All posts by jake

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20 Antler Crescent

Better than new executive home, in a family-friendly neighborhood, with river views!

This beautiful homes features cathedral ceilings, boston headers, hardwood & ceramic flooring throughout, a fully finished daylight basement with 2 bedrooms, a huge family room, full bathroom with double vanity, and a laundry room, & much more!

Upstairs the main living area offers a fantastic open concept layout consisting of a spacious family room, functional kitchen with large island and stainless steel appliances, and a dining area overlooking the Kennebecasis River!  This level also houses 3 bedrooms, including the vast master with walk-in closet and a pass-through to the main full bathroom.

The attached double car garage offer extra living space in the fully finished loft!

This home is sure to impress even the toughest of critics from its sophisticated finishes to its outstanding curb appeal and river views!

Call for your private viewing today!

Video Tour:

Main Level
Foyer: 21 x 10.5
Living Room: 22 x 13
Kitchen/Dining: 22 x 12
Master Bedroom: 14.5 x 12
Ensuite: Full
Bedroom: 11 x 11
Bedroom: 11 x 10.5
Bathroom: Half

Lower Level
Family Room: 27 x 18.5
Bedroom: 16 x 11.5
Bedroom: 15 x 13.5
Laundry: 11 x 6
Bathroom: Full

Loft: 26.3 x 12

16 Brookdale Ave

Better than new 3 bedroom bungalow with a finished basement, workshop with loft, and large front deck!

The main level features hardwood & ceramic flooring throughout, a bright living room open to the kitchen, which offers lots of cabinets and a large island, and a very spacious dining area with sliding doors to the oversized back deck. This level also houses 3 generous sized bedrooms, all with double closets, and a full bath.

The walkout basement has been recently finished and offers an additional 700sqft of living space, including a large rec room/family room, ¾ bath with laundry, an unfinished storage area, and a great space for an office or workout room!

This is a great family home inside and out with the private, nicely treed lot offering lots of room for kids to play!

Call for you private viewing today.

Video Tour:

2 Willowbriar Drive

This well cared for 3+1 bedroom split entry home is situated on a large corner lot on a quiet side street within walking distance to Meenans Cove Beach.

This home has been extensively renovated including new vinyl siding, vinyl windows, and hardwood & ceramic flooring throughout.

The main floor offers a large living room with river views and beautiful sunsets, the spacious, nicely renovated eat-in kitchen with lots of counter space, a center island and sliding doors leading to the back deck, a separate dining area, and 3 large bedrooms, including the master which features an ensuite and double closets, and a renovated full bathroom!

Downstairs offers lots of finished space including a rec room, family room with brand new wood burning insert, 1/2 bath, and laundry room, and an unfinished storage/workshop area.

The large backyard offers a nice sized deck and plenty of room for the kids to play, and parking won`t be an issue in the large paved driveway.

All services are underground!

Video Tour:

2709 Rothesay Road

Outstanding 2-storey waterfront home offering a fantastic layout, breathtaking views, curb appeal, and a guest cabin on your very own sandy beach!

Inside offers classic charm, completely renovated throughout with a modern addition consisting of an open concept dining/living area with cathedral ceilings. Main level also features a CSA approved wood burning fireplace, a spacious kitchen with a large breakfast island, formal living room, powder room and convenient main floor laundry. The home is wrapped in new windows throughout allowing you to take in the beautiful water views.

Upstairs houses 3 bedrooms, including the master wing featuring an ensuite, walk-in closet & private deck.

The basement offers a 4th bedroom, rec room area, storage room , cold room, and unfinished area with double doors accessing the backyard, the perfect spot to store you Ski-Doo/Sea-Doo!

The “out-of-a-magazine” grounds offer activities for the entire family and are sure to be the subject of your photo albums for years to come!

Video Tour of House:

Video Tour of Grounds:

Main Level
Kitchen: 14 x 8.5
Living Room/Dining Room: 23 x 16.6
Family Room: 21.6 x 14.4
Bathroom: Half

Second Level
Master Bedroom: 22 x 13.4
Master Ensuite: Full
Bedroom: 13 x 10
Bedroom: 10 x 8.6
Bathroom: Full

Lower Level
Rec Room: 20 x 14

Cochrane Lane

Great value in this land!  Perfect for the outdoor enthusiast!!

61 Riverview Ave

MLS: 1
$0

Details / changes / renos

Stuff

Video Tour:

Looking for an older home character, lots of space, and a great layout? Then buy my Nanny’s house! It offers a fantastic floor plan that is ideal for a large family, with wide hallways, 4 large bedrooms and lots of quiet corners for offices, dens and hiding spots.

On the main floor, a bright kitchen with plenty of cabinets opens up to a formal dining room. A wide hallway and formal entrance leads you to a large living room with a propane fireplace. Main floor is accented by beautiful hardwood floors, coffered ceilings and built-in shelving & cabinets, and also features a large mudroom with laundry, half bath and lots of storage, as well as access to a bright little den where Nanny would send me if I was in a “time out”.

A wide staircase leads upstairs, where you’ll find four large bedrooms and a main bathroom,  as well as 3 smaller rooms that are perfect for a home office, hobby room, laundry or ensuite addition. Exit to the backyard from the mudroom or 2 car garage, and find yourself bathed in the afternoon and evening sun.

Upgrades include newer vinyl insert windows throughout.

Call for your private viewing today.

Main Level
Kitchen: 11.6 x 12
Dining Room: 11.11 x 13.3
Living Room: 26 x 13.3
Mudroom: 8 x 11.4
Garage: 18 x 20

Second Level
Master Bedroom: 11.6 x 11.7
Bedroom: 13.3 x 12.6
Bedroom: 13.3 x 12.6
Bedroom: 13.6 x 10
Reading Room: 7.7 x 8
Office: 13.6 x 6.10
Office: 8.10 x 8.10

Map:

View Larger Map

Somebody stop me, before I buy a 25 yr old Porsche…

Before I buy an ’86 Porsche 911 with ~390k kms, for $7000 US

Seriously, has the world gone mad? What’s a 5 year old Hyundai Tiburon cost? More than a tatty Porsche 911, apparently. Any guesses on the value of the Porsche will be in 5 years, compared to that Tiburon?

It’s a good thing I got laid off and have a brand-spanking new baby, otherwise I’d fly to Penticton and do something sensible.

Sure, the price of the 911 will be matched by the cost of the engine rebuild when you accidently drop it from 5th to 2nd coming off the highway, but even then you can sell it as a roller for $4k, or stick in a VW diesel engine and run it on canola. The 911 already has two tanks, so it wouldn’t be that hard…

Yeah… you know I would.

Ms Fortune sails again!

 

The wretched hag has been on dry ground since ’05. The last time I had her moved by boomtruck, I swore I wouldn’t launch her again until I had it on a trailer. So, finally found a trailer last year.

Then this spring I set to work. New keel pin & brackets, which meant dropping the ~800lb keel. Also cut 4′ off the mast, shortened the stays and made a stainless masthead. I also got a CDI furler and a custom genoa that wasn’t really what I ordered, but nice just the same.

Anyway, it sits at the mooring now, after a world-class fiasco getting her launched. I am still waiting on the video of that. It was fantastic.

 


Sammy the Samurai

I’ve been meaning to post pics of this bad little dude for a while. I posted about him back when I bought him, then when I first put him on the road, and again when I swapped in a vw1.6 turbodiesel using an Acme Adapters

kit.

 

Anyway, back in February ’07 I converted it to run on veggie oil. Being a trashy old oil sucking engine, I decided to just use a homemade heat exchanger I had laying around, and a Pollak 6 port fuel valves. For a fuel tank, I used a 20 liter aluminum fuel tank that I bought for $5 at a flea market (actually, I bought 3 of them!) and soldered up a copper heated fuel pickup that goes down into the tank. The final heat exchanger is woefully inadequate, I get about 50*C fuel temperature at the injection pump.
I have a really nice 1.9 AAZ turbodiesel that I’ll swap in this summer. At the same time, I’ll clean up the wiring & plumbing, add a FPHE & vegtherm, and probably even paint it.

 

The veggie tank: On the top, you can see fuel and coolant lines going into the heated fuel pickup. You can also see the insulated Hose on Hose (HoH) running towards the front of the car.

 

You can see the HoH going up the driver’s side footwell, where it passes through the firewall. You can also see the vacuum gauge in the center of the dash. It reads the vacuum in the fuel line just before the injection pump, so I can see if the diesel or veggie filter are plugging:

 

The fuel & coolant lines pass through the firewall where they connect to the wacky, inefficient copper heat exchanger. The fuel passes through the center, then out on the left, through the small filter and into the 6 port valve.

 

Here’s another look at the (messy) engine compartment. A couple things worth noting:
-glow plugs have individual wires run instead of the standard “bus bar”. This makes identifying dead plugs MUCH easier.
-I used cheapie “worm gear” hose clamps instead of the better fuel injection hose clamps… something I generally advise against.
No, Sammy the Samurai isn’t pretty. But he is tough and easy to love.
I’ve had him on the road for 3 years now, and I’ve never washed him once, but hit him with a coat of Tremclad once a year.

jakepalmeristheman 2008-09-14 21:29:00

Sammy's replacement is home safe & sound.

Looked at 2 4runners yesterday, this was the best of the two. Has sat for a year and needs some attention, but made the 400km drive home without hesitation.


Sussex Flea Market

Sussex Flea Market We showed up late, and it was pretty ugly out. Many of the tables were covered because of the rain. The occasional whif of feces didn't help. This picture pretty much sums it up: However, looking at the pictures now, I see piles of cool stuff in the background that I didn't even notice. Methinks our grumpiness prevented us from digging deep enough. You can't rush the sussex flea market. To find the treasures, you need to take the time to peel back the scabs. I must have been in a bad mood if I passed on this complete forge for $200. Holy smokes, do I ever want it now. Nice old McAvity & Sons salesman's chest Ride-on toy for the kids seafood Corned Beef crate Some quality used tires: Really nice hand crank water pump Popcycle stick art Really beautiful old outboard '51 Merc

jakepalmeristheman 2008-08-19 01:26:00

Ms Fortune sails again!

The wretched hag has been on dry ground since '05. The last time I had her moved by boomtruck, I swore I wouldn't launch her again until I had it on a trailer. So, finally found a trailer last year.

Then this spring I set to work. New keel pin & brackets, which meant dropping the ~800lb keel. Also cut 4' off the mast, shortened the stays and made a stainless masthead. I also got a CDI furler and a custom genoa that wasn't really what I ordered, but nice just the same.

Anyway, it sits at the mooring now, after a world-class fiasco getting her launched. I am still waiting on the video of that. It was fantastic.









































jakepalmeristheman 2008-04-21 00:10:00

Sammy the Samurai

I've been meaning to post pics of this bad little dude for a while. I posted about him back when I bought him, then when I first put him on the road, and again when I swapped in a vw1.6 turbodiesel using an Acme Adapters kit.

Anyway, back in February '07 I converted it to run on veggie oil. Being a trashy old oil sucking engine, I decided to just use a homemade heat exchanger I had laying around, and a Pollak 6 port fuel valves. For a fuel tank, I used a 20 liter aluminum fuel tank that I bought for $5 at a flea market (actually, I bought 3 of them!) and soldered up a copper heated fuel pickup that goes down into the tank. The final heat exchanger is woefully inadequate, I get about 50*C fuel temperature at the injection pump.
I have a really nice 1.9 AAZ turbodiesel that I'll swap in this summer. At the same time, I'll clean up the wiring & plumbing, add a FPHE & vegtherm, and probably even paint it.


The veggie tank: On the top, you can see fuel and coolant lines going into the heated fuel pickup. You can also see the insulated Hose on Hose (HoH) running towards the front of the car.

You can see the HoH going up the driver's side footwell, where it passes through the firewall. You can also see the vacuum gauge in the center of the dash. It reads the vacuum in the fuel line just before the injection pump, so I can see if the diesel or veggie filter are plugging:

The fuel & coolant lines pass through the firewall where they connect to the wacky, inefficient copper heat exchanger. The fuel passes through the center, then out on the left, through the small filter and into the 6 port valve.

Here's another look at the (messy) engine compartment. A couple things worth noting:
-glow plugs have individual wires run instead of the standard "bus bar". This makes identifying dead plugs MUCH easier.
-I used cheapie "worm gear" hose clamps instead of the better fuel injection hose clamps... something I generally advise against.
No, Sammy the Samurai isn't pretty. But he is tough and easy to love.
I've had him on the road for 3 years now, and I've never washed him once, but hit him with a coat of Tremclad once a year.

New car!

Well, its 9 years old but it's new to us. It's a 99 Benz e300td Over the upcoming weeks, I'll be documenting the conversion of this car to run filtered used vegetable oil. It'll probably be easiest if I start a stand-alone blog for this conversion, so it doesn't get mixed in with pictures of nieces and complaints about Ninja attacks. I'll be posting pictures and diagrams, and describing the process step-by-step. I'll update every Monday. Should be a good read, so check in weekly. I'll be ordering all my components this week, so I'll start next week by describing what's on the way: http://jakesbenzconversion.blogspot.com/ The Jetta was just getting too old for daily-driver use, and I was losing too much time to maintaining it. There are only two choices for diesel cars: VW and Mercedes. We didn't have great luck with the last Jetta, and I've heard absolute horror stories about the newer stuff too. A 2-3 year old Mercedes is 35-40k, so that was out of the question. However, these 96-99 e300d's caught my eye. I love the "210" series bodystyle, and have read glowing reports about their safety and comfort. They had some teething issues the first year or two, so I looked for a 98 or 99. This one was in Montreal. It has 260k, a bit high, but it had all the recommended updates and all service records going back to 99. It also included a full set of spare rims, and a roof rack. Had the car checked out by a mercedes specialist in Montreal (Joe Bassili, 514 344-5183) and he found the sunroof didn't work, the windshield was a bit pitted and the transmission had a leak. The seller had the leak fixed on the spot, and I wasn't too concerned about the sunroof or windshield. A deal was struck, and for the price of a Kia with 4 bald tires and a night of hard drinking, we had a 99 e300d. Drove up to Montreal after work on Thursday. Picked up the new car on Friday, sold the Jetta on Saturday. Spent a couple days tooling around Montreal, then drove home yesterday... about 600 miles. What a great car... really a joy to drive. I've become so accustomed to diesels being utilitarian and somewhat crude, even in nicer cars like my dad's 83 300sd. A tractor engine in nice pants. Not this thing. It not only pulls like a train, it actually makes nice sounds. It's snowing very hard tonight, and I only have all season (read: no season) tires on. Had to play around a bit to get in the garage... eventually switched off the traction control to let it "dig" a bit. Holy smokes, it really has a growl. Just love it. The om606 engine is pretty amazing. Straight six, dual overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder and a crossflow head. Oh, and turbocharged. This is not a tractor engine. And of course, balance has to be maintained in the universe. Having an awesome newish (for us, that means under 10 years old) car demanded a vehicular penance of some sort. Enter Kate, stage left. While I was away, Kate filled the Samurai with gasoline and it died about 10 minutes later on the highway. That was fun for her, and even more fun for me to deal with tonight out in the driveway, in the middle of that weather. Diesel down my arms and snow down my back.

jakepalmeristheman 2007-10-01 23:57:00

Hampton Envirofair: October 13th

I'll be there with two or three cars converted to run on canola.

Come by to talk about how to convert your car, and discuss different components & technologies.

I'll also bring PNB quarterly "road tax" forms ,and explain how to run your car legally on vegetable oil. New Brunswick is one of the few provinces that recognizes vegetable oil, and homebrew biodiesel, as a legal fuel. Let's do our part to keep it legal.

Roofing party!

Tons of help from great friends. I can sleep a lot better at night now.
A funny story about roofing:
I measured up my roof and calculated the square footage, then ordered all the suplies. At the same time, I ordered enough shingles to do the sunporch as well, for a later date. I had the whole load delivered by boom truck.
As soon as the boom truck had left, I realized I was in BIG trouble... I had all the shingles (35 bundles) up on the garage roof. I somehow had to get 13 bundles over to the sunporch, and they weigh ~80lbs each. I had no idea how I was going to do it, and I couldn't waste time on it anyway because the sunporch wasn't going to be done till later. Still, enough to keep me awake at night, scheming and figuring.
Well, when we started doing the main part of the roof, we realized we were going through shingles FAST. When we stopped for lunch, I had a look at my numbers again.
I had measured the roof as 17' across, instead of 27'. Um... yeah.
I used 33 out of the 35 bundles... With all the "extra" shingles I had ordered for the sunporch, we had just enough. God looks after drunks and fools.
 
 
         

jakepalmeristheman 2007-08-20 13:02:00

It's rarely good news when the phone rings at 2 am.

In the early hours, Ben called to tell me that Gordie passed away yesterday evening. He had been sick for some time, and was on & off the liver transplant list a few times in the past year or two.

Apparently his condition worsened in the past few days. Both the boys were able to make it to Edmonton in time to be with him. That was nice to hear. I know it's so easy to say "he cared so much about his kids"... who doesn't, right? But Eric & Andre were truly the center of Gordie's life. I think we all saw that. Growing up, Eric and Andre's house was always the hub of activity.

Gordie did everything imaginable, and many thing unimaginable, to make their home a fun, exciting place for his boys and their friends.

Want to build a fort? Gordie had the nails & wood
Want to watch movies,? Gordie had a movie theater popcorn machine
Want to blow things up with firecracker? Gordie had matches
Want to go sliding? Heck, Gordie had a hill.

Gordie always had a project or fiasco on the go, usually of significant scope. You realized after a while that if you were around, say watching a movie, you were also ON CALL. At any moment, Gordie could storm downstairs to announce the crisis at hand and the solution he had dreamt up.

The truck is stuck
The boat came off its mooring and is on the sandbar
It's -25 and the VW won't start
A neighbor's basement is flooded

It was never, ever a "duty". You always felt important... he had chosen YOU to help save the day. He KNEW that with your help, we could get it done.

And he always did get it done... that was the amazing thing.

You learned over time that with your help, some crow bars, and a piece of rope tied to a piece of chain connected to a 4x4 that you used for leverage, Gordie could take on just about anything the world threw at him. You'd make it home hours later... pants torn, soaking wet, dog tired. But you'd feel like you just grew a foot. You had just taken on the forces of nature with Gordie Chuch, and by christ you had won.

For a kid that didn't know how to swing a hammer, start an outboard or even how to spit properly, I sure learned a lot.

Gordie and I had our ups & downs over the years, but it would be impossible to say how different I’d be without his influence.

It's not even that Gordie taught us how to do anything is particular... but he taught us all we needed was some gumption, some tools and a couple friends. I can tell you that I still live that to this day.

Tonight I'll raise a glass of rum & coke in his memory.

jakepalmeristheman 2007-06-25 21:56:00

June 25th.... baseboard trim FINISHED

Started out with a few weeks of evenings & weekends up in the loft. Used Bondo & Polyfil to smooth out the 12' boards that were once subfloor.














Also cut the tops of the old rinky-dink 3" baseboards. Routered them and then sanded & painted.














The top peices will fit over the routered top edge on the planks:














Had to make 54 new corner pieces for the doorway casings. I couldn't find anything that would "quite" work. I decided to make my own. These started out as four carefully picked 2x6s. A few hours on the table saw & router and I had what I wanted:














Everything was sanded, primed, "filled", sanded, painted, sanded and then painted again. JT helped out, and in return I did the headgasket in his Hondie.

We both took Friday off, and started with all the furniture shoved aside.




























JT gave me the whole day, and we got all the casing "corners" & planks up. Thumper came by after work and did the side entranceway, a very tricky area. There is not a straight wall or floor in the house.

By Sunday evening, all the trim was up, Dap'd and painted.
























































As a "value add", Jt and I put new flooring in the hallway upstairs. I used leftovers from the Great Kitchen Floor Project.




























I made a threshold using the my favorite plank. When I had them milled, they said there was one they couldn't plane because it had staples and nails in it. When he was showing it to me, we noticed that it was actually lead shot! It had been varnished over several times, so at some point someone fired a shotgun in that little church. I used that board to make a threshold last week. I think it tells an interesting story:














Turned out really, really nice. I am so happy with the results.

jakepalmeristheman 2007-05-31 23:01:00

May 31, 2007

I take the dogs for a nice 2-3 mile walk every day after work. Lately, I've got them trained to do their business before we leave, so I rarely have to scoop while I walk them.

So, lately I've been using my plastic bag to pick up litter as I go. It drives me freakin nuts. It's a nice road in a nice area, and people are pitching their cigarette packs, coffee cups and fast food wrappers along the street. Based on the litter, I can saftely say that they are fat, lazy smokers. I never seem to find granola bar wrappers, or trail mix packs.

Anyway, tonight as I'm walking along a burgundy suburban drives by, and further down the road I see him pitch a bag of garbage out his window. By the time I meander up there it has been driven over a couple times and is strewn around a bit. McDonalds bag with the pickles, ketchup and crap. Pi$$ed off, I gather it up and put it in my bag.

About 25 minutes later, I come around a corner and see the Suburban parked along the street, empty. By then my bag is full, thanks to other lazy a$$hats like this guy.

As I walk up, I think it through and do the only rational and proper thing. I open the driver's door, and empty my bag... making sure to have his McDonalds garbage clearly on the top.

I have to admit I knew I'd be in for an a$$kicking if I got caught, but it sure felt good. I'll probably find it all along the street again tmorrow afternoon, but that's OK. I'll pick it up again.

jakepalmeristheman 2007-05-28 01:40:00

May 27, 2007

Landscaping!

Kate's been gone for two weeks. She wants to see PROGRESS!

3 yards of sopping wet topsoil:













I put down dirt/fill to raise the grass about 10-12" above the driveway. Was going to plant grass seed, but Thumper was pulling up sod to make rook for his new driveway. Took 3 insanely overloaded Greenie runs. (1 greenie= 100 crispers)




























Here's the new path going (almost) down to the sidewalk:



















Bonus points go to our old apple tree. Looks like it's about to blossom, after a 3 year hiatus:

jakepalmeristheman 2007-02-13 02:33:00

February 12, 2006

In the news, I think they did a pretty good story. Heck, they even got a good picture.... although I really have to talk to my doctor about Rogaine.

They made me out to be more of a good samaritan than really I am. I would obviously prefer vegetable oil be tax-free. However, I think it's important to follow the rules, especially if you want to change them.

I did get a letter from the premier acknowledging what I'm up to, so at least veggie oil is recognised as a legal fuel. That's a step. I think with some persistance, we can get them to make it tax free like in Quebec.







Noel Chenier/Telegraph-Journal. Jake Palmer with his canola-fueled diesel 1996 Volkswagen Jetta, with the vanity licence plate that spreads the message that he uses vegetable oil for more than cooking. He estimates he saves up to $2,500 annually.






Mia Urquhart
Telegraph-Journal
Published Monday February 12th, 2007
Appeared on page C6

Since he gets his fuel for free, Jake Palmer has been asking government officials for years if they would like him to pay fuel tax. Last year, the government finally took the Rothesay resident up on his offer. He now pays a higher rate of fuel tax on the used vegetable oil that powers his 1996 Volkswagen Jetta than drivers do for regular gasoline.

Every quarter, he adds up how much vegetable oil he burns, multiplies it by the tax rate of 16.9 cents a litre and sends a cheque to the minister of finance. He believes it's a small price to pay for the environmental benefits of running on used cooking oil."I also believe that this is just one area where we can use waste products for energy," explained Palmer."If we took the time, I'm sure we'd find that much of the waste we generate could be a valuable resource. Whether it's paper, compost or the hot water that goes down the drain when we shower, we need to explore ways to capture the energy we throw away every day."

Palmer's part is capturing used vegetable oil and fueling his car with it. It all began when Palmer went online a few years back to see about getting better mileage for his vehicle. As a "hard-core do-it-yourselfer," Palmer was intrigued by converting to vegetable oil. He soon learned that it wasn't that complicated a process and set out to convert his 1996 diesel Jetta. Then he converted his father's Mercedes and most recently, his father-in-law's Jetta. He had gotten so adept at the process, that he converted his father-in-law's car in about five hours at the Enviro Fair in Hampton in October - and much of that time was spent talking, he said.

It's not a complicated process and except for a small toggle switch on the dashboard, there's no visible clue that the car is any different. Even behind the wheel, one wouldn't know, said Palmer. Fuel efficiency and power are the same on vegetable oil as on diesel, he said. And, as long as the oil is filtered properly before use, there's no difference in the amount of long-term maintenance. The only difference is that anyone catching a whiff of the exhaust can detect the odour of whatever was cooked in the oil. Palmer said that's why he had to stop getting his oil from a certain fish eatery in the market. He prefers canola oil because it runs more cleanly.

Most recently, he's been getting his oil from a Chinese food restaurant.
He said he uses the same volume of oil as he would diesel - and he gets the oil for free since it would just be thrown out anyway. He filters the oil first and stores it in a 60-litre tank in the trunk of the car. One of the most important features of the conversion is an electric heating system that heats the oil to about the same temperature as a cup of coffee. Since the oil has to heat before being used, Palmer initially starts his vehicle on diesel and runs the first couple of kilometres on diesel before flipping the switch to canola. His record is 11 weeks on one tank of diesel. That's almost 10,000 km between visits to a gas station. The rest is all vegetable oil.He estimates that he saves between $1,500 and $2,500 each year.

Palmer isn't upset about having to pay fuel tax on his cooking oil. After all, he was the one who continuously offered to pay. He said it's only fair that he help pay for the provinces roads - like every other driver in the province who pays through gas taxes. At 16.9 cents - the same levied for diesel fuel - he pays more than those who fill up on gasoline. The rate for gasoline is 14. 5 cents. The response he received last year from the government explains that used vegetable oil is considered "motive fuel," which is anything that is not gasoline and "can be used for moving or operating any internal combustion engine or machine..."

By contrast, the province of Quebec ruled that vegetable oil is not taxable as a fuel as long as it's properly filtered and users process the oil themselves

jakepalmeristheman 2007-01-19 11:42:00

January 19, 2007
Announcement:

My regular scheduled birthday on January 19th has been postponed, due to cold weather.
Starting this year, my birthday will be held on June 19th.

I think you'll find my reasoning stands up to scrutiny: January is a time for frostbite, Visa bills and chimney fires. June, on the other hand, is a time for BBQs, skinny dipping and driving with the windows down.

For the sake of accuracy, on July 19 I will be celebrating my 31 1/2 birthday.

Thank you,

The Management

jakepalmeristheman 2006-11-23 02:56:00

November 12...

Spent the week converting my Samurai to VW diesel power. Got a great deal on a used ACME adapters kit, which makes the whole swap virtually bolt-in.

A few teething issues remain:
-A couple small oil leaks
-Seems to be eating alternator belts... looks like a pulley alingment issue
-oil pan is dangerously close to axle

I'm going to plug away at these issues while I drive it. The oil pan issue is spooky though.

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And for those of you who scrolled down this far, the video: