The Merzola

Here it is, and I shall call it...Merzola! That's part MERcedes benZ and part canOLA oil.

It's a 1984 300TD Wagon with 267k miles on it. Ok, so before you gasp, realize that 81-85 diesel Merz engine is known as the "million mile engine". So 267k miles is just getting past the break-in period. From what I've been told, the rest of the car will disintegrate before the engine stops working. With some regular maintenance, I should be able to pass this on to my son when he is old enough to drive.

I found it on eBay and picked it up in Dallas, TX. The ride back home was a blast (minus the fact that the A/C wasn't working). I had all the windows down and the sunroof open (manual) and cruised along at 75-80 mph the whole way. This baby is solid. It's a diesel, so it doesn't have the pep of a gasoline engine, but it's a turbo-diesel, so it has more giddy-up than your typical diesel.

I currently have it in the shop getting the critical things taken care of such as the A/C, front break pads, and new motor mounts. Long term plans are to rebuild the springs and cushions in the front seats for a slightly more comfortable ride. Outside of that stuff, it's a solid car.

In the coming weeks, I will order my conversion kit (most likely from Greasecar.com) and then slowly ween myself off the petroleum teet.

I have already started shopping locally for waste veggie oil from a few local restaurants. So far, I have a commitment for about 5 gallons per week. I figure about 5 more a week and my normal driving routine (you know, commuting to work, school, etc) will be free of charge. Some rough calculations and I figure 3 - 3.5 years of driving for free and I will have completely paid for the car and all the conversion equipment.

Feel free to email me if you want to learn more about doing this for yourself. I have been evangelizing with friends and the general consensus is "wow, that sounds cool. let me know how it goes."

Merzola!