Converting classic car to diesel?

Hi, I'm wondering has anybody bought a classic car (Bentley, Merc, rolls royce or maybe a classic American car?) and converted it to a Diesel?

There are lots of nice classic cars going cheap now because they are not economical and there's a few I'd love to have but couldn't run so I'd be interested in knowing if it's feasible to convert it to a newer engine or is it just too big and difficult a job? Also does anybody know anywhere that might specialise in engine conversions?

I know a few places that do Jap imports and can convert engines but it's all just Jap cars.

Thanks for the responses.

LIGHTNING

LIGHTNING wrote: »

You wont get a nice response in here about converting classics to diesel:pac:

Keep the engine that came with the car unless you are transplanting a big honking American V8

Really? That's a shame, I understand the point of 'keep the car as it was produced' but surly there are some logical people on here who want a classic car with modern perks?

carchaeologist

If you want a rattly old dayshel, buy one that had it fitted from new, probably a Mercedes 123 series would fit the bill nicely. If you cant afford the petrol, dont buy the car!

Converting a car that should have a petrol engine to a Diesel ruins it IMO. Plus non turbo diesel engines are fit only for tractors...

Worst case i ever saw was a Jensen Interceptor with a 300D merc diesel nailed into it. I mean, what is that car with that engine? Its not a Jensen Interceptor thats for sure.:rolleyes:

carchaeologist

carchaeologist wrote: »

If you want a rattly old dayshel, buy one that had it fitted from new, probably a Mercedes 123 series would fit the bill nicely. If you cant afford the petrol, dont buy the car!

Converting a car that should have a petrol engine to a Diesel ruins it IMO. Plus non turbo diesel engines are fit only for tractors...

Worst case i ever saw was a Jensen Interceptor with a 300D merc diesel nailed into it. I mean, what is that car with that engine? Its not a Jensen Interceptor thats for sure.:rolleyes:

No modern Diesel's are fine.

Also No I was not talking about an Interseptor, more like

Bentley Turbo R
Cadillec
Dodge Charger
rolls-royce - shadow

Basically a big saloon not a small sporty car.

Daved_XB

niallerrity wrote: »

No modern Diesel's are fine.

Also No I was not talking about an Interseptor, more like

Bentley Turbo R
Cadillec
Dodge Charger
rolls-royce - shadow

Basically a big saloon not a small sporty car.

Dodge Charger.... Dodge Charger.... Please leave now...

What is it with some people in this country & there irrational love of Diesel... I'd normally be the first to say buy what you want & personalise it as you see fit... But big V8 muscle cars are just that big V8 muscle cars & to put a turf burner in one is sacrilege IMHO...

If you want a diesel classic then just go & buy one..

101sean

Rolls Royce has been done using 6.2 GM V8 as used in Hummers.

Good way of completely buggering up a good vehicle IMHO, as for putting a diseasel in a yank muscle car :eek:

You'd need a big diesel which will cost good money to buy, engineer the conversion, retune the autobox (change points will be all wrong), all to still probably do no more that 20mpg. Plus it will sound totally wrong.

V8s rule!

argosy2006

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pi0DrTOrJ8

Seems like a good idea to me,

http://autohauswerks.com/

Daved_XB

Daved_XB wrote: »

Dodge Charger.... Dodge Charger.... Please leave now...

What is it with some people in this country & there irrational love of Diesel... I'd normally be the first to say buy what you want & personalise it as you see fit... But big V8 muscle cars are just that big V8 muscle cars & to put a turf burner in one is sacrilege IMHO...

If you want a diesel classic then just go & buy one..

I wouldn't know I've never had a Diesel before.....

I don't really care much for the Diesel vs petrol argument.

Also I didn't really post this to get peoples personal opinions on what car and what you should or shouldn't do. Somebody's car is a personal thing, if you want to waist your money on a V8 when you can only drive 60 i'm not going to complain, I'd rather have a car I consider nice which the convenience of a Diesel engine.

That's my opinion and I'm not going to respond to any more stupid comments. I actually don't give a F**k what you think is right or wrong.

Anybody else ever done this or know a company?

Thanks

argosy2006

argosy2006 wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Pi0DrTOrJ8

Seems like a good idea to me,

http://autohauswerks.com/

Yes EXACTLY what I was thinking, Thank you very much!

argosy2006

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/3220788

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/3175058

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/3165675

http://cars.donedeal.ie/for-sale/vintagecars/3043785

Daved_XB

niallerrity wrote: »

I wouldn't know I've never had a Diesel before.....

I don't really care much for the Diesel vs petrol argument.

Also I didn't really post this to get peoples personal opinions on what car and what you should or shouldn't do. Somebody's car is a personal thing, if you want to waist your money on a V8 when you can only drive 60 i'm not going to complain, I'd rather have a car I consider nice which the convenience of a Diesel engine.

That's my opinion and I'm not going to respond to any more stupid comments. I actually don't give a F**k what you think is right or wrong.

Anybody else ever done this or know a company?

Thanks

If you didn't want opinions then why post on an Internet forum?

On a more practicle note... Even with the price difference between the two fuels & the difference in fuel economy between them... If you sat down & did the math of what the conversion would cost you you'll probably find that it will take many many years for this to ever pay a return.

I have four petrol V8's & non of them have any less "convenience" than a diesel has

carchaeologist

niallerrity wrote: »

No modern Diesel's are fine.

Also No I was not talking about an Interseptor, more like

Bentley Turbo R
Cadillec
Dodge Charger
rolls-royce - shadow

Basically a big saloon not a small sporty car.

I was using the Interceptor as an example of how putting a diesel in such a car takes the soul out of it. A Rolls Shadow is meant to run a 6.7 Litre V8 and was designed to run as such, its a great car when in proper tune and running smoothly. To put another engine in it and particularly a diesel engine will take the Rolls Royce out of the car.

I wouldn't know I've never had a Diesel before.....

To own one is the understand. A modern Diesel is a grand thing, but anything made older than about 1990 is a noisy rattly smoky thing. Plus you really neeed a turbo to make any headway at all.

That Bentley, while i totally appriciate the effort gone into it, sounds nasty, not smooth and silent like a Bentley should.

gn3dr

Daved_XB wrote: »

If you didn't want opinions then why post on an Internet forum?

On a more practicle note... Even with the price difference between the two fuels & the difference in fuel economy between them... If you sat down & did the math of what the conversion would cost you you'll probably find that it will take many many years for this to ever pay a return.

I have four petrol V8's & non of them have any less "convenience" than a diesel has

I wouldn't agree with that. I'm converting a XJ12 Jaguar with a Merc 300 turbodiesel engine and the Merc 722.6 autobox. I can assure you I wouldn't have to drive too many miles to work up a significant saving on what it would have cost to drive the V12. You can buy a Merc 300 turbodiesel for small money these days and the engines are powerful and fairly bullet proof. It is a fair amount of work but it's not costly if you can do the work yourself - I'm making it harder for myself by wanting to use the Merc electronics and the gearbox but it could be done much easier.

I'm also not a diesel fan - I've only owned two diesels in the last 25 odd years and those were both in the last 2 years . I'm still a major petrolhead and will always have a few petrol cars as well including other V12's and V8's but times are tough so needs must and all that

Which would you rather see - a big engined petrol car rotting into the ground or worse still crushed, becasue it is too expensive to drive around in or have it converted to diesel so that it will still actually get used and provide enjoyment to someone?

I know I'd rather see the car being reinvente to live on for longer.

Having said all thatI'm definitely not one for sticking a big old soot chucker like something from a Nissan Patrol into a luxury car. If it is going to be done it has to be done with a good diesel engine. (My original choice woul have been a TDV6 from a Jaguar S type to keep it all Jaguar but that would not have been affordable to do)

trevorbrady

jebus, no love for diesels here, even less for diesel conversions!!

I'm 99% through converting my '74 VW camper to diesel. Getting the gearing right in a petrol car to run a diesel engine will be a big problem. Most petrol engines like to rev much higher than most diesel engines so a diesel engine will run out of power at very low vehicle speeds on a petrol gearbox. But you'll get to that point in a hurry, there would be great acceleration and pulling power.

So if considering a conversion, consider a donor gearbox too..

Daved_XB

gn3dr wrote: »

Which would you rather see - a big engined petrol car rotting into the ground or worse still crushed, becasue it is too expensive to drive around in or have it converted to diesel so that it will still actually get used and provide enjoyment to someone?

Well to be honest I don't see the above as the only options.... I know of several people who have many classics that they very very rarely use, but I can assure you that they are not rotting into the ground... they are preserved

Now I'm not normally the biggest fan of people who collect cars as garage ornaments, personally I like to drive mine as often as I can, but that's my passion my hobby... but I'd rather see a Dodge Charger with it's glorious V8 petrol engine stored in a show garage that never moved again than see someone convert it to diesel.. even more so if said conversion meant having to modify the frame or the floor pan to take the new motor/gear box etc

I know that there aren't as many LPG filling stations in this country as there could be... but converting a classic petrol engine to run on LPG is a lot less work & can be easily undone & you keep the soul of the car.. Another option is to replace the old V8 carb with a new modern fuel injection...

I'm sorry OP if I've offended you but classic car people tend to be passionate about their cars & big Muscle cars are my passion & IMHO the big rumbling V8 of said cars is really the heart & soul of them.. it is one of the main reasons that people love them... I love seeing the kick that people at car shows & meets get when I fire mine up & let them hear her roar...

My Challenger with it's 6 Pack carb's gives me 7 to 8 MPG... but as I always tell people I can't calculate how many Smiles Per Gallon the old girl gives... if she was running a Diesel then sure I'd get better MPG... but I'd have f@*k all SPG

bbsrs

The guy just asked if anybody knows where he can get a conversion carried out , its his money and his property he can do as he wishes with it. I personally think its a good route to take , yes a beautiful large engine is beautiful to listen to but if you're not in a position to spend close on 1 euro per mile on petrol why not convert to diesel when you could regularly use your car . A nice BMW 3.0 turbo would be a good engine to use.

kev1.3s

I wouldn't be the greatest fan of converting a classic to diesel especially if it's something that is iconic for the engine that it came with, but it is the op's money to do what he wants with and if converting a classic to diesel will save an otherwise neglected car then so be it. I remember growing up there was a guy who always drove an xjs around here which had a dirty diesel engine in it and everyone around used to say how it was sacrilege to take out the v12 but I didn't see any of these people put there money where there mouth was and run one in the 80's, these cars that I'm talking about would almost certainly have been scrapped without his intervention. Some people care less about the history of a particular model and more about the style so the rumble of a mopar v8 is something that doesn't concern them. But in all fairness can you imagine a Lamborghini countach with a smoggy diesel thumping its way up the autobann.

bbsrs

kev1.3s wrote: »

I wouldn't be the greatest fan of converting a classic to diesel especially if it's something that is iconic for the engine that it came with, but it is the op's money to do what he wants with and if converting a classic to diesel will save an otherwise neglected car then so be it. I remember growing up there was a guy who always drove an xjs around here which had a dirty diesel engine in it and everyone around used to say how it was sacrilege to take out the v12 but I didn't see any of these people put there money where there mouth was and run one in the 80's, these cars that I'm talking about would almost certainly have been scrapped without his intervention. Some people care less about the history of a particular model and more about the style so the rumble of a mopar v8 is something that doesn't concern them. But in all fairness can you imagine a Lamborghini countach with a smoggy diesel thumping its way up the autobann.

Yes a performance sports car with a diesel wouldn't make sense but a motorway cruiser such as a roller or a Bentley would , a modern diesel engine would suit that type of car perfectly.

piston

My understanding is that it pretty straightforward to put the 1.8D engine from an Escort van into old RWD Fords like Cortinas and MK2 Escorts. I knew someone who did it to a MKV Cortina Estate. It was surprisingly refined at idle but the gearing was all wrong.

bbsrs

piston wrote: »

My understanding is that it pretty straightforward to put the 1.8D engine from an Escort van into old RWD Fords like Cortinas and MK2 Escorts. I knew someone who did it to a MKV Cortina Estate. It was surprisingly refined at idle but the gearing was all wrong.

The escort 1.8d was fwd so he probably used a petrol engine rwd gearbox , if you used an rwd engine and gearbox with a suitably geared differential you wouldn't have any gearing issues. There's a guy on e30owners.com putting an e46 330d engine into his e30 and it will be a nice car when complete.

kev1.3s

It would make sense in a unemotional level but does anybody really want a smelly diesel rolls or Bentley, admittedly there is some horrible " wedding car " rollor's out there but a enthusiast wouldn't want much to do with that type of roller either. I'd have less of a problem with an old merc as they were mostly available in diesel but not something thats reputation is built on refinement. But as I said it's not my money!

carchaeologist

If your trying to save money by running a Rolls on a Diesel it's not going to save you from the other Rolls running costs...

bijapos

carchaeologist wrote: »

If your trying to save money by running a Rolls on a Diesel it's not going to save you from the other Rolls running costs...

+1 to that ^.

Rolls, Bentleys etc, they all have big servicing and maintenance costs and a bad one can be a money pit. If you think the fuel bills are big, then you should consider something else that's more manageable financially.

piston

bbsrs wrote: »

The escort 1.8d was fwd so he probably used a petrol engine rwd gearbox , if you used an rwd engine and gearbox with a suitably geared differential you wouldn't have any gearing issues. There's a guy on e30owners.com putting an e46 330d engine into his e30 and it will be a nice car when complete.

He did indeed just bolt the diesel engine directly to the Cortina gearbox. It would be doable conversion but I'm not sure what the highest final drive ratio differential for Cortina was, probably the V6 auto I would guess, but even then it would be probably be too low for a low revving diesel.

S Line

I think that most people here are remembering the 80’s with XJ’s and S-Class’s being fitted with Nissan patrol engines. I doubt that the OP is suggesting that.

You can get a 99 S320 on carzone for € 3500 – donor car money?? and surely once the engine and box are out you could part it out on e-bay to recoup more cash.

I would suggest a CDI engine from a luxobarge as oppose to a 4x4 diesel engine

While I’m not saying this a ‘Sunday morning on your front driveway job’ but with an aftermarket stand alone ECU and some elbow grease it could be made to work??

OP – another option would be a LPG conversion to the existing engine ??

Also I assume you want a classic as a daily drive ?? Maybe just get a bangernomics daily drive and just enjoy the big petrol engine classic as bi-monthly treat??

shawnee

niallerrity wrote: »

Hi, I'm wondering has anybody bought a classic car (Bentley, Merc, rolls royce or maybe a classic American car?) and converted it to a Diesel?

There are lots of nice classic cars going cheap now because they are not economical and there's a few I'd love to have but couldn't run so I'd be interested in knowing if it's feasible to convert it to a newer engine or is it just too big and difficult a job? Also does anybody know anywhere that might specialise in engine conversions?

I know a few places that do Jap imports and can convert engines but it's all just Jap cars.

Thanks for the responses.

Yes I have seen a few classic mercs that have been converted but I haven't been impressed with them. Many seem to have problems with gearchange and most are quite sluggish as the engines used are generally the old type non turbo diesels of the 80s. I could not recommend anyone to do the job but I am sure there are several out there who will. Then again a rattly diesel engine in a Rolls or Bently doesn't really fit the bill of an original classic

macplaxton

I think the OP is just a troll. :rolleyes:

But just in case...

niallerrity wrote: »

Hi, I'm wondering has anybody bought a classic car (Bentley, Merc, rolls royce or maybe a classic American car?) and converted it to vandalised it by putting in a Diesel?

There are lots of nice classic cars [well they look nice from the outside] going cheap now [and I like the idea of nice looking, cheap car] because they are not economical and there's a few I'd love to have but couldn't run [I like the idea of cheap tax, cheap insurance and no NCT, but I want cheap fuel/running costs too] so I'd be interested in knowing if it's feasible to convert it to [desecrate it by putting in] a [historically incorrect] newer engine [as I've no interest or inclination to preserve it as it was made, I just want a cheap set of wheels. Should I need to sell it at a later date, no one will want it as it will have been plundered of it's original engine . So I'll weigh it in when I've run it into the ground because I couldn't put any effort into maintaining the yoke or preserving it] or is it just too big and difficult a job? [will it cost me more time/money than I can afford?] Also does anybody know anywhere that might specialise in engine conversions [butchering cars]?

I know a few places that do Jap imports and can convert engines but it's all just Jap cars. [but I really want to find a butcherer willing to do a Bentley, Merc, Rolls-Royce or maybe a classic American car]

Thanks for the responses.

Seven words: In it for all the wrong reasons.

bbsrs wrote: »

its his money and his property he can do as he wishes with it.

We are but temporary custodians of said historic vehicles.

carchaeologist

^Post of the year.
Thats exactly my point far more eloquently than I could put it.

mamakevf

^^^^Exactly what came to mind when I saw the OP.

All the wrong reasons for sure.
OP,Why dont you just but a Golf Diesel and stick a GTI badge on the back.

gn3dr

Whether the original poster is a troll or not it has shown that there are a fair few closed minded people on here.

If the opinion is that he/she is in it for all the wrong reasons could someone explain to me what the "right" reasons are for driving a classic car??? -I'd better check that I'm in it for the "right" reasons
Maybe I should sell everything if I find out that I'm "wrong" and don't conform

shagman

I have the same criteria for my scimitar as I want to run it as a daily driver. The other solution is the one I'm looking at which is to put a modern petrol engine in. More power, more reliable, more mpg, there's no need to look at turf burners. If you're going from 20mpg to 40mpg surely thats enough and rettain the character of the car rather than hunting out that extra 10-15mpg more and killing it.