Although it might never actually reach car dealerships, the Camaro SS with a Duramax Diesel engine swap is way too awesome to simply ignore. Sure, the details concerning this concept first popped up back in September, but in case you hadn’t heard about it yet, I wanted to help spread its fame across the automotive community.
What we’re looking at underneath the hood might as well be the Frankenstein’s Monster of the car world. Nathan Mueller from One of Won Customs, the man and company behind this creation, must have swapped the engine into this monstrosity during a thunderstorm with a madly gleeful expression on his face. I mean, the Camaro SS is powerful enough, so throwing a diesel engine this aggressive under the hood might seem highly unnecessary — and insane.
So? That doesn’t make it any less fun or awesome, which is exactly what driving this creature must be like. Because my god — does it look freaking glorious with the black smoke pouring out the back when it accelerates?! Combine that with the unmistakable whistle and slight lag time, and there is no mistake that this Camaro roars with a diesel engine.
But, How?
How was this achieved? is probably the question you’re asking yourself. This fifth-generation Camaro is home to the legendary 6.6-liter Duramax V8 diesel engine after all, which is a massive engine to begin with – rated at 516 horsepower and a massive 896 lb.-ft. of torque. Just imagine the burnouts…
But perhaps more importantly, how did Mueller fit the damn thing under the hood?
Answer: He’s Magical
It all started with sketching out ideas. Mueller’s main goal was to keep it as factory-looking as possible, which he did. Other than the front-mounted intercooler (which is hiding behind the grille), Mueller made every other stock component work around the engine.
He also wanted to make sure that every original feature worked with the new engine, which he did. First order of business was reprogramming the cruise control, paddle shifters, and the rest of the electronic gadgets in the car. Then, he decided to swap in GM’s 6-speed Hydra-Matic 6L90 automatic transmission. Since the stock transmission that paired to the gas-powered engine was automatic, he wanted to keep the diesel’s new transmission automatic as well.
Even more impressive is he didn’t alter the body of the Camaro at all. No chopping of the firewall, frame, hood, or bumpers to make the bulky Duramax engine fit. While he doesn’t disclose how he did it, custom suspension modifications were incorporated to make sure the engine sat as low as possible. A handful of the engine accessories had to be reworked as well.
Dual 3-inch straight pipes run towards the rear bumper, where five-inch chrome tips poke out the back, making it look and sound even more amazing.
He Also Made a Diesel Charger
Mueller got inspiration from a Diesel Charger that he swapped a 5.9-liter ISB Cummins inline-6 engine into years before. He made heavy alterations to this vehicle to accommodate the engine, so he decided this time he wanted to keep the vehicle as stock as possible, which is how the Camaro SS Duramax Diesel was born.
While we don’t know how fast it goes, 0-60 mph times, or quarter-mile times — it’s still an amazing feat of creativity. If you want to see this Camaro SS in action (along with the Charger) then check out the video here.
