DO YOU REMEMBER:
“10 DIESEL CARS THAT TIME FORGOT”​

Cleaning up my desk, I found an article from Autoweek stashed away in my file-folder archives.

The title was “10 Diesel Cars That Time Forgot.”

Looking at the April 2021 dateline on the article, it is obvious that I also “forgot.”

The article printed out as 19 pages. I’m going to shorten the text to several paragraphs. See if your memory is better than mine and author Jay Ramey’s. How many of Ramey’s 10 vehicles do you remember?

(There were some holes in Ramey’s article, so I did a bit of research to try to fill in the blanks. You’ll note my additions and comments with the italic print. Also, Ramey can’t count… His list only had 9 vehicles.)

• Chevrolet Monte Carlo 1979 to 1984 – Engine: GM’s 5.7-liter, V8 with 120hp or 4.3-liter V6 with 90hp. The last year for the diesel option was 1984.​

• Chevrolet Caprice 1980 to 1985 – Engine: GM’s 5.7-liter, V8 with 120hp.​

• Chevrolet Chevette 1982 to 1986 – Engine: A 1.8-liter, I4 with 51hp was sourced from Isuzu. This package sounds tempting. Keep my fingers away from the keyboard. Repeat after me: I do not need to purchase a diesel-powered Chevette. I do not need to purchase/restore a diesel-powered Chevette. I do not need to purchase/restore/turbocharge and intercool a diesel-powered Chevette. Oh, dear.​

• Oldsmobile Cutlass 1982 to 1984 – Engine: GM’s 4.3-liter, V6 with 85hp.​

• Ford Tempo 1984 to 1986 – Engine: A 2.0-liter, I4 with 52hp was sourced from Mazda.​

• Peugeot 604 1981 to 1984 – Engine: A 2.3-liter, I4. This car is easily overlooked as Ramsey tells us that only 36 were imported into the US. For that matter, Peugeot left the US market in 1988.​

• Peugeot 505 1984 to 1985 – Engine: A 2.5-liter, I4 with 94 to 108hp.Yep, time to forget this Peugeot, also.​

• Volkswagen Dasher 1979 to 1981 – Engine: A 1.5-liter, I4 with 47hp.​

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• Renault Fuego 1982 to 1985 – Engine: A 2.1-liter, I4 with 88hp. Renault was only in the US marketplace thanks to (or no-thanks to) an alliance with AMC.​

Okay, that’s the end of Ramsey’s article. While I was trying to fill in the blanks I ran across a modern-diesel that I’m doubtful you were aware of:

• Chevrolet Cruise 2017 to 2019 – Engine: A 1.6-liter, I4 turbo with 153hp. Hailed as “the most fuel efficient (30mpg city – 52 highway), non-hybrid GM vehicle ever produced,” the diesel Cruise went over like a lead-balloon. If you search the internet for this car you’ll find a positive review from Car and Driver. Chevrolet offered this car with a manual transmission. I do not need to purchase a diesel-powered Cruise. Oh, dear…

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THE MERCEDES BENZ SUPER STAR, DIESEL CAR
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A mention or list of diesel-powered cars from the 1980s (however obscure) will bring to mind 80’s vintage Mercedes Benz cars also known as the W123, W124, or W126 chassis. These cars were popular from 1975-1992. Early diesel versions featured a 3.0-liter, I5 engine, 123hp/184 torque.

There was a facelift in 1986 and the car continued with the W126 chassis designation. The diesel option for years 1986-1987 was 3.0-liters, but it was now six-cylinders. Power 148hp/195 torque.

For model years 1988-1989, emissions compliance kept the diesel option out of the US market until 1990. For two years (until the redesign of the W126 chassis to a new model “W140”) 1990-1991 the engine was 3.5’liters. This engine does not have a good reputation (Hagerty Media, “Your Definitive 1979-1992 MB 126 S Class Buyer’s Guide).

Hand-in-hand with the “Do You Remember” article, I happened to mention the “Mercedes Benz Super Star Diesel Car” from the 1980s.

Brandon Parks at Geno’s Garage has one of these cars. What he doesn’t have… The time or the shop location to do the restoration work. So, you’ll find he has it listed for sale at the TDR’s website “Classified Ads” area. Check it out, make arrangements, bring a trailer, and start a new restoration adventure.

Have you purchased or sold anything using Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace? Experience tells me that those sales platforms are hit-or-miss. It seems that for every honest and easy transaction you have to suffer fools as an offset.

Life doesn’t have to be difficult… I digress. In your search for Turbo Diesel-related items, well, have you checked out the TDR Classifieds section lately? The good news about these advertisements, they are vetted, Ram/Cummins enthusiasts. Here are a few items we found there today:

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We have found that our classifieds section can have some hidden treasures...we hope you'll remember the TDR Classifieds when you're browsing, buying or selling.
TDR CLASSIFIEDS​

Thank you for your support of the TDR,
RP and the TDR Staff