Advance Auto Zone

According to the latest government reports, consumers last year spent $250 billion filling their cars, trucks, and sport utilities with gasoline. That averages to nearly $700 million each day or $500,000 per minute. Unfortunately, these same reports predict these staggering numbers are on their way up, not down.

This alarming trend of runaway oil costs, though, is triggering what could be both a saving grace for our wallets and our planet: the drive towards alternative fuels. Whereas environmental concerns have always caused a buzz of protest against fossil fuels, economic and security concerns are turning that buzz into an outcry. As stated in our previous report on ethanol, finding a viable alternative source of fuel has become this generation’s greatest challenge.

It could also be our greatest accomplishment, and one such alternative fuel vying for the crown of planetary savior is biodiesel. As 2005’s fastest-growing source of energy, biodiesel is gaining momentum as the heir apparent to oil and its derivatives. Developed from natural sources such as vegetable and seed oils, biodiesel is both renewable and clean, and has a higher “energy balance” than any other known fuel source (but more on that later).

Biodiesel is created through “transesterification” – a process that can basically be described as a replacement of the alcohol content of a compound with a different, catalyzed alcohol. This process, more complicated on paper than in practice, creates two viable products – biodiesel itself and fatty acids used for commodities like soap. Transesterification was first accomplished in 1853.

The first use of biodiesel as a fuel dates back to the invention of the diesel engine itself, which initially ran on modified peanut oil. Soon, though, petroleum-based diesel fuel became cheaper and easier to produce and biodiesel dwindled to an afterthought until the Second World War, when it powered heavy equipment trucks in remote regions that needed to locally source their fuel.

Biodiesel again found itself in obscurity as an energy source until the 1980s, when the environmental impact of fossil fuels became identifiable. Starting with local farmers, biodiesel gained a groundswell of support both at home and abroad. Since most European engines are already diesel-powered, several EU member nations mix at least 5% biodiesel into their pumps and are experimenting with 30% and 50% blends.

To accommodate this new demand, nations such as Austria and Sweden have led the charge in building biodiesel plants for mass-production. Currently, twenty-one nations across the globe produce biodiesel in one form or another. But what would be the environmental impact of a shift to this new fuel?

In its purest form, biodiesel has almost 80% less carbon dioxide emissions that regular gasoline and produces about half the carbon monoxide. In addition to the atmospheric benefit to our planet, biodiesel can improve our health as well. That’s because it emits far fewer particulates (aerosols or other solid material suspended within a gas) that are known to increase the risk of cancer. And because biodiesel comes from plant and seed oils, it is both non-toxic and biodegradable.

This brings us to the issue of energy balance. Many fuels such as ethanol and hydrogen are great sources of energy, but how much energy is required to produce these sources? For some, energy is actually lost in the process, completely negating any positive benefits of the new energy source. In contrast, biodiesel creates over three times the energy it takes to produce.

As with other energy sources, though, the major hurdle to overcome is the production scale. For a complete conversion to biodiesel in our engines and in our homes, it is estimated that we would need a soybean field twice the size of the United States. However, research into other sources than soybeans (such as seed oils and algae) will make production far more efficient. Most likely, it will take a combination of resources to attain a supply that can match our current demand.

If we can find a way to make biodiesel for everyone without sowing seeds in their yards, it just might be the answer to our energy crisis. Perhaps the best indicator that biodiesel is in our future is its addition to this year’s Merriam-Webster Dictionary. Though its definition might be an energy source “similar to diesel fuel that is usually derived from vegetable sources,” it could live up to so much more than that.

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Buying a used Corvette can be a complicated venture, as there are many criteria to be met, and the price can be prohibitive. After seeing the price of some of the models in good working order, the temptation to purchase a non-running Corvette or one that obviously needs extensive work can be high. But, cars with these problems may not save you any money if you fix them up yourself. After the price of the parts and other expenses are added up, it would likely to have been cheaper to buy the car that was in good condition in the first place.

The decision to buy a good used Corvette means that a potential purchase should be checked for serious flaws, such as rust. Rust affects the underside of many used corvettes, and is only visible by going under the car for a look. If there is nothing to hide, a prospective seller should not mind a peek at the chassis, which is most prone to rust. While under the car, visually inspect the cross members and the vulnerable area in front of the rear wheels. The underside of the front radiator support should also be checked for rust. If the support is rusted, it doesn’t have to be a deal breaker, but the replacement cost should be factored into the cost of the car.

When the rust inspection is over, there are still more areas that will need to be looked at. One way to see if the car has ever sustained major damage is to look at the A-Arm shims. Look for many shims on one side and fewer on the other. This indicates that there is still something wrong with the car that has not been fixed. No shims on one side and many on the other indicates some major issues, such as a bent cross member. There may also be suspension damage to the car left over from the damaging incident in the past.

If the car has passed the visual inspections, its time for a test drive. During the drive, the inside accessories and features should be checked and found to be in working order. Test the windows, heat and air, the radio, the seat adjustments, and any other features inside. Pay attention to how the car handles and any noises it makes. Some Corvettes make a popping or whining sound from the rear end due to worn positraction units. If the sound is not too bad, it may not be a problem that warrants expensive repairs beyond the addition of some positraction additive to the gear oil . If the noises are severe, it may warrant a change in the price to compensate for repairs that may be necessary.

More indications of a used Corvettes hidden problems can be found with an inspection of the body of the car. Most of the time when a fiberglass panel has been damaged, it is replaced, leaving little evidence of the damage. But by inspecting the front bumper, you may be able to tell if the car suffered a collision in the past. Look at the area of the bumper that attaches to the fiberglass. If that area has ripples in the paint, it was likely repaired from a head-on collision or other major trauma. Collisions of this kind can cause unseen damage to the cars suspension, which can be costly to repair.

Michael has published many websites on automotive topics, including:

paintcodes.net General Motors Paint Codes

nastyz28.com Classic Camaros and

nastyz28.com/camaro/camaro79.html 1979 Camaro Information

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The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is the bureau and arm of the country’s government that is concerned with the protection of the environment. And as part of this role of theirs, the agency has its own share of programs that would help keep Mother Nature as clean as possible.

One of the programs that the EPA has is its SmartWay program which made for highway tractors. This program is actually a member and a part of the agency’s SmartWay Transport Partnership wherein you can get more information about hem through www.epa.gov/smartway.

Following that line, one of the industry’s top companies has announced their vested support for the mentioned program. This company is Cummins Inc. and it has already said that all of the engines that they would be selling for 2007 would come as clean units and would be quite fuel efficient. And all of their 2007 model engine units would be made available for use for all Class 8 tractors and these has all been tested so much so that it meets all the given requirements by the previously mentioned EPA program.

But this is not where the fun ends. According to the automotive company, they are also sending out another new product which they are calling the Cummins Comfort Guard and this one comes as a power unit back up and it would be a great help for all drivers especially of large vehicles and its importance would surely be just like the that of a vehicle’s brakes which are very much needed during any kind of travel. The Cummins Comfort Guard would be able to help out tractor owners and manufacturers meet with the given requirements for the SmartWay.

So which 2007 engine units from Cummins are going to be compliant and part of the program? According to the company, their on-highway engine units would include the ISX, the ISM, and the ISL and all of these would be able to power and give life to tractors belonging to the Class 8. Also, all of these engines have been tested so much so that it has been found out to be clean enough that they have been certified already as per the 2007 EPA’s given requirements.

Anthony Fontanelle is a 35-year-old automotive.buff who grew up in the Windy City. He does freelance work for an automotive magazine when he is not busy customizing cars in his shop.You can also visit

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