The idea of “automotive heresy” is kind of a funny one. On the one hand, people are totally entitled to do what they want with their own project cars, but on the other hand, people often develop super strong feelings about certain marques or models, and they’ll often freak the hell out about what they perceive as someone ruining a car.
This all gets more intense if you decide to post your car build on YouTube, which is exactly what Mike Burroughs, founder of StanceWorks, has gotten himself into with his latest and most ambitious project to date: a Honda-powered Ferrari 308. I can already hear you grabbing your torches and pitchforks, but calm down already.
I’ll wait until you stop screaming at your screen and hammering your keyboards in barely contained rage.
Mike’s plan is to create a 1,000-horsepower time-attack car that will not only set track records but also look stunning while doing it. His most controversial decision with this project was to throw out the Ferrari’s old and underpowered transverse-mounted V8 (and by throw out, I mean sell for five figures). The decision to replace it with Honda’s known-epic K24 inline four-cylinder seems odd initially but quickly makes sense when you start looking at the numbers.
Turbocharged K24 making 1,000 or more horsepower are now a known quantity. The formula to get them to that output level and to do so reliably is established. It all starts to come together when you add in the cost and availability of parts and consumables, and the much wider availability of people who know how to work on those motors.
The next big criticism from the web is that Mike took what was already a fairly nice example of the 308 to use for his project, rather than a clapped-out shell. Again, this makes sense. The rule of buying a project is always to buy the best one you can afford because it will make everything else you do to it easier, simpler and cheaper. Also, it’s not like 308s are all that rare or beloved. He’s not hacking up a 288 GTO or a Daytona.
People’s last big criticism – and this is unique to Mike’s situation because of how he’s chosen to document his build – is that the build is taking too long. That’s stupid, and people saying that have clearly never attempted a project of this scale before.
So, if you can get over these hangups, you should start following Mike’s build on the StanceWorks YouTube channel because not only will the build entertain you, but you might also learn something along the way.