Two Cummins Stories: Westen Champlin's Twin Turbo Diesel Super Stang and the Cummins Cowgirl

There are some things people do just to see if it can be done, and other things folks do just to see what will happen. GM has put diesel engines in Cadillacs and made it work. Does it make sense to put a diesel into a muscle car? Here are two stories about diesel mechanics who have also built a social media following. 

HotCars.com put its spotlight on Westen Champlin, a gearhead with a YouTube channel, who dropped a Cummins diesel into a Mustang that he nicknamed "Smokestang." The guy has built a major online fanbase. His video The Cummins Mustang Gets Twin Turbos off Semi Truck has had over 900,000 views and it was just posted less than a week ago.

After watching a couple of these videos it's apparent Champlin has become an unlikely celebrity of sorts. The things he works on are just unusual enough to capture viewers, and the serial style of storytelling is not unlike Dickens' weekly installments of the Pickwick Papers that were dribbled out in an ongoing series.

Lask week's installment found Westin beefing up the power of his Cummins engine that had been dropped into his 'Stang, and adding weight as well. He's previously punched out some numbers on a drag strip in a previous video that posted in May. 1.5 million pageviews is pretty indicative that this isn't his first rodeo.

"How much room do we have for the turbo?" he asks, then answers, "Not enough. Are we worried about it? Of course not."

The article by Gene Kosowan gives us glimpses of the install and makes clear that it is a story that is developing. In addition to the turbos Westin has added a smokestack to keep the view clear when he's giving it a run. 

Westen is casual about the possibility of blowing up the engine. Though he believes the setup will produce 1,300 horsepower, he simultaneously acknowledges, "The engine will probably blow up at around a thousand, but we're not scared. We'll just do it." 

For sure it's a Mustang like no other. When they take it out for it's first pass, he can feel the restrained power.  After a leaving a pair of black stripes on the pavement the make a visual inspection and see water leaking from the radiator a little leak from the turbo. "We need a bigger radiator now," he concludes.

* * * 

In another story, here's another social media maven in the diesel scene. This story appeared in The American Reporter about a diesel mechanic who is now a social media influencer. She calls herself the Cummins Cowgirl.

The article begins by citing the 21st century emergence of this new profession.

It would not be wrong to say that the 21st century is defined, among others, by the emergence of a new profession – social media influencer. Through posts, captions, and endorsements, these individuals are the stars of busy internet platforms and hold considerable weight on the opinions of their audience.

The Cummins Cowgirl is a heavy duty mechanic with an entrepreneurial bent. Born Chloe Yonker, she used to wrench on semis. Now she has her own shop, and her own social media platform where she is both a star and an instructor. That is, she really does show people how to work on their equipment.

Though he intent is to help people, she says her real aim is the empowerment of women. She wants to show young women that you really can be a female in a male dominated industry.

The article by James Boley ends with this nice summing up:

From big smiles, coveted vehicles, and friendly outings to greased cheeks after a hard day’s work – The Cummins Cowgirl shows an authentic, inspiring glimpse into the everyday life of a mechanic and a woman making it on her own. 

In addition to working on trucks she's also working the social media pretty hard. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and her own official website.

Links

You-Tuber Installs Twin Turbos from a Semi Truck on His Diesel-Powered Mustang
Diesel Mechanic Turned Social Media Influencer
The Cummins Cowgirl 

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.