A few months ago, we were already talking about an American who had dared the unthinkable: transforming a Lamborghini Gallardo with a 1,500 hp diesel engine. In East Texas, tuner 1 Way Diesel Performance had grafted a huge Cummins 5.9-liter twin-turbo engine into a Gallardo. Today, we're changing brands, but not the madness. Head for Idaho, where a group of YouTubers decided to embark on an even more heretical project: to build the first Ferrari V10 diesel engine in the world, from a burnt-out F355 Spider... and a Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI.
A Ferrari F355 Spider through fire... and several YouTubers
The story begins with a Ferrari F355 Spider, which is already not much of a classic Italian car. One day, the F355 catches fire on the road and is officially "totally destroyed". Rather than disappear, Tavarish buys it back. On paper, he could attempt a classic restoration. But the bill would be immense and the result "just" in keeping with the original. Impossible to be profitable.
So he made another decision: to entrust the F355 to "a couple of idiots in Idaho who just want to create Ferrari diesel rally cars". These self-confessed "idiots" are the guys from the Grind Hard Plumbing Co Youtube channel, already known for their completely zany projects... The Ferrari F355 couldn't have come at a better time.
Goal: to create the first Ferrari diesel rally car
From the very first minutes of the video, the tone is set: they bought this Ferrari "because they wanted to build the world's first diesel Ferrari". Not to restore it concours-style, but to turn it into a kind of rally Ferrari, completely revisited. They start by cleaning up the car, removing piles of parts, burnt-beam remnants, bits of glass and unnecessary elements. Inside, we find objects that tell the story of this F355's strange life: a Supra carpet, a Lamborghini shirt, a few spare parts, a well-installed audio amp, some pennies lost at the bottom. The car has already had several lives, and now it's ready for a new one.
The dashboard is "cooked", most of the electronics are unusable, and the boxes and wiring harness are either in the garbage can or on eBay. The YouTubers are quick to assume that they'll be starting from scratch with the wiring. The idea is simple: keep the essentials and rebuild a new electrical system around the future diesel engine.
The donor: a Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI
To power this Ferrari, you need a diesel worthy of the project's madness. They found what they were looking for in a Volkswagen Touareg V10 TDI. This SUV is equipped with a V10 twin-turbo diesel engine. First, they buy a Touareg in good condition, which they test on their playground. But they like it so much, they're reluctant to take it apart. That's when a twist changes everything. After "teasing" the diesel-powered Ferrai project on Instagram, someone contacts them: he has a wrecked V10 Touareg, with new turbos, ready to be used as a donor. Jackpot. The first Touareg is saved, the second arrives directly at their home on a trailer, perfect to be torn apart without remorse.
350 kg of V10 diesel
The dismantling of the Touareg is just like the car itself: excessive. The front end is literally dismantled in successive layers of plastic, reinforcements, radiators, coolers and wiring harnesses. Once the entire front has been removed, the V10 and its transmission can be extracted with their cradle. The engine is then separated from its gearbox, the exhaust, EGR and superfluous accessories removed, and cleaned with a high-pressure washer. Then comes the moment of truth on the scales: the V10 weighs in at 350 kg (774 lb)! Much heavier than they had imagined. The engine has not a single belt. All accessories are gear-driven from the rear of the engine. Injections are mechanically controlled by cams. They even speak of a "work of engineering" when they discover how well thought-out everything is.
V10 diesel meets Ferrari at last
Once the V10 has been stripped of its kilos of useless accessories and hoses, it's time for the moment everyone's been waiting for: approaching the Ferrari. The F355, for its part, has been considerably lightened. The dry run is striking: the V10 is brought close to the F355 chassis, and the team notes that, on principle, "it could almost slide in". There are reinforcements to be cut out, supports to be made, but the idea is validated.
Sacrilege or resurrection?
At this stage, the Ferrari diesel project is not yet complete. The V10 has been extracted, weighed, cleaned and simplified. The F355 is naked, ready to receive its new heart. All that's left is the integration work, the manufacture of supports, electronic management and cooling, not to mention the "rally" part with its long-travel suspension and adapted protection. See you in a few weeks' time for the rest of this crazy American project.
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