9 More Quirky Things Diesel Owners Do

• January 2, 2021
• Story By
  Mike McGlothlin

Every automotive niche has its own way of representing itself. In the diesel realm, enthusiasts often honor the engine under their hood more than the vehicle make it sits in. For trucks, this means the Power Stroke, Duramax and especially the Cummins are the primary celebrities, often paid homage long before Ford, Chevy and Dodge brand loyalty comes into play. Sometimes it’s a catchy vanity plate, other times it’s an amusing sticker on the back glass and sometimes it’s flat-out ingenious. Every time, it’s entertaining. From quirky to classy, this is what some of the folks in the diesel world are up to.

The Perks Of Owning A Prehistoric Diesel

With older diesels such as the 12-valve Cummins and 7.3L Power Stroke often being described as dinosaurs thanks to their antiquated injection systems, Miranda Neeley took it upon herself to have some fun. She had this HUEIsaurus sticker made for her 7.3L-powered ’99 Super Duty, which happens to make more than 620rwhp and 1,200 lb-ft despite its hydraulically actuated and electronically controlled (HEUI) injection system.

Connecting Rod Cupholders

A heavy-duty equipment mechanic in a previous life, LinCo Diesel Performance’s Jeff McCord decided to put some spare 3306 Caterpillar connecting rods and 12-valve Cummins pushrods to use in his ’68 C30 Cummins swap project. The one-off cupholder assembly also plays into the rat-rod theme that’s big in the diesel world right now.

Engine Loyalty Can Even Be Found In Headlights

In the world of customized projector retrofit headlights, showing loyalty to the diesel power plant under the hood is becoming commonplace these days. Here, the 6.7L Power Stroke dwelling inside of an ’11-’16 F-350 is being celebrated. Some headlight mods are poorly executed while others (like this one) appear so well done you find yourself wanting to know who did the work.

BNT RODS

If you’re pushing the limits, why not let everyone know about it. That was exactly what the owner of this Lariat trim F-250 was thinking. With the 6.7L Power Stroke’s connecting rods known to be a weak link beyond the 650rwhp mark—and with this particular engine sporting a Midwest Diesel & Auto 66mm VGT, Exergy 10mm stroker CP4.2, custom PCM tuning and making 660rwhp—the license plate offers a hint of what could be on the horizon: bent rods!

6-Deep Burnouts

At least at Blackout in the Country, a bustling event put on annually by Bean’s Diesel Performance, you’ll find trucks full of people taking in a nice, lengthy burnout. Of course, one lucky passenger always has the task of recording the festivities on their phone. Watch out for flying rubber!

Soot Life

We swear stickers aren’t really a “thing” in the diesel world, but surely you’ve heard of “Salt Life?” Well, meet the “Soot Life” sticker, a play on the ocean-centered lifestyle represented via the Salt Life banners you see stuck on everyone back glass currently. In this case, it’s funny but also fits the mold perfectly. If you come across the average diesel owner, you’ll quickly find that they truly do live, breathe and sleep compression ignition.

The Vanity Plate That Taunts

Poking the competition through the use of vanity plates certainly isn’t unique to diesel owners—but it is fairly common. And when you’ve upgraded turbos and added a few other go-fast goodies to your ’11-’14 6.7L Power Stroke, you can pull off this kind of messaging. Serving as the tow-rig for the guys at Unlimited Diesel Performance, their dual rear wheel F-350 Platinum Super Duty is probably more than capable of holding its own against the average “juiced up” Duramax it encounters on the street.

Suburbamax

Surely you’ve heard the terms DuraBurb and DuraKon. Say hello to Suburbamax, a name that means the owner took it upon himself or herself to build the SUV GM should’ve: a family hauler powered by the 6.6L Duramax V-8. This type of swap is accepted in all corners of the diesel world, as the GM-built engine remains in a GM product, keeping it all in the family, so to speak. The naming part is simply the icing on the cake, or the cue on the cowl in this case…

Not Just A Badge—He Really Swapped It!

Wait, what? Your grandparents’ old four-door Lincoln got transformed into a four-wheel drive, Cummins-powered luxury sedan… Well, somebody’s did and Adam Naeck put in all the legwork. How does a Super Duty chassis, a ZF-6 manual and a P-pumped 12-valve sound? It’s just more proof that Cummins die-hards are constantly thinking outside the box, whether it’s a junkyard project or a top-of-the-line, no-expense-spared build. For more on this particular off-the-wall Town Car, click here.