Help! SVO/WVO Diesel Conversion?

[thebrad]

I am very interested in buying an old MB and converting it to run on vegetable oil, but my concern comes in the way of is it really "worth" it? Sure it will be cheaper in the long run, but initial start up is quite costy. Which seems to be the main hurdle with any alternative energy/fuel.
Anyway, for those individuals who have done this conversion what are your thoughts?

Sell my 96 Civic CX which returns 50mpg and buy a 70+ MB Diesel which gets maybe 35 mpg tops but runs on vegetable oil?

All contributive thoughts are welcome.

[jesse.rizzo]

I don't really know about the conversion itself, but another thing to factor is the cost to maintain a Mercedes. While Hondas and Mercedes are both known for their longevity, the Mercedes is much harder and more expensive to maintain.

[thebrad]

Originally Posted by jesse.rizzo

I don't really know about the conversion itself, but another thing to factor is the cost to maintain a Mercedes. While Hondas and Mercedes are both known for their longevity, the Mercedes is much harder and more expensive to maintain.

In my eyes, I am at a loss with either car.
A 30+ year old mercedes that needs some help or my Civic which had one prior owner who lived by the beach and neglected some pretty basic maintanence in my eyes (minor rust and terrible paint).
So they're both candidates for restoration or at least all those fun unseen costs.

However, I have no real problems with a spartan interior. As long as a vehicle is mechanically sound and not rotting away on me, I think I'll be cool.

[thebrad]

Bueller?

[thebrad]

No one here is running on SVO/WVO?

[bennelson]

I think most people here are modding small gasoline cars.

I am very interested in biodiesel and waste vegetable oil conversion but would want to do it with a small pickup truck or some other utilitarian, yet still fuel efficient vehicle.

Getting pretty hard to find Rabitt pickup trucks nowadays!

I have met a local restaurant owner who has a large Dodge diesel pickup truck. I believe he was just adding filtered waste oil directly into his tank as a blend to petro diesel to thin it out.

He hasn't had any trouble with it. Pretty bold to do that with a big fancy new truck.

[thebrad]

Originally Posted by bennelson

I think most people here are modding small gasoline cars.

I am very interested in biodiesel and waste vegetable oil conversion but would want to do it with a small pickup truck or some other utilitarian, yet still fuel efficient vehicle.

Getting pretty hard to find Rabitt pickup trucks nowadays!

I have met a local restaurant owner who has a large Dodge diesel pickup truck. I believe he was just adding filtered waste oil directly into his tank as a blend to petro diesel to thin it out.

He hasn't had any trouble with it. Pretty bold to do that with a big fancy new truck.

Plenty of Rabbit trucks for the picking on the Craigslist's westcoast. Checkout crazedlist.org

I'd prefer a VW too, but people seem to price gouge with the Rabbits and Golfs. I'm not going to tolerate that when I can do the same thing for a cheaper platform (Mercedes 200d/240d). While I will be sacrificing sport and MPG for this.

[Heynow999]

I have a truck that I run on WVO, so I guess I think it is worth it.

As for old Benz's, I have one. I bought it to convert, but even if I weren't going to convert it, I would still want to drive a car like this. I like it because it is so reliable. Any 1979-85 5 cylinder Benz is bulletproof. They made 2.6 million of these cars. You can still get any part you need.

Want a cheap conversion?

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/foru...322#5131092322

[AndrewJ]

Originally Posted by thebrad

I'd prefer a VW too, but people seem to price gouge with the Rabbits and Golfs. I'm not going to tolerate that when I can do the same thing for a cheaper platform (Mercedes 200d/240d).

Man things just aren't the same where I am.

Any old Merc diesel is going for $3500-$6000

I almost bought an '83 Isuzu diesel pickup instead of my CX.

I think any of those old diesel minitrucks (Isuzu, Toyota, Mazda) would be a great platform to convert, and they can usually be had fairly cheaply.

[thebrad]

Originally Posted by Heynow999

I have a truck that I run on WVO, so I guess I think it is worth it.

As for old Benz's, I have one. I bought it to convert, but even if I weren't going to convert it, I would still want to drive a car like this. I like it because it is so reliable. Any 1979-85 5 cylinder Benz is bulletproof. They made 2.6 million of these cars. You can still get any part you need.

Want a cheap conversion?

http://biodiesel.infopop.cc/eve/foru...322#5131092322

Cool link
I just asked the same question on their board and they told me to graduate college before doing it. Haha, I guess that makes enough sense. I'll keep my eyes peeled for some diesel deals.

AndrewJ, I'm just really willing to travel to get the best deal. I've lived in Nortern, Central and Southern CA so I am fairly acclimated to mind numbingly long trips on I-5.