Selling The BMW

Craig previously took a flier with photos of the BMW over to Mike Johns (our favorite mechanic) who promised to pass along the information to any interested buyers. The first prospective customer came over this evening to look at the car. For starters the BMW is 20 years old so there are a few imperfections namely it doesn't have air conditioning, the driver's window occasionally sticks and it leaks oil, albeit at a somewhat slow rate. Nevertheless, it runs consistently and we weren't asking for much so there was some hope for a successful transaction. The gentleman appeared genuinely interested - for whatever reason he is determined to own this specific model BMW. After looking at the engine he requested permission to take the beemer on a test drive and then attempted to close the car's hood. For the first time ever during our ownership, the hood refused to close. Multiple attempts were made. WD-40 was applied. Embarrassment ensued. After 20-30 minutes (they guy was persistent) the hood finally complied allowing the gentleman and his patient spouse to drive around the subdivision. Afterwards as they prepare to leave he says he'll call us later.....color me skeptical.

The Greasecar Kit Arrived

I was so thrilled to see the UPS guy I think perhaps I scared him for he ran off without even asking me to sign for the delivery. Tonight we'll take the Jetta along with the kit and drop it off at GoodOil for the conversion which should be completed in 2-3 days. It sounds like Craig's employer might let us collect the grease they create when cooking meals for the clients. We only need one or two suppliers for our level of consumption and maybe less in the summers when I'm not working.

Finding Grease

Craig's been to several Asian restaurants as well as our local cafe and hasn't had any luck obtaining used vegetable oil. Although Chinese restaurants are reputed to have quality cooking oil, crossing the language barrier has proven difficult. "You want what and why?" While most restaurants pay someone to remove their waste oil, we're offering to take it off their hands for no cost but I think the concept is difficult for people to accept or even believe. Obviously this aspect of the transition is going to take more energy and effort than I expected. Who knew it would be so difficult to relieve business of their waste for free? On the positive side, we're eating lots of good food in the process.

It's interesting that most of the time when I tell someone about our project their first response or criticism is that our exhaust will smell like french fries or egg rolls. It's as if everyone's been handed a script and recites a similar refrain. What's especially amusing to me is the concept that the odor of food would in some way be less desirable than typical exhaust fumes.

In other news, Craig's preparing his BMW for sale so we'll have one less car at the house as well as some extra funds. Anybody want a 20 year old BMW with lots of liberal bumper stickers?

It Is Ours!

We finally found the dealership, signed the papers and drove away in our diesel Jetta Wagon. Craig's been on the phone ordering a greasecar kit and scheduling an appointment with GoodOil to install the system. The Jetta has great storage space which will come in handy when we're packing all our camping gear. Now it's back on the road for Louisville (509.06 miles for those who are wondering) with a brief respite in Asheville for lunch.

Road Trip

The scenery is a huge benefit of our odyssey. Driving through the mountains of West Virginia I am reminded of similar trips with my family when I was much younger and my mother would encourage us look out the windows of the RV instead of wasting our afternoons napping. How can anyone not be a "tree hugger" after exposure to our country's splendid vistas. Waste vegetable oil (WVO) is the only carbon neutral fuel available to us at this time and our determination to utilize less crude oil by substituting an alternative fuel source is a small step toward reducing our carbon footprint.

We Won!

We won the Jetta Wagon! YEAH!! And we actually purchased it for a few hundred dollars less than what we budgeted plus we are paying less than the Blue Book Value. Now for the bad news - at least from my perspective - the car is located outside of Charlotte, North Carolina and we are presently in Newark, Ohio for a difference of 463.41 miles. Tomorrow morning I have a consultation with the ophthalmologist about options for Lasik and then we start our road trip. Fortunately I packed extra clothes (and underwear) before we left the house last Tuesday.

Another E-bay Car

There's a Jetta Wagon listed on E-bay! It has a few more miles than I would prefer but it's the first wagon we found for sale. Craig placed a bid on it and now I refresh the page compulsively to see if we're still winning the auction. Unfortunately the auction doesn't end until Sunday (half an hour after the Soprano's finale) so my obsessiveness is only likely to increase.