hachiroku

Gee, I think I was too...I can't remember back that far!

Yes, it is a renewable resource, and I wish they would take what they have
learned and apply it to our street cars!

But the oil companies are powerful, and you'd THINK they would be at the
leading edge of research (actually, they probably ARE but are milking the
Dino sources for all they are worth!) and set themselves up as the
'saviours' with the new renewable energy! "You saw it here first!"

Surprising they aren't...

jim beam

i wouldn't be too happy if they did. lower calorific value of
enthanol/methanol means lower output and lower mpg's. unadulterated
gasoline is the way to go. cheaper too.

enrico fermi

I was in the petro research business for 26 years. Company purchased a fleet
of electric cars in ~1980 and one was mine (and what a POS). We had solar
powered gas stations, had a system for making ethanol from oil with high
rates of conversion and we had an automobile test facility with a wind
tunnel (and no, no secret carburetor). The dirty secret to energy is that
the oil co's sell what customers want to buy. Selling gasoline is better
than dealing drugs; market is bigger and it's legal. The plan was in '75 to
move drivers out of their Eldorados with 472 ci motors into Vegas and Pintos
(to help Ford and GM increase their market. Imagine us being in cahoots with
Ford and GM ). Those pesky drivers purchased Hondas and Toyotas instead!
Many of our customers told us the Government should make big cars illegal
and manged to convince their legislators to adopt a 55mph limit. That wasn't
good for Big Oil. The SUV's were a Godsend for the refining dept. We could't
make money in the early 90's from the refining operations. The Explorer
changed all that. As long as an F350 dually with a huge engine is considerd
a high-status grocery-getter, we are all doomed. I wish Honda sold a Civic
with a 200 hp tdi diesel in the USA. Fast around town and great mpg on the
road (plus being a Honda). 2 things an individual can do to make the world
a better place: Live close to your job and don't drive an RV on vacation.

hachiroku

I dunno...those guys are able to squeeze 700 HP out of a 10 cylinder
engine running the stuff...

I think a couple hundred HP shouldn't be too hard.

The only problem with ethanol? Think of the demands put on the growers of
corn, wheat and soybeans, the major sources of ethanol. There have been
some BAD years for growers, and if we were completely dependant on
ethanol, that could be a problem. Some years there would be less corn on
the table because we'd be putting all of it in our tanks.

But, then again, perhaps we could end the subsidies where we pay growers
NOT to grow crops! And I don't think the farmers would be having all the
tough times they have now, because ALL their output would be in demand
instead of overproduction. Any crop thet can produce ethanol would
probably not go to waste in silos (probably be a GOOD thing, storing it
for a year!)

If they can get the engines to run with a 20-40% ethanol mix, and get the
production of ethanol to where it doesn't take MORE energy to produce than
you get, then I see a win-win situation here.

brent secombe

I guess it comes down to miles per gallon-of-what. We postponed
breeding new dinosaurs, so eventually we'll be stuck with energy from
non-petro sources. I bet you're right about lower mpg's; but if it
comes down to a choice between 30 mpg on a fuel we've exhausted or 10
mpg on distilled dandelions, we'll have to go with the dandelions...

.... in which case Scott's will come out with a lawn product that gets
rid of all that ugly grass among the dandelions. :-)

Brent

hachiroku

Unfortunately, most of my jobs have been at least 20 miles away, and a
long time I was driving over 50 one way! Wife didn't want to move, see?

But then I buy cars I like, and like to drive, so it's a 50/50 deal.

But with the price of gas now...

But, what's the deal with Gasoline? I would buy ethanol if it were
available. And I appreciate the info on the conversion! We're told by the
media it takes more energy to make ethanol, which returns less energy
back! So, this is bunk, eh?

And, we started buying Toyotas before the Energy Crisis; my Mom wante a
small car similar to her Chevy II Nova (THERE was a car, GM should have
never stopped making them!) That was it for us; we have pretty much been a
Toyota family ever since!

But I digress...and i also agree with your Grocery Getter comment; some
people NEED a big truck, while others could get by with a Tacoma; it's the
Image thing. And I hope the popularity of the SUV comes to and end in
short order...these things ****! Buy a Station Wagon! (Subaru makes a
bunch of AWD models if you don't like the Matrix!

hachiroku

Well, the other thing is that burning ethanol is a bit cleaner than the
petro fuels, so you'd think the Earthy Crunchies would be rallying for it!

Instead we go for Hydrogen, which is just as difficult to produce, is a
LOT more dangerous and right now requires MAJOR engine redesigns!

I'll take the dandelions...they make good wine, too!

flobert

Call me old fashioned, but I much prefer the close racing of the new
A1 series. 3rd ever meting (races 5 and 6) are this weekend, i think -
http://www.a1gp.com

The american and Japaneese teams haven't done so well, britain and
canada did well as did New Zeland. Oh and its a british made engine.

hachiroku

Actually, so was the Chevy! It was assembled and 'tweaked' in England.

hachiroku

Hmmmm....sort of a WorldWide IRL. Looks like the spirit of the IRL; the
cars are all basically the same and have similar engines (if not the SAME
engine!)

So what happens is, it doesn't come down to how much MONEY you throw at
it, but the skill of the driver. i like that!

When Penske was kicking butt in the CART series, as in F1, it was how much
MONEY you had that determined who own the race. When IRL came along I was
initially against it, but it leveled tha playing field and brought the
competition back to the ****pit rather than the garage itself.

This is the first I have heard of A1. Thanks!