This video is the most American thing ever, a Ford Mustang that’s been swapped to a Cummins diesel motor, towing a boat on the 4th of July weekend. If this were a person, it would constantly talk about the 2nd Amendment.
Sadly, the only way you can have a Mustang and a Power Stroke diesel is with a face-swapped Ranger, like they do in Thailand. However, a couple of years ago, the lovable YouTuber Westen Champlin created the “Smokestang,” which is exactly what you think it is.
Since then, Champlin has done a number of other interesting projects, including the mother of all big-block Mustang swaps. However, the YouTube world still knows this 23-year old for the red Ford blowing clouds of black smoke.
And he decided to celebrate this on Independence Day with a stunt that regular Mustangs rarely attempt: pulling a boat. The boat itself is in a pretty sorry state, and Champlin isn’t interested in fishing, but he loves a good burnout. And that’s why we end up with the only Mustang towing burnout video with diesel smoke.
What’s it like to tow in a Mustang?
Ford loves safety stickers and bongs reminding you the seat belt isn’t strapped. They’re also super-careful about towing large trailers, and the Mustang has a tow rating of about 1000 lbs. Basically, it can pull a few spare tires to the drag strip and back. The all-electric Mach-E actually does a better job, at about 2,200 lbs.
So you can imagine the shock of some people as they witness a Ford pony pulling this large trailer payload. Westen isn’t exactly known for health and safety, so the locals must be pretty used to his shenanigans, though.
Torque is important in this situation, and diesel engines make a lot of it. Specifically, the powertrain in this bad boy is a 5.9-liter Cummins straight-six. Dubbed the 6BT, it’s one of the most reliable load luggers out there. On the horsepower front, it only makes 160-215 hp stock, depending on the model year, and the YouTuber has clearly made some serious mods.
Last year, the 12-valve Cummins was fitted with two Aggressor 80 turbochargers, creating extra boost while bellowing out excessive smoke. It’s enough to make a Prius owner cry!
Update: Westen Champlin’s Diesel Mustang got a new engine for 2023 and it’s a freaking 1,500 hp Cummins 12-valve with more torque than a semi.
