Veggie Oil As Gas Substitute

One Owner Claims He Gets 180 MPG Using It; There Are Catches

(CBS) 
"We've had kids in their 20s and people in their 80s come in; doctors, lawyers, restaurant owners, construction workers," he said.

One catch, though, is that only cars with diesel engines can be converted to switch between diesel fuel and veggie oil, creating a hybrid of sorts. They use the diesel oil to warm up the veggie oil.

Little charges $2,000 to $5,000 for his work, depending on the size of the car.

He says his grease-car conversion business has gone up almost 20 percent since the recent spike in gas prices.

And not only do they save you a lot of money, grease-cars are better for the environment than vehicles that use gas for fuel. The engines create very little pollution, and they offer a way to recycle used fryer grease. Some people even convert their cars as a way of making a political statement.

Lee Michel is a believer who calls himself "a knight who says nee." N-E-E — novelty, economy and the environment.

"On my last tank," he said, "I got 180 miles per gallon."

Aside from its limitation to diesel engines, veggie oil has other "buts."

Having a so-called "greaser" car is, Murphy said, a hassle. Besides picking up the oil, you have to filter it if you don't buy fresh oil.

As Kandell told her, "One chicken wing (that passes through the filter) can really ruin your day!"

And, Murphy noted, there's one thing you can't filter out: the smell.

She noticed Kandell's car smells like french fries!