Can I Drop a Diesel Engine into My Classic Muscle Car?

This weekend I saw this story from Hot Rod in which John Gilbert is working on his tricked out '66 Chevelle. His aim was to get this classic 60's muscle car ready for the ARMO Booth at SEMA this year. ARMO, he explains for the uninitiated, is an acronym for the Automotive Restoration Market Organization.

I clicked on the article because at first I thought it was unusual that John Gilbert was working on an old car. As it turns out, John Gilbert of Hot Rod fame is not the John Gilbert the car guy who had a syndicated column in which he wrote about new cars. 

I had lunch with the latter John Gilbert once. He had some kind of deal with all the Detroit automakers in which he was given new cars to drive around so he could write about his experiences. Free cars for Gilbert, and publicity for the automakers. Kind of a nice gig if you can get it, eh?

John Gilbert the syndicated columnist drove new cars and didn't fuss with what was under the hood, to my knowledge. 

By way of contrast, John Gilbert of Hot Rod is a grease-under-the-fingernails kind of guy. He knows cars inside and out. At one time he was tech editor for Super Chevy magazine and, if I remember correctly, I believe he is also an artist on the side. Of course for many of us, cars and trucks have always been an art form. 

The objective for Gilbert's project car was to incorporate as many convenience and performance upgrades as possible while maintaining the factory appearance. This overhaul went from front to rear, including wire kits and headers, stainless steel mufflers and more. 

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Now to get to my reason for writing all this. The article made stirred my mind with this thought: Is it possible to drop a diesel engine into a vintage muscle car? What I wondered was whether the Daimler diesel engine I wrote about in September could be dropped into a four-barrel SS or Classic Mustang? Or John Gilbert's Chevelle.

One of the first articles I found on this topic is titled 10 Things to Consider Before Swapping and Engine. The answer is yes you can, but you have to be careful. And what kind of money are you prepared to spend? 

Truck Trend has all the relevant information for those who want to drop a high-powered Duramax diesel engine into a gas-powered truck. The article is titled Our Complete Guide to Parts and Providers for Gas-to-Diesel Engine Swaps. Reading the article through makes it apparent that the undertaking, while possible, is not for the faint of heart.

One of the rules of thumb to be aware of is that to satisfy smog rules, you can't install an engine that is older than the year the truck was produced. Just a word to the wise.

As for engine swaps in trucks, have you ever done it yourself? How did it go?

Till next.