E85

So this post is called E85. So we'll start at the beginning.

What is E85?
At a very basic level (and I'll still probably explain this wrong), E85 is a fuel which is made up of 85% Ethanol and 15% petrol. E85 has a cooling effect on the engine, and combined with a higher octane than petrol alone, cars will often be converted to use E85 as a way to gain power. Running on this fuel is what people will be referring to when they say their cars are 'Corn fed' as corn is what is often used to produce the alcohol to make E85, although other sources are available. Don't go trying to shove this weekends left over Smirnoff into your fuel tank though, or worse still an ear of corn into your intake... That wont work quite the same, best research flex fuel sensors instead.

Sadly, here in the UK, it is not as readily available at the fuel pumps as it is large parts of the US and Australia. For this reason I haven't yet converted the GTO to run on corn (more considering meth as that's readily available in the form or certain anti-freezes/screen washes) but I did hit up a meet with the E85 Society this weekend.

Based in the North East these guys have a wide variety of car cultures attending their events, from low and slow stanced Golfs, to JDM beasts so there really was something for everyone. Check them out at  facebook.com/groups/e85society/ 

So as the GTO is off the road I was there in  the daily. We got there around an hour late because the check engine light went on in my mates Golf (just kidding). Even arriving late there was still probably around 100 or so cars there, spread out in all directions.

Stood in the middle looking forward

Stood in the middle looking back

I'm also going to own up to a car guy faux-pas before I get called out on it. When we got to the meet there were a couple of spaces next to each other near the front, so I followed my buddy round the car park in his Golf, where he threw his car into a space. I went to follow into the space next to him, and felt the burning, glaring eyes of many car guys watching to make sure I got nowhere near their rides. I choked. I bailed mid reverse park and went elsewhere (I hang my head in shame!). I parked next to the Vauxhalls instead because, lets face it, no-one cares about them anyway! Joking aside, they were at the back....

How low can you go?

So wide! this pic doesn't do it the justice it deserves!

Nicely low

I'm looking forward to lighter nights so more of my pictures will come out. My phone wasn't liking the photos by streetlight, and I didn't want to look like a complete tool carrying my bridge camera about (I'll probably save that for the shows rather than meets).

Unassuming VW pickup from the front....

VW pickup bed

 I did get a few more pics of other cool cars and stuff but was left with mainly blurs as I wasn't checking they were coming out. I think I am getting lazy with phone pics since getting used to using the proper camera... (rookie mistake I know! I wont be quitting the day job to become a car photographer just yet).

Just as the meet was starting to disperse, the car park was starting to empty and we were about to leave, having mainly seen hot hatches, there were a load of JDM muscle cars that hit the meet. Scoobies, Evos (a civic or two if they count?) and this beauty... this made the night!

Godzilla

And not forgetting one of the best things about this meet, I made it home without the assistance of a flatbed.

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