I understand. Whatever works for you is fine. But, you usually get what you pay for.

Definitely a hit or miss proposition. Boneyard engines are like a box of chocolates............

__________________
'82 240D Euro 68K and growing

Contact WOLF or Elsbett (in Germany) and get one of their conversion kits. I know WOLF definitly has one for the CDI's and PD TDI's. Then find a mechanic that will put it in.

__________________
1999 E300DT (131,800) 154,000 Black on Black SOLD

2006 CLK 500 coupe Capri Blue on Grey (zoom,zoom)
47,000mi

04 VW TDI Passat 80,000mi
(Techno)

How to eliminate oil dependency through market-driven approaches.
“We could cut oil use in half by 2025, and by 2040, oil use could be zero,”
The Sound of Diesel Speed
Ode to MB

if she has the mula and is willing to be the lab rat!! GO FOR IT.

I say blend with diesel and have a fuel heaters. Both a coolant heat exchanger for when driving and injection line heaters (along with some other instant heating device) that kicks on just before start up.

All this is to improve automization; at start up especially, so less chance of this thicker fuel to cause coking on the ring lands.

Im thinking on doing this on my 03 Golf TDI

__________________
"If anyone knows other lessons I need to learn, please tell me. I'm tired of learning them the hard way".
by JerryBro

The Glow Plug Wait: This waiting period is a moment of silence to pay honor to Rudolph Diesel. The longer you own your diesel the more honor you will give him". by SD Blue

My normal daily life; either SNAFUed- Situation Normal... All Fouled Up, or FUBARed- Fouled Up Beyond All Repair

62 UNIMOG Camper w/617 Turbo, 85 300SD daily driver- both powered by blended UCO fuels

Because it's a diesel engine...
Diesel is the only option in Canada, Gas is the only option in the USA.
Only other option is Europe.

Still a lot less than an S class or an E class for that matter. Not to mention your local Mercedes dealer is going to enjoy "sticking it to you" because they can't just let one of their low end mechanics work on your car. Any way you cut it the engine replacement prices is probably going to rival the preowned price on the vehicle. With all the importers allowing people to order "new" smarts a used car with an abused engine from running home brew fuel is probably not going to sit well with someone prepared to plunk down a stupid amount of money on one.

The Smart cars actually appealed to me for a few seconds until I saw how horribly they handle. Its kind of pathetic to have a small car that handles so poorly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R--LAHoMEgU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOc3-JycxLI

At least SMART cars are really useful. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CCl9bQPAjac&search=smart
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6IKA2M1o44&search=smart

You can see what I mean about the cr@ppy shifting tranny: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yKk3zudW2ig&search=smart

Depends on what you consider useful.

I personally don't drive through fields yelling in dutch and stuff hay in my cars.

Most of my driving is highway and the uncomfortable ride and lack of cargo and passenger space would not make much sense to me.

As for the crappy shifting transmission have you ever driven a C coupe? They do most of their pull in 1st gear as well. Guess its a Mercedes thing.

From http://finanzen.net/news/news_detail.asp?NewsNr=410030

Dieter Zetsche, Chairman of the Board of ManagementDaimlerChrysler AG (NYSECX) and head of Mercedes Car Group, todayannounced that the unique and urban-friendly smart brand will enterthe U.S. market. Beginning in 2008, the successor to the smart fortwowill be available in U.S. markets in three models. The U.S.A., as theworld's largest automotive market, will be the 37th market for smart.

The Parties have agreed on the framework for the exclusivedistribution of smart vehicles by international automotive retailerUnitedAuto Group, Inc. (NYSE:UAG). UnitedAuto will be responsible forawarding potential dealers and developing and maintaining a smartvehicle dealership network throughout the United States and PuertoRico.

DaimlerChrysler AG Chairman of the Board of Management and head ofMercedes Car Group Dieter Zetsche said, "Following the success of thesmart fortwo in Europe with more than 750,000 attracted customers andthe increasing demand for affordable and fuel efficient small cars inthe U.S.A., we are now bringing this new kind of mobility to U.S.cities. The time has never been better for this -- and I am convincedthat the smart fortwo as an innovative, ecological and agile city carwill soon become just as familiar a sight on the streets of New York,Miami or Seattle, as it is today in Rome, Berlin or Paris."

Like its predecessor, the smart fortwo successor will have all theimportant features that make customers feel safer and morecomfortable. As part of the Mercedes Car Group, the smart vehicle willbe equipped with unique technology, including the "hard shell" tridionsafety cell, ESP and various airbag systems.

UnitedAuto expects to qualify potential dealers using an openprocess that will focus on their commitment to the brand and strategiclocations in key markets with facilities that meet the needs of thebrand and the customer. Demonstration of outstanding customersatisfaction metrics will also be a key element to qualify for thefranchise. The initial rollout of retail outlets is expected to startin mid-2007, with the official launch of the smart brand planned tooccur later that year. The smart vehicle is expected to be sold in theU.S. starting in early 2008.

UnitedAuto Chairman Roger Penske remarked, "We are thrilled withthe opportunity to represent the smart brand in the United States andPuerto Rico. Through our international diversification, we've seen thebenefits the smart brand provides in Europe. We believe the U.S.market will embrace the smart vehicle with its exceptional fueleconomy, environmentally friendly features, and advantageous pricepoint. We look forward to a successful launch of this vehicle over thenext several years."

For further information about the smart vehicles please refer towww.media.smart.com or www.smartusa.com or call 1-800-smart-usa.

About UnitedAuto

United Auto Group, Inc., headquartered in Bloomfield Hills,Michigan, operates 296 retail automotive franchises, representing 40different brands, and 27 collision repair centers. UnitedAuto, whichsells new and previously owned vehicles, finance and insuranceproducts and replacement parts, and offers maintenance and repairservices on all brands it represents, has 173 franchises in 19 statesand Puerto Rico and 123 franchises located internationally, primarilyin the United Kingdom. UnitedAuto is a member of the Fortune 500 andRussell 2000 and has approximately 14,000 employees.

About smart

Since October 1998 the smart fortwo has attracted more than750,000 customers in 36 countries. As a brand of DaimlerChrysler,smart benefits from the parent corporation's technical expertise andextensive experience in the automotive business. The successor to thesmart fortwo will be launched in Europe next year and will beavailable in the USA for the first time the following year.

smart, as one of the youngest car makes on the market, stands forinnovation, functionality and joie de vivre and especially appeals tocustomers who are interested in new, clever and trend-settingsolutions in the automotive sector. smart drivers are characterized byattitude, not by age, profession, gender or any other "traditional"criteria clustering groups of people. smart people are open minded,question the existing and live consciously.

Cautionary Statement UAG

Statements in this press release involve forward-lookingstatements, including forward-looking statements pertaining tosuccessful completion of the proposed distributorship and dealershipnetwork on the terms described above. The actual results may varymaterially from those planned because of risks and uncertainties,including external factors such as interest rate fluctuations, changesin consumer spending, economic conditions and other factors over whichmanagement has no control. These forward-looking statements should beevaluated together with additional information about UnitedAuto'sbusiness, markets, conditions and other uncertainties which couldaffect UnitedAuto's future performance, which is contained inUnitedAuto's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2005, and itsother filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and whichis incorporated into this press release by reference. This pressrelease speaks only as of its date and UnitedAuto disclaims any dutyto update the information herein.

Cautionary Statement DaimlerChrysler

This document contains forward-looking statements that reflectmanagement's current views with respect to future events. The words"anticipate," "assume," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "intend,""may," "plan," "project," and "should" and similar expressionsidentify forward-looking statements. Such statements are subject torisks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to: an economicdownturn in Europe or North America; changes in currency exchangerates, interest rates and in raw material prices; introduction ofcompeting products; increased sales incentives; the effectiveimplementation of the New Management Model for DaimlerChrysler and theCORE program, including the new business model for smart, at theMercedes Car Group; renewed pressure to continue cost reductionefforts in light of restructuring plans announced by General MotorsCorporation and Ford Motor Company; supply interruptions of productionmaterials, resulting from shortages, labor strikes or supplierinsolvencies; the resolution of pending governmental investigations;and decline in resale prices of used vehicles. If any of these orother risks and uncertainties occur (some of which are described underthe heading "Risk Report" in DaimlerChrysler's most recent AnnualReport and under the heading "Risk Factors" in DaimlerChrysler's mostrecent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the Securities andExchange Commission), or if the assumptions underlying any of thesestatements prove incorrect, then actual results may be materiallydifferent from those expressed or implied by such statements. We donot intend or assume any obligation to update any forward-lookingstatement, which speaks only as of the date on which it is made.

http://www.worldcarfans.com/news.cfm/NewsID/2050607.004/country/gcf/mercedes/mercedes-benz-bionic-concept-vehicle

Four-cylinder turbodiesel engine (1991 cc, 103 kW/140 hp) with common-rail direct injection,300 Nm at 1600-3000 rpm,Acceleration 0-100 km/h
8.2 s,Max. speed 190 km/h.In accordance with the US measuring method (FTP 75) the range is around 70 miles per US gallon (combined), which is about 30 percent more than for a standard-production car. At a constant speed of 90 km/h the EU fuel consumption falls to a mere 2.8 litres per 100 kilometres – corresponding to 84 mpg in the US test programme.

__________________
1999 E300DT (131,800) 154,000 Black on Black SOLD

2006 CLK 500 coupe Capri Blue on Grey (zoom,zoom)
47,000mi

04 VW TDI Passat 80,000mi
(Techno)

How to eliminate oil dependency through market-driven approaches.
“We could cut oil use in half by 2025, and by 2040, oil use could be zero,”
The Sound of Diesel Speed
Ode to MB