--- title: "Forget a 4.6L, Your Ford Mustang GT Needs a Triton V10 Like This One" date: "2026-01-17" modified: "2026-01-17" authors: - name: "Stephen Edelstein" job_title: "Weekend Editor" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/stephen-edelstein" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/forget-a-4-6l-your-ford-mustang-gt-needs-a-triton-v10-like-this-one" categories: - "Builds" - "Culture" - "Ford News" - "News" - "News by Brand" tags: - "Ford" - "Mustang" --- # Forget a 4.6L, Your Ford Mustang GT Needs a Triton V10 Like This One ![Triton V10-powered Ford Mustang built by YouTuber Overused.]() *\Overused via YouTube\* Sometimes, eight cylinders just isn't enough. The [Ford]() Modular 4.6-liter V8 powered the Mustang through the late 1990s and into the new millennium. It's capable of big power with the right modifications, but Ford itself experimented with a V10-powered Mustang in the form of 2004's [Boss 351 prototype](). One Mustang owner who runs the [Overused YouTube channel]() has since replicated that setup, and I have to say, it's too good not to love. A video first spotted by *[Engine Swap Depot]()* covers the details of this build. The Millennial Boss 351 was the inspiration, but that car used a bespoke aluminum 5.8-liter V10 that was essentially a V8 with added cylinders. For those without a dedicated engineering department, the alternative is Ford's 6.8-liter Triton V10, in this case sourced from a 2001 F-550 with a rusty frame. It's a bigger engine, though because it's still part of the same Modular family as the Mustang's original 4.6-liter V8, swapping it in was relatively easy. ![Triton V10 on a hoist being lowered into a Ford Mustang engine bay.]() *Overused via YouTube* The Modular motors share several parts and specifications, including engine mounts and transmission bolt patterns. That eliminated the need for a transmission swap, and meant the Triton engine could be installed with a bit of hammering, but not cutting. The lower-profile oil pan from an E-350 van was substituted for extra clearance, and the motor mounts were flipped around to do the same for the driveshaft. However, the fit was too tight for a brake booster, so this Mustang's Brembo brakes (a Cadillac setup installed with a kit from S&S Engineering) are actuated manually. And while the wiring solution—essentially transferring nearly everything from the F-550 over to the Mustang—was straightforward, it requires two keys: one switches on the ignition, the other handles other functions of the ex-F-550 harness, such as diagnostics. The F-550's relative lack of emissions gear and the Mustang's manual transmission helped simplify things as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFo-nLZld58 It may have 10 cylinders, but the Triton engine was designed for work, not performance. New internals, including sportier cams, help tilt things in the latter direction, while a new exhaust system with BBK shorty headers provides a decidedly un-truck-like sound. Ford teased V10-powered production cars a few times in the early 2000s. In addition to the New Edge Boss 351, it built the [Shelby GR-1]() coupe and the 427 sedan concepts. Another YouTube channel, Build It Yourself, replicated the sedan's 427-cubic-inch, four-valve V10 and [stuffed it in a Lincoln Continental](). Overused also credits that build as inspiration for this Mustang. *Got a tip? Send it in: tips@thedrive.com* ## Author Stephen has always been passionate about cars, and managed to turn that passion into a career as a freelance automotive journalist. When he's not handling weekend coverage for The Drive, you can find him looking for a new book to read. ### Author social links [Twitter]()