This article is written by guest writer Ricky Nietubicz on his experience with a Mercedes powered by vegetable oil.

Over the years, I’ve always gazed somewhat longingly at BMW and Mercedes vehicles from the 1980s and early 1990s. I don’t know what it is about them, but they just seem to have gotten it right. My mom has a fantastic E30 325i that is exceedingly well kept, and drives like a charm, about as close to a four-door Miata as one can get. The E30 sure has the sporty end of things licked.

You’d never guess this Mercedes could run on used veggie oil, would you?

Alas, there has always been a bit of a draw, at least to me, of the older diesel-powered Mercedes cars. Maybe it’s the ridiculous fuel economy, maybe it’s how they cruise on the highway so well, maybe it’s how they just absorb every bump in the road, quite the opposite of the Miata. Maybe it’s how quiet they are on the inside, maybe it’s how long overbuilt and low-revving diesel engines last. Then again, maybe it’s that, in terms of dollars and/or cents per mile, they can achieve infinite fuel economy via vegetable oil power.

The thing is, as the price of a gallon of gasoline has risen, so has the price of diesel-powered vehicles, compared to their gasoline-powered counterparts. So you have to do a LOT of driving to save any money. The number of companies selling veggie-oil conversion kits has also increased.

One day I was over at a local Miata guy’s shop staring at a popped motor, and another Miata guy (building a 302-powered Miata in the same shop) dropped by in a diesel Mercedes, silver with red leather. It was borrowed, but it was for sale. 1986 190D, 2.5L 5-cylinder non-turbo, automatic. And, it already had a veggie oil kit on it. At $1500 (a comparable kit is $1000 or so, and “only” 175,000 miles- nothing for a diesel like that. Read the rest of this entry »

So I found myself in Reykjavik, Iceland. I’m heading over to Sweden to take a few summer classes, and I stopped in Reykjavik because it just so happened to be on the way.

Iceland is a fairly good sized island with very few people on it. There are a total of about 300,000 Icelanders total on the island, and over a third of them live in and around Reykyavik. Nonetheless, that is still only about 100,000 people in the city, so it was necessarily small and not too dense or busy. Indeed, it did feel like a city, but it lacks the hustle and bustle of other capitals I’ve been too.

In terms of cars, Reykjavik had the most American feel of any European city I’ve been in yet. I’d say half the cars were the typical, small European econoboxes you’d expect in Europe, while the other half were a whole variety of American cars, larger cars, and vicious off road vehicles. And when I say vicious, I mean vicious. Check out these bad boys:
Read the rest of this entry »

Well, 101 with this post (but this post doesn’t really count). And yes, that does make me the most awesome poster of the Pansy Patrol.

I have a fairly set routine and “curriculum” I use anytime I instruct a student. I follow this routine because I feel it quickly establishes a positive rapport and keeps the student positive, excited and, most importantly, safe. Many clubs advocate a similar approach, with the understanding (hopefully) that racing instructors need some leeway in how they approach each student - there is simply too much going on at 130mph to be able to definitely apply a laundry list of “tips” to every student every time. I think it is beneficial for a student to know what their instructor is thinking, as that can help them make the most of out of their instructor as well.

Establish a Good Rapport
This is the most crucial step. Nobody wants to listen to somebody they don’t like, and that can be a problem if a student keeps entering a corner to fast and early apexing. I use a typical business approach - introduce myself, ask them about their car, ask them about their driving experience, and then go over the basics of what I want them to do and not do. In my experience, most of the people at track days tend to be pretty pleasant to deal with, as we all can bond over our love of cars and going fast.

Many instructors feel that any breakdown in communication leading to an accident or other incident usually has its roots right when you first meet a student. I would agree. Obviously, anything can happen interpersonally as the day develops, but things are always smoother if that good rapport is started right from the get go.

Assess the Student and the Student’s Car
This is the next most important step, as it will directly influence all of the decisions I make and advice that I give. The brand new student with no experience whatsoever gets much different advice than an intermediate student with 15 days under his belt.

Assessing the car is equally as important. I will show the driver of a high horsepower car a power line, and the driver of a Miata a momentum line. It can provide good insight into what to expect from a student. A middle aged man with a stock RX-8 will probably be a little bit more conservative than a 20 year old with a 900 hp Supra. Profiling can have its uses sometimes. I will also ask whether the car is stock, and if not, what modifications have been done. I want to know NOW if there is a gigantic rear sway bar that will make the car tail happy, not when the student goes into a turn too hot. I always ask about brakes too, regardless of the car. If the brakes are stock or not particularly aggressive, I ask the student to tell me IMMEDIATELY if the brakes feel off in any way. I don’t want my student to go for the brakes only to find they aren’t there. Read the rest of this entry »

America is currently paying more per gallon of gas than ever before, so here are a few traditional and not-so-traditional ways to keep the cost at the pump as low as possible.

Drive a Fuel Efficient Car
Yes, this seems like a waste of a tip, but your gas mileage will only be as good as your car. A gas guzzling Hummer won’t get the same mileage as a Prius, no matter what you do in either car. But many people don’t realize the gas-sipping gems on the used market. I paid $900 for my used 1996 Saturn SL. While it does everything poorly, it is reliable and I can get 36mpg when I drive it properly. The key is a lightweight car with a small engine. Newer cars tend to be bloated and heavy, which works against gas mileage even with the most advanced, whiz-bang gas saving technology.

Don’t Skip Scheduled Maintenance
A car in tip top shape will be more fuel efficient than a car that is old and falling apart. Things like new spark plugs can improve ignition, letting the engine burn cleaner and wasting more gas. The difference won’t be night and day, but you can often get an extra 1 or 2 mpg after maintenance. You’ll also ensure that your car won’t die on the side of the road, which of course wastes all the gas the tow truck will need to tow your car away.

No Quick Starts
Yes, this is a sad tip, but if you want to get good gas mileage you can’t treat every stop light like you’re the next Fast and the Furious star. Pretend your grandmother is sitting in the passenger seat and doesn’t like going fast. Now take it a step or two back from that.

Keep the Engine’s RPMs in the Efficiency Zone
If you drive an automatic, your car will deal with this on its own. Just give a little bit of gas to slowly accelerate, and the revs will fall where the need to.

If you drive a manual, it is up to you to keep the revs where they need to be. All engines have a rev range where they are most efficient. For most engines, this is between around 1500 RPM - 3000 RPM, although every engine model is slightly different. This means that efficiency falls off when you are higher in the revs but also when you are lower in the revs. Yes, this seems a bit counterintuitive, but trust me on this. Think of it like this: on your bicycle, if you are in the top (fastest) gear, it is REALLY hard to get the bike moving at slow speeds. The same is true for a car engine - this is called “lugging” the engine. This is why dropping a gear to get it into the efficiency zone yields better gas mileage.

So, don’t punch it to redline with every shift, but also don’t throw the car into 5th as soon as you start rolling at 5 mph. Keep the revs in the zone. Read the rest of this entry »

This series was written by guest writer Ricky Nietubicz on his experience on the Formula SAE team at the University of Delaware. FSAE is a competition where students design, build, and compete with small formula-style racing cars. Ricky was President of his FSAE club, and his team went to the Nationals in Detroit during the 2006-2007 season.

Easy access is always nice, so here are the links to all my articles on my FSAE experience:

Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 1: The Beginning
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 2: Recruiting
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 3: Team Organization
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 4: Funding
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 5: Designing the Car
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 6: Engine Selection
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 6: Engine Selection
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 7: Record Keeping
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 8: Starting the Build
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 9: Some Build Hiccups
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 10: Rules and Tech
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 11: Testing, Tuning, and Modifying
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 12: Driver Training
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 13: The Competition
Experiences on a Formula SAE Team, Part 14: Old Cars

This is Part 14 of a series written by guest writer Ricky Nietubicz on his experience on the Formula SAE team at the University of Delaware. FSAE is a competition where students design, build, and compete with small formula-style racing cars. Ricky was President of his FSAE club, and his team went to the Nationals in Detroit during the 2006-2007 season.

You’re not going to want to put your newest car, which you plan to compete with, at too much risk. If you’re a big team, you’re going to have a LOT of people who want to drive an FSAE car. Thankfully, FSAE teams who have been around for more than one competition cycle have, somewhere, older cars. Yes, these cars have seen their days of glory and are now on the downslope of life. They’ll need some work, for sure. They won’t be as fast, as powerful as your newest creation, nor will they corner as well or drive as nicely, or at least that’s the hope- that you improved upon previous cars in your current one.

It is important to budget for maintenance of these cars. Fluids and wear items need to be changed, parts that break must be repaired. Someday, one will get smashed up pretty good, to mitigate this risk, put tires around light posts and curbs wherever you can, so that the hit is cushioned at least minimally. The most expensive item to budget for is tires- they wear out quick with lots of driving and aren’t cheap. You’ll also need to budget in the form of labor for these cars- ideally a few team members, a minimal number, say, two or three, would devote their time to maintaining and repairing the cars, with a primary focus on the older cars, but also somewhat to keep up with the maintenance on the newest car.

So why go to the expense, in terms of dollars and man-hours, to keep these outdated cars on the course? Simple, they are wonderful tools. If you have one or two, even if one gets severely smashed up by a new, novice driver, or an experienced driver who simply makes a mistake, it’s not the end of the world if it’s not back out on the course soon, or if it never makes it out again. Say this happens in late March. If it happens to an older car, it’s not a big deal. If it happens to the car that you’re planning to take to competition in May, well, it’s nearly the end of the world. More than one car, given enough space, also means that you can have more than one driver going at once, and that you have a car to practice and learn with before you get the next one built. Read the rest of this entry »

This is Part 13 of a series written by guest writer Ricky Nietubicz on his experience on the Formula SAE team at the University of Delaware. FSAE is a competition where students design, build, and compete with small formula-style racing cars. Ricky was President of his FSAE club, and his team went to the Nationals in Detroit during the 2006-2007 season.

This is it. The big day(s) for the car, and for the team. A year, or two, or even more of preparation comes down to a few days and seemingly fewer events. Up to this point I have focused on preparation, but this is the big deal. You’ll need to get the team, the car, and essentially your entire shop packed up, to the competition, compete, and then make it home. This is not a cheap endeavor, nor is it one that should be taken lightly as any other roadtrip.

We used a 16’ box truck and a minivan when we finally went to Detroit. Two rode in the box truck, four in the minivan. Keeping the number of vehicles small is key to minimizing both rental fees and gas costs. Minimizing the number of people coming also helps keep all the costs down, from the number of hotel rooms needed, to the number of mouths to feed. However, if people feel excluded from competition, they aren’t very likely to show up around the shop when you need the hands. Some filter is needed, it just can’t be too fine of a filter. Read the rest of this entry »

This is Part 12 of a series written by guest writer Ricky Nietubicz on his experience on the Formula SAE team at the University of Delaware. FSAE is a competition where students design, build, and compete with small formula-style racing cars. Ricky was President of his FSAE club, and his team went to the Nationals in Detroit during the 2006-2007 season.

You’ve heard it plenty of times before, if you’ve every been around racing- “the best modification you can make to any car is to improve the loose nut behind the wheel.” Maybe not those exact words, but you know it- especially in tight autocross courses, the driver is the single most important deciding factor between a slow car and a fast car. More than likely, you don’t have a team of professional drivers, and even if there are a few really good drivers in your university, it would be hard to seek them out. Not to mention that even if Michael Schumacher himself joined your team, he could only drive in two events at competition- a rule intended to insure that the car, not the driver, is being tested more, as it is an engineering competition.

This means that any FSAE team would be better off letting everyone drive in practice- you never know where your great driver will come from. There will be members with great knowledge, academically, of vehicle dynamics, who turn the slowest lap times, and there will be other people who just know how to hop in and make the car go like crazy. The only way you’ll find out where everybody stands is to take some time and get everybody on the team to take turns behind the wheel. An “everybody who works on the car can drive the car” policy helps with recruiting as well as shaking out the best drivers- who said there was no such thing as a win-win?

Unfortunately, time behind the wheel isn’t quite enough. Some system of driver training must be established, ideally by someone who knows their way around a race track. It is worth talking this over with local autocross clubs or performance driving schools to see if you can get an actual classroom training session in order. We instituted a policy that everyone must go through a driver training session before they could get behind the wheel after some incidents involving a curb (actually several curbs on several occasions), a very new Chevy Impala (or was it a Malibu?), a light post, and, of course, a smacked up race car, some bent A-arms, and the like. Some basic training went a long way. Read the rest of this entry »

This is Part 11 of a series written by guest writer Ricky Nietubicz on his experience on the Formula SAE team at the University of Delaware. FSAE is a competition where students design, build, and compete with small formula-style racing cars. Ricky was President of his FSAE club, and his team went to the Nationals in Detroit during the 2006-2007 season.

Once the car is built and moving under its own power, it comes the time for testing and tuning, and the inevitable modifications required in order to get the car as competitive as possible. Things that looked good on paper won’t translate so well into three dimensions. Some machining will get flubbed. Some parts will be made to the wrong tolerances. Some things, you just plain won’t think of.

We were having shifter troubles at one point. We solved those troubles with an extra bracket to hold the cable steadier, and straighter. A few months later, we were having charging troubles. As it turns out, the bracket that solved the shifter troubles was slowly but surely vibrating against the cable taking power from the alternator to the battery. Over a bit of driving, it eventually made its way through the insulation and to the wire, where it shorted from time to time. We didn’t track it down until eventually it was smoking. We replaced the alternator and attacked the bracket with an angle grinder. Solved the problem.

Another case was when we decided, at some point, to run a wire between one of the frame tubes and the gas tank. Under certain maneuvers, this wire was squashed, until eventually the insulation wore through and it shorted against the gas tank, precipitating a total re-wiring of the car, as mentioned in previous articles. Solved the problem.

These are the types of issues faced by an FSAE team who lacks the expertise of seasoned engineers, such as those who build real cars. This is brought about also because it just plain isn’t possible to think of everything, and you’ll need to have a car finished as soon as possible so that it can be tested, so that these kinks can be worked out. Read the rest of this entry »