Ford's iconic pushrod V-8 engine, the Windsor, was discontinued in 2000 after almost 40 years on the market, leaving the Modular engine as the main mill across the entire lineup. From the Mustang to the F-Series trucks, this engine has powered almost every vehicle with a Ford or Lincoln badge since 1990.

The Blue Oval then revived the pushrod engine in 2019 in the form of a 7.3-liter V-8 dubbed Godzilla. Originally offered in the fourth-generation F-250 truck, the mill is now available as a crate engine. And it's Ford's long-awaited answer to General Motor's LS crate engine, also a cam-in-block pushrod design.

The Godzilla V-8 is a workhorse but it can be more than that

The standard 7.3-liter V-8 available in the Ford F-250 truck cranks out 430 horsepower. It might not sound like a lot compared to what else is available out there, but we need to keep in mind that this is a truck engine. It was designed primarily as a workhorse and it delivers 475 pound-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. It features a diesel-like power band so it can compete with an oil burner without needing the same fuel.

Chevy's 7.4-liter LSX, for instance, is good for a whopping 627 horsepower and 586 pound-feet of twist. And that's before tuning shops stick their noses in. With proper upgrades, the LSX can develop close to 1,000 horsepower.

Ford's 7.3-liter V-8 could be of the same variety, despite the fact that the official rating of the crate engine is identical to the F-250 Super Duty. Once the performance shops get a hold of it, we will find out how much power and torque it's capable of once upgraded with high-performance internals.

The Godzilla V-8 could power a wide variety of vehicles

Although it's marketed as a truck engine, the 7.3-liter V-8 could find its way in smaller vehicles too. Sure, a 7.3-liter mill isn't exactly small, but the pushrod design makes it more compact than an overhead-cam layout. So chances are it will fit not only in smaller trucks and SUVs, but also in cars.

It could also find its way in vehicles from other brands, just like the Modular V-8. The latter has powered performance cars from Marcos, Panoz, and Koenigsegg. British carmaker TVR opted for the same mill when it designed the Griffith sports car. With a bit of luck, the Godzilla V-8 could also have a future as a racing engine.

The Godzilla V-8 costs less than $10K

Ford offers the 7.3-liter V-8 crate engine at $8,150. The package includes the intake and throttle body, exhaust manifolds, oil pan, ignition coils and wires, and the production flex plate.