ThatDudeInBlue is shocked by a 425HP Ford Escape swapped with a Mustang engine.

Ford introduced the EcoBoost engine for the 2010 model year, and while the idea of a turbocharged engine and direct injection fuel delivery was not new, it brought a breath of fresh air to the scene.

At this point, mixing and matching the Big Three U.S. auto manufacturers' V-8 powerplants, both internally and across all brands of vehicles—engine-swapping, if you will—is a tried-and-true practice.

One of Henry Ford's goals was universal interchangeability—a feature that made flivvers the first hot rods and made engine swaps a staple of hot rodding. Unfortunately, original equipment ...