Video: Can a Ford V8 Take a .50 Cal Shot and Still Run?

The three-valve version of Ford’s 5.4-liter V8 powered a variety of blue oval models both in North America and in Australia. From the Ford Falcon of the Land Down Under to the F-Series of the Land of the Free, the Triton engine was a widely used source of forward motion. Commuters relied on it to get them to work on time, business owners needed it to get their jobs completed, and families called on its output to haul kids to sports practice and groceries to the house.

The pickup that got shot up.

The pickup that got shot up.

Richard Ryan, the host of the video above, used the V8 in his eleventh-generation Ford F-150 to get him, his crew, his video equipment, and his massive firearms to recording sites for years. Eventually, two of the cylinders in that workhorse gave up the ghost. Rather than paying more for repairs than the truck was worth or parting it out, Ryan decided to say goodbye to it in a style appropriate for his channel.

Ryan brought the pain down and out of a long barrel.

Ryan brought the pain down and out of a long barrel.

He loaded his Barrett M107A1 rifle with .50 caliber incendiary rounds designed to immobilize vehicles that have been repurposed as rolling improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in war zones, aimed at the valves of the power plant, and let off a giant shot.

A gun might have been fired, but it looked as if a bomb went off.

A gun might have been fired, but it looked as if a bomb went off.

Amazingly, the big engine started right up after having a hole punched into it with military might. Even after ingesting a second round of the giant ammunition, the Ford V8 continued to run — perhaps on only four cylinders, but it still lived on. If the Triton survived that kind of abuse, there’s no telling what it endured that made two of its cylinders stop working in the first place.

About the author

Derek Shiekhi

Derek Shiekhi is a native Texan who grew up loving cars because of his father, who took Derek with him to buy early Mustang convertibles and Post-WWII pickups from GM. Throughout high school and college, he dreamed about cars, and returned to college to earn a second degree in journalism. After writing for the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, Derek joined the Texas Auto Writers Association, and is a member of the organization's board of directors.
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