Germans pretty much invented the diesel engine. Sure, the U.S. has played a large role over the years in furthering diesel performance (Rudolph's wife was American), but we'll never forget our compression-ignition roots.
Daniel Tibus's Jeep started as '67 Kaiser-built M715 1 1/4-ton pickup that was used by the U.S. Military. He bought the truck from Boyce Equipment in Ogden, Utah, where he began the buildup, and then shipped the truck to Germany for final assembly.
Four-wheel drive, on the other hand, is an American tradition that Germans have brought some new expertise to. Around the world, no other word is more synonymous with 4x4 than Jeep. So when Daniel Tibus, from Germany, found himself in Ogden, Utah, in need of the ultimate 4x4, a diesel Jeep made the perfect combination.
Built from the ground up on a '67 Jeep M715 pickup platform, Daniel swapped in a fully rebuilt '91 Cummins 5.9L. The engine was fitted with modified injectors, injection pump, and HY35 turbo for quick spool up. Daniel says the HX35 sucks for off-road use. Behind the Cummins is an early '90s GM 4L80E automatic overdrive transmission converted to full manual operation with a Transgo valvebody kit. The transmission is mated to the Cummins with TH400 parts from a Frito-Lay truck. From there, torque is transmitted to a Ford Super Duty transfer case fitted with a 32-spline input gear.