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Diesel-Powered 1952 Pontiac Chieftain Brought Back To Life: Video

As the rest of the auto industry turns to the future and all-electric powertrains, some enthusiasts are turning to the past and revitalizing the classics. That includes this 1952 Pontiac Chieftain, which is getting a new lease on life in the following in-depth video. Interestingly enough, this particular Chieftain features a unique Cummins diesel engine swap.

The wheel on a 1952 Pontiac Chieftain.

The video comes to us from the folks at Turnin Rust, and clocks in at a little over an hour long. The video documents the car’s recovery, teardown, and restoration efforts, and by the end of it all, the Pontiac Chieftain manages to move and drive under its own (diesel) power again.

As the video gets under way, we get a look at the Chieftain’s discovery. As is often the case, the car was parked and subsequently forgotten, sitting out in the elements for years before the Turnin Rust crew shows up to purchase it. The previous owner estimates it’s been sitting between four and five years.

One of the most noteworthy aspects is the Cummins diesel powerplant under the hood. Apparently, the Pontiac Chieftain was purchased with the diesel engine already installed. After popping the hood, we see the Cummins stuffed into the engine bay, and although the car is in pretty rough shape, the Turnin Rust crew seem confident they’ll get it running again. The patina also looks pretty cool, while the blue upholstery in the cabin adds another unique twist to the project.

After putting the Pontiac Chieftain on the trailer and getting it into the shop, the crew gets to work bringing it back to life. As one might expect, the process is a long one, with a few interesting discoveries along the way, plus a handful of upgrades to make it run as expected. That includes upgrades to the cooling system, the transmission, and the brakes, but in the end, this diesel 1952 Pontiac Chieftain finally gets back on the road.

Check out the full video right here:

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. Hmmm…. Never saw white wall tires look so clean and bright after sitting outside for “…4-5 years…”.

    Reply
    1. Looks safe.

      Reply
  2. I would love to have that diesel, I would find a much better application for it.

    Reply
  3. Way too many ad pop ups guy! Very annoying, going to unsib sick of it, clickbaiter

    Reply
  4. Wow, that’s another reason why I LOVE diesels. Imagine dat? You can leave it for years and it will still start up because of the “oiliness” of the diesel and not the ACID of the gas.

    Did I tell you I fell in love with diesels? Won’t buy anything else. Learned to love diesels from my father and I inherited his 92 Ford Diesel IDI that I still use on a daily basis. Once I fixed all the old age stuff on it very reliable and still starts INSTANTLY!

    Won’t buy the new diesels with their ungodly pollution controls and complexity to appease the environmentalist.

    The only thing that bothers me is the Chinese made duel fuel switch on the rail. I put the original one back on as it’s more reliable, believe it or not. Still use it. Wish there was an OEM part for it.

    Reply
  5. Unfortunately for the normal folks the crazy far left greenies think they are doing good, when actually they are clueless. Thinking spending Trillions on EV’s, solar panels, wind turbines, and other mostly Chinese made devices is at most going to supply 15% of the power requirement. The rest should be nuclear but no the sky is falling greenies are afraid of nuclear.
    What to do? Why not discuss population control? We need to get our heads out of the sand and as we approach 9B living people on our planet at least discuss PC.

    Reply

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