I was talking about Mercedes diesels over at the parts place (the last locally owned one in town: I buy everything there I can to support them, even though the counterman on days is a retard) and this guy says, I want to show you something. Out in the parking lot is a Mustang, late eighties. "See my diesel?" he asks.
No.
He walks over to the Ford, opens the hood, and under there is the distinctive five cylinder injection pump and aluminum cam cover of a OM
617. The Benz logo and German writing has been drawfiled off and the cover lyedipped and lacquered to a polished matt finish.The guy's father, he explained, worked at Ford and they were not allowed to have foreign cars in the parking lot. So he built a diesel Mustang. He used a TorqueFlite automatic since it didn't have a vacuum modulator. He told 'em it was out of a Ford tractor and no one questioned this.
His father died a couple of years ago and he kept it mostly as a family thing. The kids hated driving it because it wasn't too fast. His wife drove it to work on nice days.
This has nothing to do with Jeeps. It would because these engines would be great for Jeeps if the oil sump didn't get in the way of the front axle though.