Earlier this week, we got an email from Rich Rebuilds with his latest video in which he tried to beat high gas prices by powering a Humvee with used fast-food fryer oil. It got us thinking: Remember when biodiesel was all the rage?
The fuel itself is almost as old as diesel engines, but creating diesel fuel out of leftover fry oil got big at the start of the millennium and stayed that way for years. As gas prices climbed and the economy crashed, many saw biodiesel created from food waste as a way to save a few bucks at the pump. Were you one of them?
Running a diesel car on fry oil is apparently much safer than frying your food with diesel, but seems nearly as unpopular in 2022. U.S. interest in biodiesel, as interpreted by Google search trends, seem to have peaked late in 2005 — though smaller peaks popped up in 2006 and 2008.
Whether you got in on a peak or a valley, we want your perspective. Did you buy a biofuel-prepped diesel, or did you build one yourself? Did you sell it off when gas got cheap, or have you been living the fry oil life for years? How much did it cost you to buy, own, and maintain?
What brought you to the world of biodiesel? Were you concerned about the environment, prepping for doomsday scenarios, or just hoping to save a few bucks at the pump?
If you’ve built, owned, or operated a car that fuels up the same place you do on a road trip (the closest McDonalds to an exit), let us know. We want stories, pictures, any detail you have about your life in a fry-fueled car. Bonus points if it’s a rusted-out Mercedes, as nearly every one seems to be.
Leave a comment below or email us at tips at jalopnik dot com re: Biodiesel, and include your name, a picture of your car, and your story!