(first posted 8/13/2012) Do a google search for “Camaro engine swaps” and 891,000 results come up, of which probably 890,999 have to do with some variation of a bow tie V8. Boring. But add “four cylinder” to the search, and things get a bit more interesting. Like this ’69 that sports a Cummins diesel 4BT. Now that’s guaranteed to turn some ears!
When I did the search, I thought maybe someone somewhere might have done a Camaro version of the “Eco-Boost Edsel“, with a turbo Eco-Tec four. Or the world’s first veggie-oil burner with an Isuzu diesel four. Or maybe in an act of irony, an Iron Duke four, the ultimate Anti-Establishment ’69 Camaro. So actually, this was a bit of a disappointment, but you take what google giveth.
In this case, it’s a Cummins 4BT, the four cylinder version of what resides in so many Dodge pickups and motorhomes. And in true ’69 Camaro engine swap tradition, it’s been warmed up. The rotating assembly has been balanced, and it sports a Scheid camshaft and 5,000 rpm valve springs. The exact power output is not given in the article at dieselpowermag.com, but the owner does say these mills can put out 600 hp reliably. With a healthy plume of black smoke, I expect.
The Cummins four weighs in at 760 lbs, not much different than an iron big block. But its oil pan sure does hang low. Easy on the wheelies!
That’healthy’ plume of black smoke is usually over fueling but diesel is definitely the way to go Nissan LD28 have been fitted into damn near everything over here usually with turbo but those little Cummins are awesome
Wonder where “over here” is?? Most of the running LD28 in the USA have no turbo, but I do have one that a brilliant mechanic put together. Need the boost compensator for the pump. Are you on the Nissan Diesel Forum?
That’s Kiwibryce, so New Zealand. He’s so famous around here, he’s in-famous.
Thanks, I was thinking there or Australia
Now we’re talking! I wonder why he didn’t cut down the oil pan for more ground clearance?
In 1985, back when I was living in Cortland, NY, I happened across a rust-free ’57 BelAir Sport Coupe for $2500.
At the time, rust-free BA Sport Coupes were beginning their climb to the stratosphere and so $2500 was a good price indeed. The bumpers were painted silver but all the stainless was there and straight, as were the body panels…with a little TLC, it could’ve been back in action.
The pertinence to the above Camaro?
Well, this ’57 had a Toyota 4-cylinder under the hood.
Yes…a Toyota, I wanna say an R-20, it may have even been out of an SR-5, which until the mid-90’s meant it had a 5-speed stick behind it.
I could’ve pulled the bumpers off the 150 2-door sedan I was driving back then, along with the 283/4-speed…thrashed a couple weekends and gone from a Tri-Five with some Bondo to one with none.
But I didn’t do it…wondering now what became of the car.
In Petersen’s “The Complete Chevrolet Book – 4th Edition” (1975), on page 142, is an 8-page write-up on a ’68 Camaro with…steam power. Complete with pictures. The steam drove a 75-HP Mercury outboard engine.
The owner had about $10K in the car and the conversion, in 1975 dollars.
“I’ve soiled me armor!”
+1
Much more interesting than the typical BBC swap.
There are a few 1g F bodies running around here with 3.8 GN power.
We had this engine powering the hydraulic crane onboard the USCGC Scioto, a Coast Guard Mississippi River tender based out of Keokuk, Iowa. Day in and day out, lifting 2000 pound concrete sinker blocks and buoys from the muddy river bottom, this engine never missed a beat in my time onboard. All we had to do was keep the oil and filters changed on the proper PM schedule and the Kim Hot Start plugged in for those cold Iowa spring mornings. A fine running engine, it must be a tire melter in this Camaro. A professional looking installation; I too would look into changing out or modifying that oil pan…..
Geez, you’d think the first mod on his list would have been a dry sump setup (or do diesels not take well to that?) Unless its a trailer queen…and he has stiff front springs!
Good on him for doing something different, just because he can 🙂
My first thought was that the article featured the 90 hp 153 c.i.d. three speed Four that was an option in the Nova. For even slower acceleration, a Torque Drive ($69) or a Powerglide ($148) was available. No data on the rear-end ratio, but they’d better be 3:36 or higher or the slightest hill would be a hassle. This is a cool swap tho.
My first thought was the 153 CID Nova four as well. Didn’t even think of the Iron Duke suggested below….
I was hoping to see a hopped up Iron Duke in a ’69 Camaro…
Gotta love the imagination of the builder !
That’s funny.
I was once looking over a ’55 Chevy being offered for sale.
At first look over I hadn’t given the usual “warmed up” repower more than a glance. When I made it back under the hood for a closer look I realized it was small block Chrysler powered. A decent fit. The seller hadn’t volunteered anything about the crossbreeding. Maybe he didn’t know? Shrug
Hello to all of the above, I am the guy that created(thought up, built, owned, and drove the hell out of) the Cummaro! it was not a trailer queen buy any means, unless of course it was broke or going racing a fair distance away. It made around 500 HP according to the math of 1/8 mile ET’s and weight and got about 25 mpg depending on how much you were in the fuel! And by the way all the smoke in higher HP combo’s also helps get rid of EGT’s! And the oil pan was modified after the article was done, it was a spur of the moment thing I had drove th car to work the day the magazine guy was at the shop doing another write up, that didn’t make print.
+1 regarding the large oil pan. With all the crap on our roads in Minnesota I would be mighty cautious driving this any place. Other than cutting it down I guess the only other option would be a build super beefy cage to deflect road debris and then still cross your fingers.