Diesel Dodge Dart Concept

-
roccodart440

roccodart440

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 19, 2010
Messages
6,799
Reaction score
3,575
My wife just bought a new car. A jetta TDI 6 speed. It's very peppy and with minimal work your venturing into the 300hp/400ft/lb range and averaging high 40's MPG.

So no surprise I joined a couple forums and there is quite a following for these cars and their engines.

A guy on the one forum did a 2.0 TDI swap on a 67 camaro.

This seems like an idea worth looking into especially for the guys who want a daily driver A body.

Anyhow, thought this would be an interesting topic for discussion.
 
hay if you are going to put a diesel in a car put a cummins in it! enough said
 
FYI, in 78 the first Dodge Omni's had VW rabbit engines. Gasoline though.
 
We've owned two TDI's and I drove a level 3 model (red D red I) in Germany once, so I know how much power they can make. I love those engines, but converting it to a rear drive application like a dart could be a challenge.
 
rlevs said:
hay if you are going to put a diesel in a car put a cummins in it! enough said
Click to expand...


I've sen it done in caddy's, 67-69 camaro's and S10's. Cummins swaps are a possibility.

5.9 Cummins
Length: 40
Width: 24.9
Height: 37.9

For the C4BT knock 10" off the length
 
There is a 4cyl Cummins like the older single rail I think... from delivery trucks. They swap them into jeeps and stuff. Problem with the 5.9L CTD swap is the thing is so heavy the factory suspension couldn't hold it. It's why the 2500 CTD trucks all have beefier frames even than gasoline 2500s.
 
vynn3 said:
Yeah, but did you know that the diesel upgrade is a $4K premium over the standard V6? The Hemi is only $1150. That dulled my enthusiasm a lot...
Click to expand...

As it should be. You are getting a better, more powerful unit with much more MPG and longevity with less maintenence. Plus no emmisions BS. The re-sale is much different too.

moper said:
There is a 4cyl Cummins like the older single rail I think... from delivery trucks. They swap them into jeeps and stuff. Problem with the 5.9L CTD swap is the thing is so heavy the factory suspension couldn't hold it. It's why the 2500 CTD trucks all have beefier frames even than gasoline 2500s.
Click to expand...

C4BT swap. UPS trucks etc.

Maybe dodge diesel vs. gas truck frames are different. Ford is not, nor are their springs. After owning 2 fords and one dodge diesel I can say the Cummins is a better engine than the 6.0's, 6.4's etc., debatably even better than the 7.3's. Ford has the best work truck around though.

As far as weight goes the cummins weighs in at 905 dry adn 975 wet. The 426 hemi weighs in at 765 dry and 843 wet. So........:happy1:
 
i know, shivey crap, but pretty cool
[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO_kjaxIDzc"]1970 DMC Diesel Monte Carlo '99 Cummins turbo 24 valve - YouTube[/ame]
 
The 4BT is only about 200 lbs lighter than the 6BT, not a lot of gain there.

I'd have a long look at the Merc OM-617 turbo diesels. 3.0L, and out of the box performance about equal to a /6. Lean on them a little and I think one will run away and hide from a slightly leaned-on /6, and get better mileage doing it.
 
****. My Valiant diesels all the time. Ain't no thang.
 
I had an early 80's hatchback charger that had a VW motor in it. I think Chrysler used them till they had their own 4 banger to throw in the k cars
 
4bt's are pretty expensive. You have to buy a whole van and pull it out and scrap the rest to get some money back.
 
I do believe? Ma put Perkins in some of the import A bodies? I know the first Dodge pu diesels "tried to be" Perkins and they were a dismal failure. Underpowered
 
Ive got a 2012 Jetta TDI as my DD, and I can tell you that little 2.0L diesel is a beast.. My truck was a 6bt 12 valve with the P7100, and that thing could run circles around most of the ford guys I know with diesels.. Diesels are the way to go these days, which is why most European cars have a diesel option.
 
Pentastarnut said:
i know, shivey crap, but pretty cool
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RO_kjaxIDzc
Click to expand...

Clean job no doubt. Having a Ford Cummins in it must make it better than a stock chevy right?

Here's a lil red express for ya [ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ArkzSPOGNPs"]Lil Red Cummins Express - 100PSI Test Passes - YouTube[/ame]



ntsqd said:
The 4BT is only about 200 lbs lighter than the 6BT, not a lot of gain there.

I'd have a long look at the Merc OM-617 turbo diesels. 3.0L, and out of the box performance about equal to a /6. Lean on them a little and I think one will run away and hide from a slightly leaned-on /6, and get better mileage doing it.
Click to expand...

There is a local vocational teacher here that too a falcon ranchero and put a mercedes diesel in it. Drives it daily in the spring /summer/fall
 
67Dart273 said:
I do believe? Ma put Perkins in some of the import A bodies? I know the first Dodge pu diesels "tried to be" Perkins and they were a dismal failure. Underpowered
Click to expand...

Actually mitsubishi diesels in the 70s were avail in dodge trucks and 1 ton vans. No turbo they were slugs.
 
Having driven an NA Rabbit diesel, and then the same vehicle with a turbo on it there is no way I'd consider a diesel w/o a turbo. Turbos must have been conceived with diesels in mind.
 
ntsqd said:
Having driven an NA Rabbit diesel, and then the same vehicle with a turbo on it there is no way I'd consider a diesel w/o a turbo. Turbos must have been conceived with diesels in mind.
Click to expand...


yUp it takes them to a whole other level. Diesels love nitrous too. ;)
 
roccodart440 said:
As it should be. You are getting a better, more powerful unit with much more MPG and longevity with less maintenence. Plus no emmisions BS. The re-sale is much different:
Click to expand...

They are just pulling $4000 out of the air. It does make a little more torque then the gas v6 gas but in a 1/4 mile they are similar with the gas having more HP and lighter weight. Also diesel gets 29 while the gas now gets 25 (16% better) which is great until you swing by the gas station and find diesel costs 27% more then gas. Maybe it will last longer, the Cummins does but this ain't no Cummins, maybe it will have higher resale but that depends more on how the above works out. A ford 6.0 diesel as an example is much less reliable and higher maintenance costs then their 5.4 gas although neither is a gem.
 
roccodart440 said:
yUp it takes them to a whole other level. Diesels love nitrous too. ;)
Click to expand...
Always wanted to try misting some propane into the intake on that Ribbit.....

Still have the engine, it's not too late.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top