Gas is generally about $3 per gallon now and in some parts of the country, it is more than $4 per gallon.
That’s for regular.
It is extremely likely it will cost even more, soon – if only because of the decreased purchasing power of the “money” we’re forced to use to buy it with. That “money” being nothing more substantial than an officially endorsed piece of paper, of which many more can be printed at will by those who officiate – who control the printing presses, causing those previously printed to be worth less.
The process usually continuing until they are worthless.
People used to talk about watching a “gas guzzler’s” fuel gauge needle go down as you drove. How about a gauge for the buying power of money? How fast does the government “guzzle” that?
But it’s not just that money buys less gas. There is also less gas.
And diesel, too – which can be thought of as less-refined oil, out of which both gas and diesel are made. Oil is being rendered artificially scarce – via restrictions on its extraction and “regulations” (an official sounding word meant to make decrees sound legitimate) that make it expensive to refine and taxes that make it expensive to buy – in order to counter the great abundance of this beneficent substance.
By rendering it artificially expensive.
For the same reason that it is artificially expensive to legally own a rifle capable of automatic fire, which isn’t a type of weapon that naturally costs three or four times as much to make as a semi-auto rife of similar type. It just costs more – because the government doesn’t want you to own one.
Just as the government doesn’t want you to drive a car.
Both the rifle and the car are tangible manifestations of independence from the government – i.e., they are empowering to the individual who owns them. The rifle levels the playing field. Being able to drive yourself wherever you like, whenever you like decentralizes it. You can afford to live where you like – and work where you like. You aren’t on anyone else’s schedule unless you want to be.
The government doesn’t like that.
It impedes the government’s determination to centralize everything, so as to control everything. You, most of all.
Which is why gas – and diesel – are likely to become very expensive, very soon. Assuming you buy it from centralized sources.
Assuming you don’t brew your own.
Well, not gas. That takes refining – and that takes specialized and very expensive, industrial-scale-distillation equipment beyond the means of pretty much anyone who isn’t named “BP” or “Exxon.” However, the distillation of alcohol doesn’t require a refinery – and pretty much any combustion engine that burns gasoline can burn alcohol.
In fact, most already do.
There has been a significant amount of alcohol in gas since the ’80s and today almost all the “gas” sold is at least 10 percent alcohol (E10). Many new cars are designed to burn 15 percent and some can take 85 percent. Any of them could handle 100 percent, after some modification of their fuel-delivery systems.
Older cars with carburetors rather than fuel injection are probably the easiest (and least expensive) to modify as their fuel systems are almost as simple as a push-mower’s. The main piece being the carburetor, which is basically a box that holds liquid fuel that is sucked into the engine by negative air pressure. The fuel being sucked can be gasoline or alcohol – with the main modification needed being to proportionately increase the amount of alcohol being sucked because alcohol doesn’t contain as much energy as gasoline.
This is called re-jetting, a reference to the size of the orifices through which the fuel flows. A larger diameter orifice richens the mixture (i.e., more fuel). Most carbs can be re-jetted easily with a screwdriver, used to remove the jet(s) within and screw in new (richer) ones to get the mixture right.
Other mods will be necessary, such as replacing gaskets and rubber parts and so on not originally made to accommodate alcohol – but it is not anything beyond the ken or capabilities of anyone who can tune a lawn mower engine.
Modern cars with electronic fuel injection could be less challenging to convert, because many were designed with alcohol-compatible fuel systems – including plastic rather than rust-prone steel fuel tanks (alcohol attracts water, which leads to rust in steel fuel tanks and inside steel fuel lines).
The main “mod” needed will be recalibration of their fuel-mapping.
Diesel-powered vehicles could be even easier to keep running, decentralized. 
Older models with mechanical injection (this will encompass most truck diesel engines made up to the early-mid 1990s) can burn almost anything that burns when compressed and heated within a cylinder. This includes vegetable oils, also home-brewable. Newer diesels can generally be modded to burn such fuel, too. The main mod needed being to disable/disconnect the emissions control systems.
Is it a hassle? Surely. The same is true of growing your own food. But which is preferable? Having food – or the hassle of growing it? Being able to drive? Or being cattle-prodded into some iteration of centrally controlled “transportation” over which you have no control?
. . .
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Doesn’t seem to be very difficult to make your own biodiesel, if these guys have got it right:
https://utahbiodieselsupply.com
Lots of videos, which are also on YouTube, at least for now.
Precursors are a) some type of veg oil b) an alcohol (methanol, ethanol, propanol, isopropanol c) NaOH as a catalyst. Noe of these are, or are likely to become, restricted substances.
As a bonus, you can make soap from the waste glycerol.
Site claims the production cost of usable biodiesel to be <$1.25/ gal.
If I owned a diesel engine, I would try this out.
Eric, the mechanically injected, International 6.9l and 7.3l diesels (not Powerstrokes) Ford installed in 85-94 trucks and vans will run just fine on filtered waste motor oil and automatic transmission fluid (Kerosene and GL5, too). Tractor Supply Co. has the filters (10 micron should be fine), filter heads and manual (or electric) pumps. Might need to cut the filtered oil with 10% diesel fuel but this “home brew” won’t require a pre-heat system like bio-diesel might in cooler climates. I have 3 rigs with these engines and, while I run diesel fuel in them for the most part, I do run a tank or so of waste motor oil through each regularly as that keeps me ready for the Zombie Apocalypse, knowing I can fuel my rigs since all the electronically powered cars will be parked, their crankcases and trannys full of fuel for me! I used to read you only on occasion but have added you to my morning coffee routine, best choice ever!
Hi Thor,
Excellent! Thank you for posting this; the more real-world information we can propagate, the better prepared we’ll be for what’s coming. Good to have you with us!
Eric – a question. I have a diesel from the mid 2000s (BMW 2.0 Turbo Diesel engine). It is Euro 5 compliant in terms of emissions, which I understand isn’t too bad. It has the electronics, but not as much as modern cars. My question, can I sneak a bit of cooking oil in the tank (after filtering thoroughly ofcourse). Im just wondering – as we use a bit for deep fried food, and ofcourse its not ideal putting it down the drain.
I know there are youtube videos doing full conversions, that usually involves VW engines from the 90s, where you have a dual fuel system – the things start on diesel and then switch to cooking oil, and then back to diesel before turning off. But Im thinking more say sneaking a litre or so with every 65 litre tank – Will it kill the engine or have any serious adverse effects (apart from maybe a more frequent filter change). Do you know much about this? Again its not so much to run the car on cooking oil, more just to have a more environmentally friendly way to recycle cooking oil
Uncle Henry designed the Model T to run on just about any fuel — gas, kerosene, diesel, probably moonshine, too.
Whereas technology was once simple, efficient, and liberating, today it has become complex and a tool of government control…
In the beginning of oil refining, the capacity was five barrels per day. Any old duffer could buy ten barrels and have a kerosene supply, the desired product.
Improperly refined, kerosene can become more volatile, caused fires, refining was risky business at times.
Titusville boomed and busted, over to Ohio, there’s oil there too.
John D Rockefeller more or less perfected the refining process to have a stable kerosene safe for burning in lamps. Gasoline was a byproduct of no value, useless. Later on, all kinds of engines burned gasoline.
Hermann Frasch, a chemist, removed the sulfur from malodorous oil, skunk oil. Rockefeller bought six million barrels for 20 cents per barrel. An irreversible history, when all was said and done, Rockefeller was 900 million dollars richer.
Whoever came up with the name, it was a good one, Standard Oil. Kerosene refined by Standard Oil will burn with no fear of fire, it was a winner.
Refining became a whole new game.
Some history is better than none. lol
If we devolve into a dystopian world like this, it is handy to have a skill, esp one that you can use to trade for other goods.
Learn to do something – repair stuff, make alcohol, make ammo, grown food, raise animals
Time may come when we are forced to revert to a barter system, but in that system, people can at least trade unregulated and get the things that could otherwise be banned.
If it wasn’t for the government, gas would probably be like 50 cents a gallon.
Preppers will love this!
I’ve made a somewhat significant, and dangerous discovery. There is little in this world that a sufficient quantity of Gin won’t fix. Not a recommendation, just an observation after increasing my intake about 100%, compared to the rest of the country increasing theirs by 500%. And made after consuming 6th shot for the day. Yes, I do measure it, accurately, or it would be substantially more than that.
John- Here’s a story to enjoy with your victory gin while I pour a little of my own on the curb for John McAfee (RIP). Back in ‘18 or so he was, for a brief time, living on my island in a huge house f/k/a the “love boat.” My wife and I used to operate and vend at local art shows/farmers mkts/holiday events on the island and what they call around here “up the beach”, Nags Head, KDH, Kitty Hawk. Around Chrismastime, we did an event at a bar&grill in Kitty Hawk. At one point McAfee rolls in with an entourage of like 15 heads and starts buying up arts/crafts hand over fist. Spends a few hundred $ and 20 mins. discussing the marketing aspects of our handmade bath& body products with my wife. Says our prices are “way too low!” Even has his picture taken with her and other vendors. Classic. Guy was a little crazy, definitely a bit paranoid, probably for good reason, but knew he was around “his people.” I’ll never forget it. No matter what the MSM says.
Awesome, Hatts!
And may he rest in peace. Death and taxes: You may actually chose one and not the other.
Of course, I’m left to wonder in this world of illusion, was this actually suicide? Maybe someone governmental had a serious grudge.
I doubt it. Especially with/ because of his knack for crypto. I’m hoping the dead man’s switch he talked about happens. The guy was a charismatic character, that’s for sure.
John,
Words to live by! At least a temporary fix. 😉
‘the distillation of alcohol doesn’t require a refinery’ — EP
Well, only a stovetop one. But LPG is an alternative that doesn’t require messing around with home distillation, or having the neighbors rat you out for running a still (which needs a fedgov permit):
‘Taxis, most of which run on Autogas, account for the bulk of [Japan’s] Autogas fleet. Commercial fleet LDVs, HDVs and minibuses account for almost all of the rest.’
https://auto-gas.net/government-policies/autogas-incentive-policies/japan/
‘[Venturi systems] are mechanically the simplest and can be made to work without any electronics. They consist of the three basic elements: fuel tank, converter (vaporiser/regulator) and mixer. While no longer conforming to the newest emissions regulations they can still be used to convert older carburetted vehicles or machinery.’
https://auto-gas.net/about-autogas/technology/
‘Newest emissions regulations’ … oy … so don’t attempt this in Kali. It might earn you a knock on the door from Newsom’s red guards.
For somewhat large scale production, any water heater will do, if the maximum temperature range falls between 180 degrees, the boiling point of alcohol, and 212 degrees, the boiling point of water. Which is more likely among gas powered WH than electric. For one thing, the gas valve on a gas water heater can easily be bypassed to manual control. Yes, you can blow yourself up, but that’s true of any still.
Eric,
Your article is a small part of exactly what the world needs. As always, keep up the excellent work.
I WILL be making synthetic gasoline and diesel when time permits. I already make my own wine, and am no stranger to distillation, and not just the distillation of alcohol.
The distillation of wood, for example, can yield many desirable products, at the end of which, if done correctly, you will also have charcoal, which can then be used to synthesize many organic products, including fuel.
Let’s show ’em a Brave New World that isn’t filled with Epsilons, shall we? (Referencing your recent David Knight interview)
Not to mention the medical use of charcoal to remedy nearly any kind of digestive poisoning.
Absolutely, John, as well as water filtration if necessary.
You can make your own biodiesel from waste cooking oil, if you know how.
Waste cooking oil *may* be available free from restaurants, although some are hip that their waste is valuable raw material to a biodiesel producer.
AFAIK, most diesel engines require no modifications to run on biodiesel.
I have ridden in a diesel engine VW bug which was running just fine on owner manufactured biodiesel.
The owner knows how to make the biodiesel fuel, but has very little knowledge of engines.
Up in Canada, canola farmers burn canola oil in diesel engine Rabbits. A three thousand pound per acre canola crop will yield 50 percent canola oil, 1500 lbs, or about 250 gallons of oil. Six barrels of canola oil per acre. 1000 acres will be 6000 barrels of canola oil.
Easy to see that good old Oklahoma crude is going to outpace crops for fuel by a country mile.
Canola is a gmo of rape seed, a sewing machine oil. Rape seed oil is inedible, genetically modified will make it edible, forms urethanes when heated, so avoid canola oil at all costs.
Farmers can grow their own fuel, it is done. It’ll make a good fuel, don’t consume canola oil.
Sunflower oil is far superior to canola oil and is as good as olive oil for consumption.
A still to distill a mash into alcohol always produces methanol at the beginning of the distillation. You always discard the first 100 ml or so to rid the distillate of the methanol. Some methanol always is there even after you do that. If you want the alcohol for fuel, I guess it won’t matter that much.
“Whiskey, Rye whiskey… if a tree don’t fall on me I’ll live ’til I die.” – Tex Ritter
Make your mash into beer, better for you. Hops and yeast, you’re good to go. Humulin Lupulin is said to be good for your prostate.
You can make your own malt too, if you have to. Rahr Malting does a good business.
During Alcohol Prohibition, you could buy malt and make your own home brews. My grandfather did it for years before Prohibition ended. He was 33 years old when it all ended, so he must have made home brewed beer for a little while.
Always a way to do things when there is a will.
Good information and advice, Drumphish. I hadn’t heard about canola oil being dangerous to any capacity, so I’ll check that out.
Mead is even easier. If you have honey, mix with water and add yeast. In a little while you have mead, without any further action required.
Lard, or butter, is a healthier oil than most vegetable oils. Even Olive oil should not be used in cooking except at low temperature. Heating them up turns them into the very thing they are promoted to avoid. The healthiest lard, or tallow, which is the same thing only from cows, is home made, and easily made, though it won’t keep forever like the store bought stuff will.
If it gets expensive enough, how long before enterprising businesses discover how to steal it from the pipeline, or start high jacking tank trucks? While above board free markets are far more preferable, black markets often flourish within artificial scarcity events. As I’ve often said, If you ban guns, then I’ll be able to buy one on any urban street corner, along with my illegal drugs.
And with a still you can become your own Federal Reserve.
http://halfapage.com/whisky-used-currency/
Whisky was amber gold, so to speak:
‘By 1780, over one hundred continental dollars were required to exchange for one specie dollar; Congress had printed continentals until they were worth almost nothing.
‘Congress repudiated its solemn dollar-for-dollar promises and announced specie redemption at a rate of one specie dollar for forty dollars of continentals.
‘The result of this ignominious end of the continental was a surprisingly quick return to a specie circulation, and a rapid fall of prices to a stable level.’
https://mises.org/library/not-worth-continental
So why is the same damned thing happening now, when the constitution says that ‘no State shall … make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts’?
One obvious loophole is that the prohibition applies to states, not the US fedgov. Poor drafting, or a clever loophole inserted by Alex Hamilton [now glorified by a Broadway musical] and his Big Gov buddies?
Anyhow, it’s irrelevant now. The conspiracy against the People called the Federal Reserve is gonna keep the pedal to the metal till the biggest bubble in human history blows this ridiculous kabuki show to kingdom come.
Got whisky? Got AR-15s?
‘no State shall … make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts’
Which indicates to me that no currently enforced State taxes are legal.
Aaron Burr is my hero of the era, for having shot Hamilton dead, in spite of Hamilton more or less cheating. He supplied the pistols, but failed to mention to Burr that pushing the trigger forward set a hair trigger.
Amen, John – in re Burr.
Have you read Gore Vidal’s novel about him?
I have not. At least I don’t recall such. It’s been a 67 year long road. I have read a number of pieces that portrayed him as a less than virtuous character, but his killing of Hamilton outweighs them all. His hubris killed him.
After looking it up, yes, I have.
I forget the name of it, but Irwin Schiff, who introduced me to libertarian thought on a local radio station as he explained there was no law that required one to pay personal income tax., wrote a piece clearly demonstrating that an economy based on sound money will grow, and the only two things that can stop it are natural disaster, and government interference. Gold is infinitely devisable, so as quality and production improves, everything gets cheaper, since there is a limit on the quantity of Gold pursing a growing amount of product..
Incidentally, interest on loans is not needed, and neither is it needed for savings accounts, since the money you have will buy more in the near future, as well as the money you borrow will be paid back with money worth more than you borrowed.