Guy,
 Haven't heard from you in a while. In from the outback?
 
I think your scheme would be a bit of a trade off - heat storage potential in exchange for long warm up times. Might have some advantages if it was designed for a specific length run but that would be difficult to stick to in my situation, perhaps not in yours. I'm thinking that on shorter runs the agregate (thermal mass) would not receive enough BTU's to push the delta into a useful range. I question whether the backside advantage would be worth the frontside disadvantage if heat extraction is your primary goal.
          Bill

Steve,
  The one I've got uses the same plug as the 1.6 VW. Works fine but requires an extension for the electrical connection. Seems as though a longer one would eliminate the need for the extension and would also require that less metal be removed from the plug.
 Bill

OOPs, after watching again I realized I completely missed the point of what he was doing - thought he was converting veg oil, not settling reacted biodiesel.
Well that could certainly speed up the process, generally I allow at least 8hrs for settling. I wonder how it would scale up? I run between 150 and 200 gal batches. Maybe an array of electrodes alternating + and -? (It is DC isn't it?) Carbon steel electrodes OK? A transformer and a rectifier running off 110v for power? Am I going to hurt myself?
                                        Bill

  Very cool Mike, got any pics?
  Here in NY it's legally a lot more difficult and yearly inspections insure compliance among those inclined to go their own way. That's why I think we need an entirely new class of motorvehicle. As things stand now, It looks to me like the best way to start would be with a pre emmission titaled motorcycle frame and throw away everything but the VIN.

Yep, at $110/barrel those tar sands are starting to look pretty good as are the oil shales in the Rockies I'd expect. Truely a shame that the idea of using less never occurs to most folks but then as we all know, "the American way of life is not negotiable" (R.Cheney). The environment is going to take quite a hit before we're finally FORCED to do the right thing IMO.    Bill

Chris,
  With the tolerances in an injection pump do you think that increasing the viscosity of the fuel would equate to higher pressures? If it was really whipped, maybe I suppose (and the chances of a 26 yr old Rabbit having a tired pump are pretty good too). Whatever the reason, It's good to know that the synthetic can be burned. Looking forward to hearing more down the road.

 A good article on the hows and whys of battery strings. Taught me a thing or two.
http://www.smartgauge.co.uk/batt_con.html

 In contrast to Tom's set up, I'm still a fan of quality modified sinewave inverters. A lot more bang for the buck and a significantly better repair record. My main inverter is an ancient Trace modsine that runs almost everything trouble free. I also have a small sinewave inverter for the fussy loads but it's very seldom that I use it.    Bill

Tauber,
 I've been reading on Germany's renewable initiatives. Already at 12% electricity from renewable sources - awesome. Could you explain how they figure the rates the producers are paid for electricity? It seems to be based on the costs of production?
  Don't know a whole lot about it, but I can't imagine that the authorities would accept an engine shut off like the type you're contemplating. Seems as though they would want a disconnect between the generator and the grid - something along the lines of a grid tie inverter.  Wouldn't surprise me if there were off the shelf devices that would do exactly what you need. What are you using for a gen head and how are you syncing to the grid? 
  Very interested to hear how things progress, perhaps in a separate thread.
                                         Bill