We have a new addition to the Live Lightly family…a 1997 VW Passat that runs on veggie oil of course! It’s only natural that we would want to get rid of our gas car and go 100% veggie. After we converted the RV, it was physically painful to put gas in the car! Ouch! We heard about the VW and knew it was the one for us. It gets 44 mpg on either veggie or diesel….a beautiful thing. 
We bought the car in Springfield, MO, from the sister of Charlie (of Golden Fuel Systems). We needed to go to Golden Fuel anyway to show them the remodeled RV and buy some oil filters, so it worked perfectly! We had a few things tweaked on our RV veggie system while we were there and we had a wonderful time seeing old friends and meeting new ones! They are a fun bunch of people.
When we arrived at GFS, there was a cargo van on the lift being converted. When we went inside, we met the van’s owner…the beautiful and adventurous Carolyn. Carolyn just graduated from college in Florida and purchased the van to travel in. The van is a former S.W.A.T. team vehicle…with a bullet hole in the side to prove it! It’s totally reinforced on the inside…and is quite a cozy home. She is on her way to Burning Man, and then has plans to travel the West coast until October. We had a great time getting to know her…we went out for coffee and lunch…and had breakfast in our RV together. We traded stories from the road, and made sure to get each other’s contact info so we could stay in touch. It looks like our paths may cross again in Arizona…it would be fun to see her again!
We were also able to catch up with my friend, Anna, and her family. We hit our favorite spots together:
The Mudhouse
…a wonderful coffee shop downtown where you can see dreadlocked college kids, pink-haired beauties, and stoic businessmen all in one place. Great people watching…but the coffee is even better! Don’t miss the Frozen MudTurtle. Yum. They also have a huge selection of teas and yummy sandwiches. Vegetarian friendly too!
The Tea Bar and Bites
This little restaurant just glows with charm. Delicious food and great service. Each room is unique, with touches of whimsy. It also has a delightful covered outdoor patio with fountains and flowers. I could stay all day.
The Jordan Valley Park Fountain
…perfect on a hot Missouri afternoon! This amazing fountain was designed by the same people that created the Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas. When the water “pops” up…it makes rhythms similar to a drum line..it’s like music! I actually thought that there was a drum line practicing at a nearby baseball park.
To see photos of Carolyn, flash floods, Amish buggies and more, click HERE.
That’s so fun that you went to the Mudhouse! I lived in Springfield for 2 years during college and the Mudhouse is still my hands-down favorite coffee shop.
The Mudpuddles are magic. I can’t tell you how many 8 hr. marathon studying sessions I did there! And it’s special in my heart because it’s where I first started drinking coffee, and learned to knit! lol! Thanks for bringing back the memories!
Comment by Samantha — August 25, 2007 @ 8:57 am
We have a VW too! We love it. Ours is diesel and I would love to convert it to veggie fuel. We’re planning to start making our own.
Comment by Evan — August 27, 2007 @ 9:21 am
I’m thinking about getting a diesel to convert to a veggie car.
How expensive is it?
and
Do you smell like a french fry after driving it?
Comment by jake — August 27, 2007 @ 10:40 am
What kind of car did you hvae before? 44MGP is like my old gas powered car, a Geo Metro that got 47/51 MPG back in 1992!
Comment by Debra — August 27, 2007 @ 11:33 am
Jake…the kit from Golden Fuel Systems is about $1000-1500 + labor (if you are having them install it). Most people make their money back within 6-12 months. And no…we don’t smell like french fries at all. The people driving behind us might smell it though!
Debra…we previously had a 1996 Nissan Atima that got 20-25 mpg. The Geo Metro is great for fuel economy
Our main priority was to find a car that didn’t use gas, the 44 mpg was just a great perk!
Comment by livelightly — August 27, 2007 @ 3:26 pm
Ha! Sid and I are from Springfield.
Comment by Tiffanie — July 15, 2010 @ 11:03 pm