On Westen Champlin’s channel, a wild idea turns into a full-on workshop challenge – swapping a Rolls-Royce Phantom’s dead V12 for a Cummins 5.9 diesel.
The car showed up in rough shape: no air suspension pressure, a lifeless engine, and wiring that looked hopeless. Instead of restoring it, the team decided to rebuild everything around the new diesel heart.
First came the teardown. Once the old drivetrain was out, they welded custom mounts, a new crossmember, and an adapter for the transmission.
The cooling system got a water-to-air intercooler and an AirDog fuel pump, while the stock mechanical fan stayed for reliability during towing. In the trunk, a fresh Airlift control panel replaced the leaky factory air setup.
Electronics became the real headache. Cummins computers refused to talk to the system, and several ECUs arrived dead. Only the fourth one finally brought the engine to life without ether. When the Phantom rolled off the lift under its own power – no brakes, but running strong – it felt like victory.
This build shows how precision and persistence can turn madness into motion. Would you call it a restoration, or straight-up mechanical rebellion?