Diesel-Powered C3 Corvette Rolls Coal, Runs 11s

Someone put a Cummins Turbo Diesel from a Dodge Ram in a Corvette and it is incredible.

The video above comes to us from the victoryredcolorado YouTube channel and it features one of the most unique 1968 Chevrolet Corvette race cars we have ever seen. While the huge cowl induction-style hood with a scoop sticking up through it coupled with the big, fat drag racing tires and wheelie bars out back make it clear that this is not your average C3 Stingray, the real surprise is under the hood.

Rather than stuffing a built big block into the Corvette or adding forced induction to a factory-installed engine, C3 Stingray owner Ryan Lusk went with a Cummins Turbo Diesel from a Dodge Ram HD when building this drag car. While it likely enrages some Vette purists, we think that it is freakin’ awesome.

Diesel C3

If this 1968 Chevrolet Corvette was parked in the staging lanes of your local drag strip with the engine off and the hood closed, you might not think much of it. Frankly, many C3 Stingrays built to drag race have the same general look as this one, so this metallic bronze Chevy sports car from 1968 doesn’t have any problem blending in with the racing crowd. That all changes when the hood opens or when the engine fires up, as this Corvette doesn’t sound like anything that has ever come out of the Bowling Green plant.

Under the hood of this 1968 Corvette is a 5.9-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel from a Dodge Ram. We don’t know how heavily modified the engine has been, but based on the amount of soot pouring from the side pipe as the car rockets down the track, it is safe to say that it is not a stock truck engine.

Smokin’ Down the Track

The video above offers three runs by this Cummins-powered Corvette. The first is against a stunningly quick GMC van and the second two are against diesel-powered, four-wheel drive pickups.

On the first run, the van gets out to an early lead but the Cummins Vette catches and passes the hauler by the half-way point of the track, stopping the times with a 12.60 at 120 miles per hour.

On the second run, the diesel Stingray takes on a black Dodge Ram that is also packing Cummins power. The Chevy gets away from the line first as a result of a staggered start, but the truck ends up getting to the finish line first as the Vette runs a 12.35 on an 11.60 dial.

Finally, the last run of the video has the Cummins Corvette taking on a Chevrolet Silverado HD. This time, the classic sports car gets away from the line first and never looks back, beating the big truck soundly as it runs an 11.60 at 129 miles per hour.

Crank up your speakers and enjoy!

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

Rall can be contacted at QuickMirada@Yahoo.com