Man has never seen anything like this rare first-gen turbo diesel Cummins he finds abandoned
- This old Ram 350 uses a Cummins diesel engine
- It’s a 5.9-liter unit, one of the first turbocharged diesel in the U.S.
- It still works
Published on Feb 26, 2025 at 7:26 PM (UTC+4)
by Alessandro Renesis
Last updated on Feb 27, 2025 at 1:12 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Tom Wood
This Ram 350 is fitted with an incredible Cummins diesel engine, which – when it was new – was also fairly advanced.
It’s big, and turbocharged, but it’s an engine that’s no longer being used these days.
This YouTuber loved it, though.
He decided to restore an old Ram powered by this engine, and he had no idea what he’d signed up for.
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What makes this Cummins engine so special
Devon Heckman, the man who runs the Real Steel Fabrications YouTube channel, decided to restore an old Ram 350 powered by an equally old 5.9-liter Cummins engine.
This was the first turbocharged diesel engine ever fitted to this type of truck, and it was a pretty solid and sophisticated engine back then.
A point that was proven by the fact it started (almost) at the first attempt.
“I’ve never seen anything like it,” Heckman said.
The truck was in poor condition, but mostly because it was just dirty and neglected, and there was no major structural damage.
What do Ram trucks use these days
Apart from the electric models, most Ram trucks use either a V6 or a V8.
Most Rams used to use a V8, but that option is now reserved for bigger trucks and not for the Ram 1500 model.
Then there’s the complicated Ramcharger version.
This version uses an electric unit along with a V6 range extender.
It does pretty well in terms of performance, but the downside is this one of the heaviest trucks ever built.
As for the good old Cummins, that’s no longer an option these days.
This is partly because the U.S. was never actually a diesel-centric market, but also because diesel has now become the fuel of the Devil everywhere, chiefly due to the Volkswagen emission scandal.
Alessandro is an automotive journalist with 10 years of experience covering supercars, automotive history, emerging vehicle technology, and luxury transportation. He wrote the first article published on SupercarBlondie.com when the website launched in 2022 and has since built a reputation for insightful reporting across the automotive and transportation industries. His expertise is grounded in hands-on experience. Alessandro has driven every Tesla model ever produced, from the original Roadster to the Cybertruck, and regularly covers the latest developments in electric vehicles and automotive innovation. His passion for transportation extends beyond cars, he has even flown a Boeing 787 Dreamliner simulator in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. His reporting spans everything from classic American muscle cars and rare automotive discoveries to luxury yachts, private aircraft, high-end watches, and cutting-edge vehicle technology. Known for his deep knowledge of automotive history and ability to uncover the stories behind iconic vehicles, Alessandro brings readers a blend of historical context, technical expertise, and first-hand experience.
