--- title: "Finishing This Body-Swapped Ferrari California Is the Best Kind of Winter Project" date: "2024-12-13" modified: "2024-12-13" authors: - name: "Ronan Glon" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ronan-glon" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/finishing-this-body-swapped-ferrari-california-is-the-best-kind-of-winter-project" categories: - "Culture" - "Ferrari News" - "For Sale" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "California" - "Convertible" - "Ferrari" - "sports car" --- # Finishing This Body-Swapped Ferrari California Is the Best Kind of Winter Project ![Body-swapped Ferrari California on Cars & Bids]() *\Cars & Bids\* The mother of all winter projects is [currently live on auction site Cars & Bids](). While it might look like a dismantled classic [Ferrari]() at first glance, the old-school body hides a chassis, drivetrain, and electronics from a 2010 [California](). It's a cool idea, but there's a ton of assembly required. Details, such as why the California was chopped up and where the 1963 [250 GTE]() body came from, are up in the air. It looks like the project started with a relatively clean, low-mileage car that was finished in white over red (there's a picture of it in the Cars & Bids gallery). Carfax doesn't list an accident or any other type of damage, which is both reassuring and a little surprising. Body swaps often start with a wrecked or totaled shell. ![Body-swapped Ferrari California on Cars & Bids]() *Cars & Bids* ![Body-swapped Ferrari California on Cars & Bids]() *Cars & Bids* ![Body-swapped Ferrari California on Cars & Bids]() *Cars & Bids* Chopping up a California is no small task, and cutting in half a 250 GTE, hot dog-style, is not for the faint of heart. Both tasks have already been completed, yet there's a lot of work left to do. The listing notes that there's "extensive bodywork, custom fabrication, mechanical work, and assembly required," and the photos illustrate that point well. Panels like the hood and the trunk lid notably need to be widened, and the next owner will need to figure out what to do about the rocker panels. The good news is that a massive stash of vintage and modern parts is included. ![Body-swapped Ferrari California on Cars & Bids]() *Cars & Bids* ![Body-swapped Ferrari California on Cars & Bids]() *Cars & Bids* The engine is the California's stock, 4.3-liter V8 that develops 453 horsepower and 357 lb-ft of torque. It's linked to a seven-speed, dual-clutch automatic transmission. Everything needs to be wired, but a "52-page custom guide with instructions on completing the project" is included in the sale. And while wiring a modern Ferrari sounds enormously hard, the sale also includes a cool wooden buck with a template. ![]() **Cars & Bids** If you've got a barn and a lot of time to kill this winter, head on over to Cars & Bids to check out this two-in-one Ferrari project. Bidding stands at $6,000 with about six days left in the auction, and there's no reserve so the highest bidder will drag it home. It will be interesting to see where this one ends. It's niche, but it's not like a vintage Ferrari dropped on a California chassis is the kind of project you see for sale every day. *Got tips? Send ’em to [tips@thedrive.com]()* ## Author Ronan is a contributing writer for The Drive. He draws on over 15 years of experience to cover breaking industry news, cool one-off builds, and anything in between. He began writing for The Drive in 2021 and stepped into his current role in 2024. His obsession with cars started when a relative gave him a Majorette die-cast shortly after his first birthday. It hasn't flickered since. Ronan lives in France; He swapped Utah's Rocky Mountains, where he grew up, for the Alps. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker, and musician. He also restores classic European cars and mopeds, including a 1978 Citroen 2CV that he's rebuilding from the ground up. ### Author social links [Twitter]()