli.

 

At least the water pump will be easier to deal with ...

 

Might have been better in an Iso Rivolta as an upgrade, but I bet that thing goes like a bat out of hell. It's a special motor-Lotus designed, Mercury Marine built Chevy V-8 from wiki:

LT5
A GM LT5 engine

For model year 1990, Chevrolet released the Corvette ZR-1 with the radical overhead cam LT5 engine, which shared only the 4.4 inch bore spacing with any previous LT engine. The LT5 was engineered by Lotus Engineering in the UK headed by design manager David Whitehead, the engine was produced by Mercury Marine at Stillwater OK headed by Project Engineer Terry D. Stinson.[2] It was an all-aluminum 5.7 L (349 cu in) small-block V8, but was thoroughly different from any of the other Chevrolet 350 engines. The bore and stroke were both different at 3.9 by 3.66 in (99 by 93 mm) instead of the usual 4 by 3.48 in (102 by 88 mm) and it featured Lotus-designed 32-valve DOHC heads rather than the usual Chevrolet 16-Valve OHV Heads. It was hand built by specialty engine builder, Mercury Marine in Stillwater, OK. This engine produced 375 horsepower (280 kW) and 370 lb·ft (502 N·m) for the 1990-1992 Corvette ZR-1 and jumped to 405 horsepower (302 kW) and 385 lb·ft (522 N·m) for 1993 to its final year in 1995, thanks to cam timing changes and improvements to the engine porting. 1993 also added 4-bolt main bearing caps and an exhaust gas recirculation system. The engine was used only in Corvettes.[3] The LT5 was very expensive, and after six years of production, GM canceled the ZR-1 option. A total of 6939 were produced.[4] The LT5 however wasn't an evolutionary dead end. Despite being discontinued, a new class of premium V8s for Cadillac and eventually Oldsmobile, the dual overhead cam V8 Northstar and its derivatives, drew heavily from the LT5's design and lessons learned from its production.[5]

 

Just you wait till I fit a racing MC12 engine in my Khamsin;-) and unlike this poor Ghibli it won't need beter brakes.

MS

 

Just when Ghiblis are beginning to trade for respectable money.

 

400 hp, big deal ... If he did replace the suspension why not put 500-600hp in it like Jay Leno has done with some of his creations?

There have been several other transplanted V8s in Ghiblis. Back when a so so Ghibli was maybe $22-25K, not that long ago, if you were looking a huge engine rebuild expense some guys sought a cheaper way out. This looks like a bit more than that though. It would appear that this person like the body and interior but not much else about the car. This cost some $$$ to pull off.

I remember a 3500 Vignale spyder that got an american V8 in it. It was shown at Concourso Italiano back in 1980's? That was an ugly scene at the judging stand. The owner was pissed. What did he expect?

 

Was the guy's name: Bizzarini ?

 

Wrong marque ...

I forget his name but FGM will remember that one vividly.
Screaming and yelling on the field.
I wonder if the car ever got it's proper engine back?

Walter? Surely you've heard of this one no?

 

and .... what's in them now?

 

Small block Chevy's most likely. If the swap was performed in the 1960's then probably 327 cubic inch engines, or if later possibly 350's. Regardless, this is a cruel thing to do to a Maserati.

 

I think the one I saw was a small block Chevy but it was done in the 1980s.
Other than that it was a nice car. Probably significantly quicker as well.
Don't forget, these cars were as expensive back then maybe 40-50K for a top flight car.

 

Walter,

In the early eighties i saw a Vignale Spider at the Siebenthal's garage with a 4.2 Maserati engine in it. He told me the owner wanted more power, and that is what he got! Did not ever here of it again. Does it ring a bell to you. I should still have a picture of it, pretty rudimentary conversion.

Ciao,

Bart

 

Not Maseratis but similar oddballs so please indulge me, the two most outstanding conversions I saw were an Alfa spider with a Montreal V8, beautifully done with Aeroquip hoses at the Nurburgring oldtimer GP 1984 and speaking of Concorso Italiano in 1998 or 2000 there was the funniest thing, the contrary of the usual Detroit V8 in an Italian car. Someone with a great sense of humor had put a carb Ferrari V12 in an....AC Cobra most likely a replica Cobra of course but nobody could believe it!

MS