Here's something nobody asked for, but now we can't get enough of — a Ford Mustang with a Cummins engine. YouTuber Westen Champlin decided to do one of the craziest engine swaps ever when he put a 12V 5.9L inline-six Cummins diesel engine in an already powerful 2017 Mustang GT. But would the Cummins diesel engine push it beyond the most powerful Mustangs from the past few decades?It started when Champlin bought the "parts car" without a front end. After some measuring, Champlin decided it was possible to add a Ram's Cummins diesel engine with a lot of modifications and upgrades to support its size and power. This included five-plus hours of wiring for the air compressor, fuel solenoid, and starter. A shifter, transmission cooler, and intercooler were also necessary to install as well — and you can't forget the twin turbos. It was a tight fit for the transmission, creating further complications. But what resulted was a 1,500 horsepower Mustang. When Champlin started the car for the first time, his excitement and relief was palatable in the video as the Smokestang started to move. With loads of smoke and an incredible growl, the terrifying beast had come to life. The Smokestang takes on the drag stripOnce it was confirmed that the car could, indeed, move, Champlin wanted to see what the Smokestang could do on the track. Unfortunately, the monstrosity proved to be a bit too powerful for the drag strip. With massive plumes of smoke bursting out of it, the Smokestang got ready to pop a wheelie in front of a very intrigued crowd. But after a very aggressive start (the incredible amount of power had the car swerving out of control at first), something went wrong with the intercooler and the Smokestang's first time on the track was cut short. Luckily, Champlin had all the parts with him. He noticed the Cummins added so much power that the bumper started to fall off — but the intercooler was an easy fix with the help of onlookers. It was time for the second attempt. You could see Champlin getting forced back in his seat from the incredible acceleration of the Smokestang, but the intercooler was busted once again. It's unclear how fast he got to or if it compares to the fastest Mustangs in the world. Showing off what the Smokestang can doLate 2024, after years of tweaking and modifying, Champlin showed off the Smokestang at the Horsepower Rodeo event in Las Vegas. He started with a proper burnout, which basically covered the entire area with a thick cloud of smoke from both the Cummins engine and burning tires. As the smoke cleared, the crowd cheered on as Champlin got in position. He took off, creating perhaps even more smoke as he performed donuts around the arena. Westen Champlin/YouTubeAfter a few minutes, the Smokestang abruptly stopped. With smoke wafting dramatically around him, Champlin got out to meet the cheering crowd. The aftermath, however, wasn't pretty. He reassured the onlookers that the car would never die — it just runs out of diesel sometimes. While the video of the Horsepower Rodeo claimed the engine "blew up," it doesn't seem like the team was truly worried about the Smokestang and can likely fix her up again just like all the previous times. Want the latest in tech and auto trends? Subscribe to our free newsletter for the latest headlines, expert guides, and how-to tips, one email at a time. You can also add us as a preferred search source on Google.
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