Removing Ethanol from Gasoline

[Frank Lee]

Originally Posted by Nerys

No they are not. not even close.

SURE a brand new SUV is far more expensive than a brand new Econo car but I can afford NEITHER and neither can most people.

when your buying USED. when you price is limited to say $1000 or $2000 suddenly things flip. old gas guzzlers are a LOT cheaper than Econo cars.

An example. I was barely able to afford my metro. $600. thankfully he took payments. Thankfully he let me buy the $1200 in parts it needed through him at cost bringing the price down to around $500 and thankfully I was able to do 100% of the work myself (another $1500 savings AT LEAST)

essentially to the average person this was a nearly $3600 car. (it did need a lot of work but the car is soooo easy to work on and I got the parts so cheap)

To the average person they would not be so lucky. Ever price what a clean rust free metro goes for? $2500 is the current average asking price on craigslist with really clean models commanding quite a bit more.

The people you see driving around in crown vic and old ford explorer's ? most of them DO NOT HAVE $2500 :-)

You are one wacky dude.

I've scored 5 free econocars (vehicles that get 30+ mpg), 1 for $75, 1 for $100, 1 for $350, a Gold Wing for $600, and one on trade for an old mobile home in the last 10 years. I could have had a bunch more besides but I only have so much room and need.

[ShadeTreeMech]

Originally Posted by Nerys

good info phantom. but we are not talking about newer car designed to deal with Ethanol. We are talking about older cars that were designed before ethanol was even a thought :-)

Ironically, ethanol was used extensively as an ICE fuel before our grandfathers were a thought.

Samuel Morey, the inventor of one of the first internal combustion engines, and the more commonly known Nicholas Otto, who revolutionized the field with the Otto Cycle and developed the first “modern” internal combustion engine, both built engines to run on ethanol (Ethanol Timeline). Henry Ford’s first automobile, the quadricycle, as well as his famous Model T could both use ethanol as a fuel source, and the American automobile pioneer himself considered alcohol-based substances like ethanol “the fuel of the future.”

From History of Ethanol as a Fuel

[Nerys]

Originally Posted by Frank Lee

You are one wacky dude.

I've scored 5 free econocars (vehicles that get 30+ mpg), 1 for $75, 1 for $100, 1 for $350, a Gold Wing for $600, and one on trade for an old mobile home in the last 10 years. I could have had a bunch more besides but I only have so much room and need.

So you get lucky and find a few goods deals and that makes me wacky. SO when Joe citizen needs a car by next week

what is he supposed to do. Put his life on hold for 10 years until he stumbles upon a completely unknown pot luck shot at a free or cheap econocar?

Your joking right?

maybe you don't have bills and can just "not work" until you stumble upon a lucky find but the average person does not have this luxury.

I have gotten some seriously sweet "lucky find" deals over the last 10 years too. they are rare and can not be counted on. That is why they are called lucky finds.

its also geographical some "area's" are far less likely to have "lucky finds" as often as other area's.

[Frank Lee]

O'y.

[Nerys]

seriously though. Think about it. you have $1500 you need a car right now. not a month from now but "this week"

You need something that works. Thats $1500 that won't bankrupt you next week in repairs and that will pass inspection.

at least in MY area the area around philadelphia your just not very likely to find an econo car that meets these criteria.

but your gonna fine an awful lot of small trucks SUV's etc.. that meet these criteria.

while its going to cost you more in gas in under a year you get to pay that OVER A YEAR not "all at once" which is not possible no matter what the savings are.

When I started looking for an econo car the best I could find was $1200 for a 1976 300D and that was a risk (the car ended up being VERY reliable I got lucky)

Alas it maxed out at 35/36mpg and I wanted 45mpg or higher. I ended up trading it for an 82 Goldwing :-) and then I traded my "backup" $400 1975 300D (I tend to buy cars in pairs yes 2 cherokees 2 Things 2 Vans etc.. etc..) for a Boat :-)

I have found my share of good deals. Traded a miltop for a 3 bike trailer got an 82 Silverwing for $100 (no title working on it) and another miltop for an 89 Ninja 600R (not running working on that too)

Got a 27ft Sailboat with trailer for $150 this year I finally got a motor for it 9.9 Long Shaft electric start for $350 (go look those up on craigslist thats a freaking steal) so next spring I should have that in the water finally :-)

Hell tomorrow I found myself a 2 man Auger for $50 !! yeah I have been stalking one of those for months now :-) $1100 new !!!

We spent $200 in rental fees renting one from Home Depot to put up a fence at work. Never have to pay that again :-)

I love craigslist. Oddly enough most of it would not have been possible without my Metro and my $50 micro trailer :-) many of my finds would have been far to expensive in gasoline to go get !!

[Nerys]

ALSO remember for many many families an economy car as an only car might as well be useless.

Too small can't town can't carry any cargo.

Remember most people are not crazy like me putting 1100 pounds in a Geo Metro and then slapping on a Trailer to tow things bigger than the car :-)

Most people just are not going to (and are not able to) do that.

For most familes an economy car is a SECOND CAR not an ONLY car.

if you can only have one many times its not going to be an economy car because of its limitations.

[Frank Lee]

I'm just gonna let you keep diggin...

[Nerys]

diggin what?

[Frank Lee]

That hole that just gets deeper and deeper.

[Nerys]

I guess its gone clean over my head then because I have no clue what your talking about.