I am here now, bow down to ME!!!
 

Nah, folks, just kidding. Name's Don Vee, I'm from Wilkes-Barre, PA. I am a tattoo artist, pinstriper, metalwork artist, guitar player/singer in a band called Psycho Sinners, and an (as of yesterday) unemployed chef. Been wrenching on cars since about the mid 70s when I was a youngun' and currently own a small stable of rusty hot rod makin's as well as a rotted-but-running 83 Benz 240D, which I intend on *******izing into an ultra-lightweight diesel-powered krazy roadster which gets about 50-55 mpg and can run on WVO.
I joined this because most other hot rodders I know turn their ignorance on and their noses up when talking about mileage, so I'm here to learn all I can and show them that you still can build something kool looking while still doing the right thing, reducing our dependency on fossil fuels, as well as cleaning things up a bit, too, and when the government allows oil companies to drive the gas prices so out of control (as if they aren't already), I'll be still driving my rod when all the rest are staring at theirs in the corner of the garage with an empty tank.
Hope there's a few others on here close to me. It would be awesome to meet some of you, looks like you got a kickass thing going here. Proud to call myself both a hot rodder AND a treehugger!

There are a few of us around the PA/NJ area. I would think a summer meet would be very possible.

Welcome to the site!

Cool - welcome to EcoModder!
Those sound like good plans.
I'm just a bit worried about the 240D's rot. You probably know all about what that will do to your project sooner or later. Of course if you have the time and skills to clean it up that's another story.

Didja see the thread about the diesel-powered Corvette in the Ecomodding Central subforum? http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1128

I've been enjoying modding my ancient heavy Euro-beast to be more fuel efficient. It's a rewarding thing to do. We Volvo nuts are big on safety and reliability so I'm not stripping out any steel and I still carry all my tools in the wagon's cargo area. But I've been doing other things for it and FE is going up gradually as I improve things. To the left of this post you can click on the "Sven..." link for some info - - or see my non-formatted photobucket pics at
http://s188.photobucket.com/albums/z11/brucepick/

Oh, no, don't get me wrong. I don't plan on building a hot rod OUT OF the 240D, I plan on using the guts from it to put INTO another hotrod, something way lighter than a 240D. I'm thinking a mail Jeep frame and suspension (2wd, Dana 44 rear, straight axle front end), inverted aluminum rowboat mated to a custom made aluminum cowl to make sorta an old boattail T-roadster. I have a custom aluminum grille shell that uses a newer Jag oval grille so it looks like an old-school Track-T, and with an open engine and zoomie pipe headers, should be totally nasty looking, and should weigh less than half of the 240D.

Welcome to the site! Sounds like a sweet set of plans, when do you think you'll start up?

Sounds like it will be a cool ride...

When I get out from under other projects, I've got my sites on a 51 Willy's pickup. Well the cab is what I'll be getting. I want to drop the shell over a Ranger floor and firewall so I can have a 4 banger (likely turbocharged), since the Willy's floor is rotted out. Lots of ways to drop a Ranger 2WD frame into the weeds. But the whole goal is to be sort of ratrod-like, minor chop-top as I'm 6'3", but be able to be daily driven if need be, hence the 4 cylinder. I have considered a Cummins 4BT from a breadtruck even. I like the idea of using an old aluminum boat... I'd like to see that. Hmmm, I wanted to the 4 for saving money on fuel, to be different. Not too sure I could make the Willy's very aero...

My uncle swore by the older Mercedes 240 Diesels. He drove 3 of them into the ground, each with better than 300,000 miles on them.