47 with a duramax or cummins??

Ive got a 47 pickup that I'm in the process of re building and i want to put a diesel engine into. I don't know if anyone has ever done this before or if its even possible. The truck is originally a 3/4 ton and a long box and I want it to be somewhat of a street rod and a daily driver.  

I was actually looking into the same thing for my 52 3/4 ton.  How much work and money are you willing to put into this project?  The only reason I decided not to even look into a deisel is because I will be using older parts and won't be able to get the tranny built up nor the axles to withstand the torque of the deisel.  Hopefully someone else can give you a little more input though.  

The duramax would be an easier fit. I would take a page out of the "Squires Turbos" book and move the turbo out behind the car then you should have plenty of room and get a lot of heat out of the car. your not going to use the stock frame are you? all that torque and weight will twist that frame in half.

-Russell  
Hot Rod Jim's
Building cars that handle
www.hotrodjim.com

First, forget the Cummins. They are too heavy. Great motor, just a lot of weight.  Unless you are talking about a 3.9liter 4BT.  There are some interesting 4BT swaps on youtube.

If you want to save some $$, versus finding a D-Max donor truck, get a 6.2 diesel. Find an early 6.5 mechanical pump, and throw on a set of headers.  A lot of guys will be laughing right now, but I've seen it done.  Ask any Ford IDI guy what happens when you put a 7.3na pump on a 6.9.  The big failure on most naturally aspirated diesels is restrictive exhaust.  
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1949 Chevy 1 1/2ton, home-built hydraulic wrecker.  Rustoleum industrial black, with flames.  Flamethrowers out 5" dual stacks.
1962 Chevy C-20, 402BB, 4-speed, 3.90 positrack. Hauls my camper.... among other things.
Kaiser M35A Deuce, 4x4 4 wheel steering *work in progress*

Keep us posted on what you do. Since we don't have any featured articles with diesel engine it would be nice to have someone around who has done the swap.  

i drive a 06 duramax and i am just finishing a 1950 gmc with total chassis and drive tran out of a 2000 gmc . I have two more projects on the go,a 1955 chev pickup with a complete ls2 2006 GTO drive train going in,and a 1950 f-100 onto a s-10 chassis but the one i want for myself is a 5 window chev with the full drivetrain out of a duramax 2wd truck.Both my trucks have been reprogramed by duramilage Steve nows what he is doing and they are wild trucks to drive daily with no black smoke and quiet but lots of power the tires don't last long but its fun.The biggest part of the biuld is fattening the fenders for the wider stance.but the turn key reliability is unbeatable.The only way to go old school and new school meet.  

Do whichever is cheapest, they are both awsum engines! make room with a recessed firewall.