There are no creative rules when you’re building a project car. Joseph Harris really leaned into that idea when he built his 1979 Chevette that’s powered by a Mercedes-Benz OM606 3.0 liter diesel engine. This spunky inline six-cylinder engine can make upwards of 600 horsepower, and fit perfectly inside the engine bay of the Chevette.

Joseph saw a Chevette when he was just a kid and thought the little car was fascinating. The diesel side of the equation came from Joseph’s father, who built a wild square body Chevy with a Cummins powerplant under its hood. This particular Chevette is one of four that Joseph owns, and he scored it off Facebook Marketplace. The chassis and 9-inch rearend already installed, so it was the perfect candidate for this swap.

The idea for the Mercedes engine actually came from the crew at DeVos Garage, who was filming a video about the truck that Joseph’s father built. After learning about the OM606 and its ability to make 600 horsepower with an OEM turbo and turn 6,000 rpm, Joseph was sold on the idea to put one in his Chevette.

Right now, the Chevette is running in the 14-second range at 117 MPH, but Joseph plans on making some changes to the torque converter to pick up more ET.  Joseph thinks that with the right converter, his Chevette should be able to tickle the 11-second zone with ease. The Chevette was able to complete Drag Week in 2024 and was a fan favorite during the event.

Joseph’s Chevette is the perfect mixture of hot rodding and racing rolled up into one vehicle. Sure, a small block Chevy would have fit just as good under the hood of Joseph’s Chevette, but the Mercedes diesel engine just dials up the cool factor to 11.