JustSomeGuy
12-25-2010, 11:03 PM
Hey everyone! I'm looking at getting back into a diesel. But I want something unique. It won't be a daily driver - in fact just the opposite. Something for weekends when there's nice weather, possibly for some nice long road trips.
A few months back, after seeing a Duramax powered 1978 Camaro Z28 in one of the diesel magazines, and a wild and crazy high performance gasser "Woody" Ford Falcon station wagon in another magazine, I had an "AHA" moment. I must have a diesel powered Caprice or Roadmaster woody wagon (based on the "bloated whale" 1991-96 bodystyle because it's so hideous it's cool). Plus should be lots of aftermarket goodies interchangeable from the cop cars and Impala SS of those years. I called up the shop that did the Camaro conversion and ran the idea past the owner. He actually helped me narrow down my choices to the above-mentioned cars for a project. (I wish I could remember the shop's name or find his phone number again - IIRC, it was in the mid-west, maybe Wisconsin, within a one day drive of where I live).
He also mentioned one of my other choices was a good one: a RWD Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham (or Coupe de Ville) or even a Cadillac limo - all based on the 1977-1992 bodystyle. I love those old Caddys, and you don't see too many of them these days. Further research on the Cadillacs tells me that the earlier years (1977 up to around 1982) are good and some even came equipped with a commercial chassis (all limos did, but very few sedans did). The 1990-92 "Euro Style" is the next best bet, especially if it came equipped with a 5.7 which gave many other upgrades. The other years in the mid 1980s are less desirable, though it seems mostly related to engine and transmission choices. In a project like mine, these could be taken care of.
So... cosmetic issues aside, first: which would be the better choice for a diesel conversion:
- 1991-96 Caprice or Roadmaster station wagon
- 1977-92 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham (4dr sedan most likely)
Then, which would be a better diesel to go with:
- 6.5TD Detroit Diesel
- One of the Durmax engines (if so, which one)
I'm ruling out the 6.2 as I'd prefer something with more power. Since this is going to be a weekend fun car, I'd rather focus on performance more than fuel economy, so a 6.5 Turbo Diesel would be my minimum choice. I'd like for it to have better acceleration than the stock gasser V8 would give. All the better if it achieves better fuel economy. With the non-Duramaxes, I understand running biodiesel won't be a problem, or even adding a Waste Vegetable Oil kit can be a viable option. That would be more for fun than anything, since it would take a lot of driving to make my money back on a WVO kit.
The Duramax diesels are more sophisticated and will give better performance. And they cost much more to purchase. Cost is a bit of an issue, but I can see that this project is not going to be cheap, so I'm bracing myself for building up a larger budget anyways. It's more for the fun of having a unique vehicle and to satisfy my craving for driving under diesel power.
Of course, if this can be done for less money, then all the better! Another thought I had was to keep everything old school - a 6.5TD in a 1980s/90s vehicle may be more "era correct" than a high tech Duramax. And some will argue that the 6.2 and 6.5 Detroit Diesels are all-American as opposed to the Duramax which was at least partially designed or influenced by Japanese Isuzu. It's still an American engine built in America by Americans, but the purists may not be satisfied, especially going into an all-American car. Personally, I don't mind either engine, at least for those reasons.
I'm somewhat mechanically inclined, but not enough to tear into an engine or transmission. I'm going to save up and pay a pro to do this for me. And it would be really cool if I ended up with a sleeper. Who would suspect grandpa's old Caddy or a soccer mom's Caprice wagon could give a Corvette, Mustang or 350Z a run for its money? Or better yet, beat it! I'm sure with a Duramax I could have some real fun, but suspect that it could add a lot to the price of the project just to acquire the drivetrain. Is it worth it for this, or reliability?
Any other reasons to choose one car over another or one diesel over another? Or is this this a stupid idea and I should just buy a vehicle that was "born" as a diesel? It would certainly be cheaper, but not as much fun!
A few months back, after seeing a Duramax powered 1978 Camaro Z28 in one of the diesel magazines, and a wild and crazy high performance gasser "Woody" Ford Falcon station wagon in another magazine, I had an "AHA" moment. I must have a diesel powered Caprice or Roadmaster woody wagon (based on the "bloated whale" 1991-96 bodystyle because it's so hideous it's cool). Plus should be lots of aftermarket goodies interchangeable from the cop cars and Impala SS of those years. I called up the shop that did the Camaro conversion and ran the idea past the owner. He actually helped me narrow down my choices to the above-mentioned cars for a project. (I wish I could remember the shop's name or find his phone number again - IIRC, it was in the mid-west, maybe Wisconsin, within a one day drive of where I live).
He also mentioned one of my other choices was a good one: a RWD Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham (or Coupe de Ville) or even a Cadillac limo - all based on the 1977-1992 bodystyle. I love those old Caddys, and you don't see too many of them these days. Further research on the Cadillacs tells me that the earlier years (1977 up to around 1982) are good and some even came equipped with a commercial chassis (all limos did, but very few sedans did). The 1990-92 "Euro Style" is the next best bet, especially if it came equipped with a 5.7 which gave many other upgrades. The other years in the mid 1980s are less desirable, though it seems mostly related to engine and transmission choices. In a project like mine, these could be taken care of.
So... cosmetic issues aside, first: which would be the better choice for a diesel conversion:
- 1991-96 Caprice or Roadmaster station wagon
- 1977-92 Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham (4dr sedan most likely)
Then, which would be a better diesel to go with:
- 6.5TD Detroit Diesel
- One of the Durmax engines (if so, which one)
I'm ruling out the 6.2 as I'd prefer something with more power. Since this is going to be a weekend fun car, I'd rather focus on performance more than fuel economy, so a 6.5 Turbo Diesel would be my minimum choice. I'd like for it to have better acceleration than the stock gasser V8 would give. All the better if it achieves better fuel economy. With the non-Duramaxes, I understand running biodiesel won't be a problem, or even adding a Waste Vegetable Oil kit can be a viable option. That would be more for fun than anything, since it would take a lot of driving to make my money back on a WVO kit.
The Duramax diesels are more sophisticated and will give better performance. And they cost much more to purchase. Cost is a bit of an issue, but I can see that this project is not going to be cheap, so I'm bracing myself for building up a larger budget anyways. It's more for the fun of having a unique vehicle and to satisfy my craving for driving under diesel power.
Of course, if this can be done for less money, then all the better! Another thought I had was to keep everything old school - a 6.5TD in a 1980s/90s vehicle may be more "era correct" than a high tech Duramax. And some will argue that the 6.2 and 6.5 Detroit Diesels are all-American as opposed to the Duramax which was at least partially designed or influenced by Japanese Isuzu. It's still an American engine built in America by Americans, but the purists may not be satisfied, especially going into an all-American car. Personally, I don't mind either engine, at least for those reasons.
I'm somewhat mechanically inclined, but not enough to tear into an engine or transmission. I'm going to save up and pay a pro to do this for me. And it would be really cool if I ended up with a sleeper. Who would suspect grandpa's old Caddy or a soccer mom's Caprice wagon could give a Corvette, Mustang or 350Z a run for its money? Or better yet, beat it! I'm sure with a Duramax I could have some real fun, but suspect that it could add a lot to the price of the project just to acquire the drivetrain. Is it worth it for this, or reliability?
Any other reasons to choose one car over another or one diesel over another? Or is this this a stupid idea and I should just buy a vehicle that was "born" as a diesel? It would certainly be cheaper, but not as much fun!