An affordable Ferrari excites the 14-year-old in any gearhead, and the wedge-shaped, V12 400 variants rank among the easiest to obtain. This 1978 Ferrari 400 Automatic in Independence, Oregon will change hands even more cheaply thanks to its missing the gorgeous hand-built V12 engine, or any engine for that matter. Also gone missing is the automatic transmission, but that’s less concerning as Ferrari three-speed automatics of this era came straight from the U. S. of A.

From a raft of lousy pictures, this interior shot shows the most promise, and it’s far from museum quality. Despite giving up two gears and the five-speed manual’s fabulous gated shifter, the sturdy General Motors TH400 proved twice as popular as the five-speed according to Hemmings.

The front-engine configuration yields a proper trunk on this grand tourer. Take that, mid-engine snobs! Furthermore, 400 owners gain a family-friendly rear seat for children or short trips. If you avoid two-seaters on the principle that an awesome exotic should be shared with more than one person, the 400 series might top your list.

With no glorious V12 to show off, here’s a dusty engine compartment shot. The seller clearly subscribes to the school that “rust” is defined as rust-through, i.e. the ability to view light through a rusty hole. Multiple pictures show rusty metal yet the listing here on eBay describes this ride as “rust free.” As our readers have quipped, pay for the car and you get the rust for free. If you’ve got a hopelessly wrecked 400 with a good engine, this might be your lucky day. At least seven bidders have prodded this Maranello roller’s market value into low five-digit territory with about two days left. No doubt someone’s willing to draw the ire of Ferrari fans everywhere by picturing this four-seat Ferrari with reliable GM LS V8 power, just as prior generations dropped a small-block into anything with two or more wheels. How would you repower this forgotten Ferrari?