Bret Ludwig

I was talking about Mercedes diesels over at the parts place (the last
locally owned one in town: I buy everything there I can to support
them, even though the counterman on days is a retard) and this guy
says, I want to show you something. Out in the parking lot is a
Mustang, late eighties. "See my diesel?" he asks.


No.

He walks over to the Ford, opens the hood, and under there is the
distinctive five cylinder injection pump and aluminum cam cover of a OM
617. The Benz logo and German writing has been drawfiled off and the
cover lyedipped and lacquered to a polished matt finish.

The guy's father, he explained, worked at Ford and they were not
allowed to have foreign cars in the parking lot. So he built a diesel
Mustang. He used a TorqueFlite automatic since it didn't have a vacuum
modulator. He told 'em it was out of a Ford tractor and no one
questioned this.

His father died a couple of years ago and he kept it mostly as a
family thing. The kids hated driving it because it wasn't too fast. His
wife drove it to work on nice days.

This has nothing to do with Jeeps. It would because these engines
would be great for Jeeps if the oil sump didn't get in the way of the
front axle though.