The Green Mountain Grease Machine

Ah, those crafty and frugal Vermonters....always searching for an alternative. We have quoted this article directly from The Boston Globe's piece by David Arnold in October 2002. 

Abraham Noe-Hays is on the final leg of a 15,000-mile tour around the country in a 1989 Volkswagen Jetta powered by . . . vegetable oil.

He didn't take the high road, using store-bought Wesson or Pastene. The "Green Mountain Grease Machine" drove coast-to-coast smelling like a Whopper and humming on 300 gallons of the stuff that restaurants throw out.

"Chinese restaurants are best. They often use liquid oils, not solids, so I can pump it right into my tank," said the 26-year-old from Putney, VT, where he started in July and finishes tomorrow. yesterday, Noe-Hays stopped at Taunton High School to deliver the message he's taken across the country: There is an alternative to fossil fuel.

Veggie power is nothing new. Rudolph Diesel predicted it would work back in 1892 when he patented his internal combustion engine. But petroleum was cheaper then, and still is. A gallon of diesel today costs about $1.60, while Wesson oil goes for $7.50.

Noe-Hays gets his pre-used fuel for free -- although the Jetta is diesel-oil-powered until the gunk in the trunk warms up enough to run the engine. His major expense is a $10 filter every 50 miles because of french-fry clogs.

Since July, Noe-Hays has been driving from trash bin to trash bing, looking for fuel and dealing with curious people and animals. "Yosemite was particularly troublesome," he said. "The bears tried to eat my car."

Source:  David Arnold, Vermont Motorist Cruising US on Fryer Fuel, The Boston Globe, Oct 2002.