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-   -   Diesel Vintage and Classic cars in India (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/vintage-cars-classics-india/96060-diesel-vintage-classic-cars-india.html)

Two weeks ago I put forth a question on the Vintage trivia thread to find out which might be the oldest Diesel Engine car surviving in India. There were no replies. So I thought it would be worthwhile to start a thread which brings out these cars from obscurity.

I'll start with my car which is a 1956 Mercedes 180D.
Please feel free to add other cars that you may know of from collections around India.

I used to have a diesel Mercedes 170 of around 1949 or so, cannot remember the year, which was a 4 door sedan. I believe that there is one more in Coimbatore.
But the Hanomag in your neighbourhood must be the oldest working diesel. There is a clearly legible "Diesel" monogram on the grill.
I have yet to come across a pre-war diesel Mercedes in India.

Cheers harit

This 1948 Mercedes Benz 4 cylinder diesel car is at Manjusha Museum, Dharmasthala.



Cheers

KPS

Well its interesting to find such a great thread but too little feeds
Am eagerly looking forward to more on this topic

The issue I think is there are very few cars left that are older than my car (c. 1956) hence till stuff pops up we will have to wait.

Till more vintage and classic diesel cars pop out of the woodwork. I recall someone putting forth a question regarding glow plugs in Diesel cars, i think it was in a W115. Anyways find below pictures of the earliest type of glow plugs from the 170D era. The ponton ones had a ceramic housing at the back.

This is a 1967 Dodge Dart with an original American Diesel. The car is still original and very American and the pictures speak.

The 67 Dodge Dart was never offered with a Diesel powerplant. The engine in this car is a Chrysler Nissan Marine Diesel unit.

Car does look Very original. I too have doubts about the Engine in the car.


This car has a SD 33 Engine in it. The SD33 is a 3.3L (198.1 cu in) Straight 6 diesel engine, most known for its use in the Nissan Patrol MQ (160 series) from 1980-1983and the Nissan C80. The SD33 produces 98 hp.The Engine was also used in the UD 3400 series light truck, large forklifts, Marine applications, in International Scout offerings from 1976 to 1979,as well as Jeep CJ-10 and Cj-10a flightline tow vehicles from 1985 to 1986.

There was another 6 Cylinder Diesel engine which was know as the SD 33T The SD33T is the Turbocharged version of the SD33 engine and was used in 1980 for the powerplant in 6400 International Harvester Scout II's. All were equipped with a T-19 manual transmission. From July 1983-1987 SD33T engines were fitted to the Nissan Patrol MK (160 series - model 2). I don't think this car would have a turbo charge engine.

Since this car is 1967 Model car, The engine has definitely been dieselised at some point or the other with this engine so that there would hardly be any questions regarding the transplant in any car show or trying to sell this car.

A simple way to confirm is check the RC book - if diesel is endorsed later, it is a later conversion. If it still says petrol, it simply wasn't entered in the book.

An RC book is something that is not readily available. It is upto the owner of the car is he wants to share it with someone or not. It maybe a tricky situation.

Karl....the 67 Dart range didn't feature a Diesle engine anywhere in the world. To me thats a simpler way of confirming that this is a transplanted engine.

Moreover teh 6 cylinder SD33 was developed in the early 19670's

Thanks for all the feedbacks.I was also surprised at the first instance as to how a 1967 American car would offer a diesel as an option? Its only in the 1970's after the first oil shock did they (Americans and Japanese) ever think of diesels.The Germans were doing it since many decades!
When I talked to the owner, he was sure that it is the original engine. And the Chrysler-Nissan logo on the engine head made the fact more "authentic."
But I am now convinced that its an implanted power plant.

Is the current owner the first owner of the car or did he buy the car from someone else with the current engine ?

Indrojit, I am sure the current owner is not the first owner of the Dodge.He must have owned this one for a decade and no more.But I will get clarifications from him, the next time we meet.