OMG, a bio-diesel Z car!

[Poindexter]

I just found this site- and I did search here for it and nothing came up- where the guy changed his engine to a Nissan D28 diesel, and turbo'd it. And the best thing is that it's a almost a drop-in installation!!!

http://www.veggiecar1.com/

I have the LD28 Nissan diesel in my boat. So cool to have the same basic engine in one's car and boat!

I love the idea of diesel-izing a Z car. Now I'm watching for these LD28 engines on ebay and other places, and I'm gonna find a nice Series One shell but with no engine, and build this same thing over the winter, as I'm moving to biodiesel for all of my other cars too- Mercedes 300CD-turbo diesel, and a 300D too. Going all the way as I don't think were ever going to see cheap gas ever again.

Here's a couple of picture of this awesome theme paint-job, attached below.

Edited September 6, 2008 by Poindexter

[Mike B]

I did search here for it and nothing came up

Here are a couple of old threads. I searched for "veggie car"

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=19746&highlight=veggie+car

http://www.classiczcars.com/forums/showthread.php?t=14732&highlight=veggie+car

I would rather go with an electric motor powered Z. I've seen a few people do that. There is an electric 280z in the current Lightning auto magazine (Japanese mag).

-Mike

[Poindexter]

Thanks Mike. I searched for "diesel", which I thought would pick up any mention. Those threads were 2-3 years ago, and SO much has changed in the fuel world, so perhaps there might be more to say, and maybe better than resurrecting a several year old thread ? If not please just delete this post- no biggie.

I really am going to do this- compared to some of the heavy projects people around here are doing, this seems downright simple- and cheap! Wouldn't a car starting without an engine then adding an L-24, or L28 sometimes work out the same as buying a rolling chassis then adding a running LD-28 engine, no? Change the fuel lines and bolt'er right on! LD28's seem to run around $3,000 ±$500 or so, same ballpark as an normally-aspirated model. I'm sort of looking that the equation of buying a "full car" versus buying a rolling chassis and adding an engine, the incremental cost/savings. Wouldn't the cost of an older but still "crate" RB-26DETT be about the same? I haven't seen enough of them to know. But then an RB in an HLS-30 body would then need the addition of full rails/welding, a new diffy/LSD and some suspension work too- at minimum? This diesel solution seems to be the best way for us to go, and sort of keeps it within the boundaries of this board- just a drop-in engine- same block and all.

I wanted a fun Z project for this winter, just a clean driver with a nominal paint job, and somehow *another* 240 Series I with an RB26DETT just didn't really put me over the top, as exciting as it seemed to me before I found out about the veggiecar.

Besides, adding another diesel car is PERFECT for how my family is set up- with big tanks and a bio-diesel home plant going in!

Edited September 6, 2008 by Poindexter

[Mike B]

I wanted a fun Z project for this winter, just a clean driver with a nominal paint job, and somehow *another* 240 Series I with an RB26DETT just didn't really put me over the top, as exciting as it seemed to me before I found out about the veggiecar.

Besides, adding another diesel car is PERFECT for how my family is set up- with big tanks and a bio-diesel home plant going in!

Sounds like a good option for you then and it would be an interesting project. What are you going to make your bio-diesel from?

-Mike

[Poindexter]

Sounds like a good option for you then and it would be an interesting project. What are you going to make your bio-diesel from?

-Mike

Mainly from restaurant sourcing. I used to be a parter in an Irish Pub, and they have 4 fryers going all day and night, so that will be my primary source- they'll just give the stuff to me if I come and get it. This way my exhaust will end up smelling like cod or haddock (fish & chips), french fries or tempura, depending on which fryer they've emptied out. And I'll make deals with other restaurants locally and upstate where the Andes Mountain retreat () is. My version of SAC HQ.

Or is restaurant oil considered differently- WVO (waste veg oil) versus bio-diesel?? Perhaps the terminology is wrong. We're also investigating conversion of home-heating boilers/water heaters too.

I also understand that simple veggie oil can be had for under 50 cents a gallon, as a backup.

Lots to learn of course, but the payback/break-even is almost immediate.

Edited September 7, 2008 by Poindexter

[doradox]

Mainly from restaurant sourcing. I used to be a parter in an Irish Pub, and they have 4 fryers going all day and night, so that will be my primary source- they'll just give the stuff to me if I come and get it. This way my exhaust will end up smelling like cod or haddock (fish & chips), french fries or tempura, depending on which fryer they've emptied out. And I'll make deals with other restaurants locally and upstate where the Andes Mountain retreat () is. My version of SAC HQ.

Or is restaurant oil considered differently- WVO (waste veg oil) versus bio-diesel?? Perhaps the terminology is wrong. We're also investigating conversion of home-heating boilers/water heaters too.

I also understand that simple veggie oil can be had for under 50 cents a gallon, as a backup.

Lots to learn of course, but the payback/break-even is almost immediate.

Sounds like a really cool and unique kind of project. Be careful with the tax man though. I've seen a couple articles about people getting hassled 'cause they weren't paying road taxes. What he doesn't know won't hurt him though.

Steve

[m4xwellmurd3r]

biodiesel is made from plants, where as what he's using is WVO (waste vegetable oil, OR straight vegetable oil) quite a bit different. it's not really the terminology that's wrong, since they're totally different fuels.

well, nevermind. Biodiesel can be made from WVO, but some people don't do that, and instead just run WVO/SVO into their car's just how it is. I think that's a little easier to do, as long as you filter the waste oil first.

[Walter Moore]

Most of the CO-OPs around here sell soydesel with the road use taxes included, so that doesn't have to be a problem.

There is even one station around here that is selling E85 (ethanol) for $2.99/gallon (compared to $3.79/gallon for regular unleaded) At that price, it almost makes running ethanol economically feasible. But you would have to have one of the new flex fuel vehicles to be able to take advantage of the price difference. And worse yet, if congress scales back or eliminates the subsidies on ethanol the price will go higher than gasoline. But there is risk to everything I suppose.

[doradox]

Most of the CO-OPs around here sell soydesel with the road use taxes included, so that doesn't have to be a problem.

There is even one station around here that is selling E85 (ethanol) for $2.99/gallon (compared to $3.79/gallon for regular unleaded) At that price, it almost makes running ethanol economically feasible. But you would have to have one of the new flex fuel vehicles to be able to take advantage of the price difference. And worse yet, if congress scales back or eliminates the subsidies on ethanol the price will go higher than gasoline. But there is risk to everything I suppose.

I believe he's going to make his from waste fry oil. No taxes collected there.

[Poindexter]

I believe he's going to make his from waste fry oil. No taxes collected there.

20+ gallons a week. Fry oil or whatever's cheapest at the Costco as backup-depending on the ambient temp too. With a few percent of dino-diesel added for the anti-biologicals part of the equation. Somebody told me not to even think about refueling in the parking lot. I guess you never know who might report you if they see you tipping a 5 gallon jug into your tank.

Big brother.:embarrass:

I obviously have more reading to do on the exact meaning of biodiesel. What I want to do is something better for the environment, to recycle and reuse what used to be a nuisance waste product and make something productive out of it- mileage, heating or power, whatever. I'm just learning that there is another more complex process of turning WVO into biodiesel right off the bat- more to research. I have heard it's much simpler to just filter the WVO for use in powerplants.

Quite honestly this all came about very suddenly, literally days ago, right after reading about the biodiesel Z. And after my *last* $80 fill up of my 11 mpg SUV.

It's really exciting to consider being able to combine things like the economics, recycling, greening, etc., of diesel, with my favorite car. Who knew?

[HxC240z]

Most of the CO-OPs around here sell soydesel with the road use taxes included, so that doesn't have to be a problem.

There is even one station around here that is selling E85 (ethanol) for $2.99/gallon (compared to $3.79/gallon for regular unleaded) At that price, it almost makes running ethanol economically feasible. But you would have to have one of the new flex fuel vehicles to be able to take advantage of the price difference. And worse yet, if congress scales back or eliminates the subsidies on ethanol the price will go higher than gasoline. But there is risk to everything I suppose.

E85 wouldn't be worth it, I've heard they get 1/3 less gas milage on it, sounds like a bad solution, too bad it can't be that easy...

[HxC240z]

"The report found that the Tahoe averaged 14 mpg on gasoline, and only 10 mpg on ethanol"... based on what consumer report found and your prices... 0.27$/mi gas 0.30$/mi E85

I dont know where I got 1/3 from, but it still costs more.

eco friendly... well sort-of

Edited September 18, 2008 by HxC240z