The Ford Mustang doesn’t have the most fantastic gas mileage by any means. If you’re buying one, you certainly aren’t buying it for the fuel economy. But that can be improved by swapping the engine out for a Cummins Diesel engine. That might not be the exact reason why the mighty Westen Champlin swapped the engine of his 2016 Ford Mustang, but it’s definitely a plus side to the “Smokestang” project.
Cummins Ford Mustang: Details
The 12-valve Cummins diesel engine was initially used in farm equipment before it was placed inside the original 1989 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty. The engine is massive and famous for its low-end torque, perfect for hauling. But, with a redline of 3,000 rpm, it’s not the go-to engine for a performance car. But that won’t stop Champlin from his ambitious dreams.
There’s an entire series on Westen Champlin’s YouTube channel showcasing the build of the Cummins Ford Mustang, and the most recent episode showcases a bit of mechanics as he has to replace a cracked transmission. After that, we see that his 1,000 horsepower diesel muscle car is a bit picky with things. It takes some time to start up, and after a bit of effort, some issues need to be fixed before he can take it on a 150-mile road trip to the nearest drag strip. Then, a few more problems arise, including the engine getting stuck at half acceleration, making him unintentionally speed down the road.
The video is highly entertaining, and we recommend that you check it out. He and his team eventually make it to the drag strip, and the quarter-mile time is far from what one would expect from the amount of power in the engine, but that’s due to further issues that have come up. Hopefully, next time Champlin manages to get some more of the kinks worked out, and eventually, we’ll get to see the Cummins Mustang flying down a drag strip and unleashing the full power it possesses.
