We just started getting E-85 at the pump here recently.Obviously because of its much cheaper cost ($1.60) per gallon,I'm very interested in using it. Besides changing the fuel pump and necessary carb mods,is there any disadvantage to using E-85?

They are hard to start when it is cold. E85 is a little harder on the boar. From what i have seen .but it is well worth it if you as me

I have noticed if I don't run my car for long periods, it can corrode the carb up a bit.

Other then that, you can't beat the stuff for the price.

I am going over to it as well, going to run a dual system, tunnel ram with separate cell in the trunk for the E85 and original tank and single carb on 98 pump.
Have been told that cold starts on E85 are a problem and that tunnel ram cold starts can be an issue, guess I will be doing some swearing

My son runs a dedicated burnout car on E85 over here, it sits on the limiter for 1 minute + at a time, runs cool and seems to love it.

I've ben using it in my bracket car for several years now, cold starts can be a small issue, starter fluid is your friend in those times. I have used a small slurp of pump fuel into the carb. before starting it when it gets real cold around here, below 40F. It starts and runs fine once you get some heat in the motor A friend of mine uses starter fluid on his E85 single carb. race car to start it in the trailer after setting several weeks IHTHs BTW, on the corosion prevention you should have all the aluminum parts expose to any alcholol based fuel hard anadized

you wont have any problems with it down here Chris. I have a nice F.A.S.T E-85 wide band system I am going to sell if you need one. you will have to flush it out with gas regular if you let it set for any time.

Seems to work fine. Get a fuel tester as the amount of alcohol will vary at different fuel stations and different times of the year. Last time I filled up and tested the fuel it was only 80% alcohol, which can make the engine a bit richer running. Cold starting is not as easy as gas, but has not been a problem. Just a few pimps of the accelerator and the MSD fires it, have to fast idle for a minute till the engine builds some head (and I don't have a choke on the Quick Fuel E-85 carb.)
I just converted to E-85 this year so have not tried starting the car in really cold weather, but the car is more of a strip than street car and the heater is not even hooked up.

Thanks for all the responses..much appreciated!!

Ran the Charger (E-85) at the track Friday and checked a spark plug, and it was fairly dark brown, on the ring and porcelain, but these were the plugs I had when I was running gasoline also. They still looked rich to me. I need to check the idle fuel restrictions and see if they are too big. Still idles like it is rich, and I will jet down about 2 jet sizes and re-check. I guess I will have to install some O2 bungs in the exhaust so I can hook up the wideband meter and get some readings.....

Up here it's a little trickier. As it gets colder the pump stuff gets more gas added than normal for starting. During the winter around here, everyone flushes their cell, lines, and carb with gas before going into storage too.

Being down there in Florida you have high humidity
and the E-85 will suck in the humidity... so watch
how long you let it set...I drained my E-85 most every
weekend and ran a bit of regular pump gas thru the system
just to get rid of the moisture which is the corrosion

Everyone here has switched away from it and gone to M1 or M5....And everyone that runs it, uses a vacuum pump....I have considered it, but then again, I get to see the issues they go thru with it racing week to week. Take a look at how many Drag Week competitors it put out of competition last week!

When I was building my car for DW I gave it thought about running
E-85 but in some areas of the country you cant find it so I
opted for regular pump gas...when I was racing with E-85 I
used it for the ease of getting it... I bought it at the local
Meijer a couple miles away.. yes it has some benefits but I
used it due to the ease of getting it.... and PRICE... when I
would test it at the pump and it showed to be correct I would
fill 1 or 2 drums

I've been racing with it for 4 years now this year I have seen the most corrosion of the 4 years i'v run the stuff but I converting the car back to street use so i'll keep it on the corn stuff (for the price) of it

P.S...I buy it by the drum and mix it my self to make sure it's e-85.

You saying cause the of the fuel from state to state the reasoning they were put out of competition?

Racerx,
Clogged fuel injectors, tanks, filters etc.
It's fine in a race car, if you buy it in a drum, and test it. Straight out of the pump, into your street car, that's a dicey proposition. We ran the Dakota on it during Drag Week 2014, and learned our lesson...never again!!

A few guys I work with are using it in their flex fuel vehicles(both Ford P/Ups) and are not having any problems.

you wont have any problems, I tested the fuel for 2 years while racing with it. never once seen any variance from winter to summer

For the factory cars and trucks that run E-85 we put
in either a stainless tank and lines or plastic.. and
with injection...most daily drivers dont sit long either

Looks like I will order some conversion parts.