This Car Runs On Moonshine

This Car Runs On Moonshine FARM HOME Cars 3-6-4 Archer Daniels Midland Co., Cedar Rapids, Iowa, one of the country's largest alcohol producers, has modified a conventional assembly line car to run on pure 190 proof alcohol. The ADM modifications were carried out on a standard Ford Fiesta equipped with a 1600 cc engine. Because of the high octane rating of alcohol, the compression ratio was increased from 8.6:1 to 12.5:1, upping the car's horsepower and efficiency. Engine bore size was decreased by slipping in a substitute cylinder sleeve. Piston stroke remained the same. Bob McKee, of McKee Engineering at Palatine, Ill., did the work for ADM. He says any good mechanic could make the changes. Testing is not complete on the car, but McKee expects the miles per gallon to be slightly less than gasoline. "That doesn't worry us because we're using a fuel that can be renewed in a year - not a million years, like oil," he says. For more information on the do-ityourself conversions, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, ADM Corn Sweetness, Archer Daniels Midland Co., P.O. Box 14 5, Cedar Rapids, Ia. 52406 (ph 319 398-0600). Technical advice on alcohol engine conversions is also available from Bob McKee, McKee Engineering, 411 West Colfax, Palatine, Ill. 60067 (ph 312 358-6773).

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