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Tesla Model D Project Still Moving Along, There Are Challenges to Overcome

Installing a diesel motor in a Tesla Model 3 is not exactly straightforward stuff. While it may not make sense to you, it does make sense if the person doing it is gaining experience from the process, as well as creating content for all to see. The project is ongoing for over six months now, and it will take more.
Cummins 4BT engine fitment in a 2013 Tesla Model 3 12 photos
Photo: Screenshot from YouTube video by Rich Rebuilds
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Rich Benoit, known on the internet as Rich Rebuilds, is working on creating the world's first diesel-engined Tesla. While there were photoshopped images of Model S and Model 3 cars with a 1.9 TDI badge on their back, or even an engine bay made to look real, those were not real. Instead, Rich's build is happening, and now we get to see more of it, as well as how it is progressing.

As you can observe, Rich and his crew have been working on getting the chassis of a bread van to fit the Model 3 body. Since we are writing about cutting a vehicle with a unibody and converting it to a body-on-frame setup, Rich explained that this was the only way to get the engine to fit, as well as to have it capable of towing.

For the swap in question, Rich chose the Cummins 4BT engine, which is huge, as you can see. Most of those came with a manual transmission, as is the case here, but Rich wants to convert it to an automatic transmission.

The decision is linked to several reasons. One of them is clearance for the gear lever, and it is enough of an issue as it stands. In Europe, this swap would have been done with a BMW-sourced diesel, but many other units might have fit instead. By sticking to Cummins, Rich kept the build entirely American, which is a nice touch.

Sadly, this creation is still a long way from completion, as the process of installing the motor is not the end of the build. Instead, it is just a big step in a long process, as the vehicle will require the installation of a rear axle, driveshafts, a transmission, a fuel tank, a cooling system, and the rest of the interior just to have it resemble anything close to a functional automobile.

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About the author: Sebastian Toma
Sebastian Toma profile photo

Sebastian's love for cars began at a young age. Little did he know that a career would emerge from this passion (and that it would not, sadly, involve being a professional racecar driver). In over fourteen years, he got behind the wheel of several hundred vehicles and in the offices of the most important car publications in his homeland.
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