Windspeed,
While your idea might work in a doubled series setup I have my doubts.
I have a small Kubota and it has a glow plug. I first had this set up with a single pole single throw on/off switch as part of the remote control from the house. I forgot to turn it off and it burned out quite quickly. These are made to operate for a few seconds and then turn off. Granted this was glowing at 12V inside a combustion chamber but it didn't survive.
Nichrome wire is easy to come by. Look for a hair drier or toaster for salvage wire. Even automotive cigarette lighters have this in a coiled up form. I would think this stuff would be better suited for a dump load. Glow plugs, at least for my Kubota, are pricey and unless you have a source the experiment might get costly real fast.
Good luck.