Update, Nov. 6: Escape from Berkeley '09!

Well it's been almost a month since our great adventure, and we've got the word that "Escape from Berkeley: By any non-petroleum means necessary" is a go for next year!

Since the last race, ideas are still popping into our heads on how to make a "Serious" contender. Jack McCornak's MAX and the Green Team Dodge really got us inspired.

So we've whittled down the options until finally we reached our last. . .

We've deduced, that the only way to win this rally is Victory by Sheer NUMBERS!

Yes that's right. If one Merc won't beat 'em, three will! Using the best ideas of all the previous contenders, we will have an alternative fuel smorgasbord! "The Merc" will stay as he is, running on waste vegetable oil. Another car will feature a gasifier-fueled engine. And finally, another car will sport a high performance steam engine!

For back-up, all the cars will feature bicycle pedals connected to the drive shaft, and tether points on each car if tieing them together is necessary.













Heh. Well of course I'm not serious about that, but we are figuring out ways to make the "Merc" a better contender. Heated fuel lines are at the top of the list.

I'll keep you updated on the going-ons here in the shop. I think the smell of veggie-oil will probably follow me to my grave.


P.S.

We still have some of the oil donated to us by fellow homeschool groups for the race (thanks again!), and we hadn't filtered some of it yet.

Well we found it that it was good that we waited until now to use it...
















Fish scales and shrimp. Yummm....