| While his natural curiosity has often led inventor Frank | | | | everywhere from California to the People's Republic |
| Miller of Ponte Vedra Beach to research and | | | | of China." |
| development, his diagnosis of prostate cancer six | | | | Camar and Miller met recently to add a 12-ounce |
| years ago added another kind of R&D to his | | | | bottle of Auto-RX to the oil in Camar's 1994 Ford |
| repertoire -- resolve and determination. | | | | Taurus. |
| "I had no insurance when I was diagnosed with | | | | "After 35 years in the operations end of the oil |
| cancer," he recalled. "I was dead broke and nearly | | | | business, I was a skeptic," said Camar, now retired, |
| dead when I picked myself up off the floor and | | | | "but I've watched Frank market Auto-RX and seen |
| started researching an idea that had been in the back | | | | the e-mail testimonies pour in, so I had to try it. This |
| of my mind for years. I had nothing left but time on | | | | old car had some transmission problems, but since |
| my hands and the intense desire to leave something | | | | Auto-RX went into my transmission fluid, the results |
| of value behind me." | | | | have been remarkable. Now, it's going into my oil. As |
| Frank's idea? Inventing an environmentally safe, | | | | Frank says, a clean engine is a healthy engine, and |
| non-solvent metal cleaner that would work in engines, | | | | since better combustion equals better gas mileage, |
| gear-boxes, transmissions and any type of | | | | that's for me!" |
| oil-lubricated equipment. | | | | On Miller's Web site, and other Web sites frequented |
| An application engineer who worked in the printing | | | | by auto enthusiasts, such as the buzz about Auto-RX |
| industry for some 30 years, Miller said he spent much | | | | is predominantly positive. |
| of his career "knee-deep" in petroleum-based | | | | "I have noticed an increase that went from 18 miles |
| solvents used to clean printing presses. He's | | | | per gallon to 21 miles per gallon," wrote Daryl Baines |
| convinced that his close proximity to those solvents | | | | of DeLand. "On my daily commute, coming home |
| brought on his cancer. | | | | tonight, I did tank top up and got 27 MPG versus my |
| "I found out that my fellow in-plant technicians nearly | | | | normal 24.5! .. . Woo Woo ... Snake oil, I think not," |
| all had the same cancer," Miller said. "It's the constant | | | | wrote Steve On from Palmdale, Calif. |
| eight hours a day, five days a week of solvents | | | | Frank Nipper of Jacksonville said a lubrication specialist |
| getting into your skin and pores that does it, and it's | | | | recommended that he try Auto-RX for the rear main |
| in the air that we breathe. Solvents do not disappear. | | | | seal oil leak in his 1987 Mitsubishi pickup truck. |
| When they drift from the printing plant or through | | | | "It just absolutely stopped the leak," Nipper said. "It |
| the emissions from your car, they hang onto leaves | | | | seems Frank has a really effective product." |
| and drop into the grass. They are there forever." | | | | "It cost me less per bottle than the present-day cost |
| Physically weak and financially strapped, Miller spent | | | | of a tank of gas, and my engine in my 2002 Chrysler |
| hours at his computer, searching the Internet for the | | | | Sebring is worth $6,000," said John Marchant of |
| newest non-solvent, non-petroleum chemical | | | | Jacksonville's Northside. "The dealership told me I had |
| technology. | | | | sludge in the engine and they couldn't do anything for |
| "I was determined to find a formula that would clean | | | | me. I put Auto-RX in my oil. My engine is now quieter |
| metal and not poison me," he said, "and I found it in | | | | and running smoother. It's working." |
| Natralube 1006, a natural occurring ester chemical | | | | After about five years of marketing on the Internet, |
| formula developed by the Fanning Corp. With that | | | | and the addition of new lines including 3-RX for |
| formula as a base, we developed the pourability that | | | | printing presses and Cycle-RX for motorcycles, Miller |
| would make the product viable." | | | | recently incorporated his business. |
| After independent field and emissions tests and | | | | "I just need a couple more years to make my |
| receiving U.S. application patent No. 6,544,349 for the | | | | dreams come true and leave a legacy for my four |
| cleaner, which he named Auto-RX, Miller arranged | | | | kids and four grandkids," he said. |
| with Haviland Consumer Products in Grand Rapids, | | | | "I've devoted myself to staying alive and getting this |
| Mich., to produce and bottle it, set up his Web site | | | | thing off the ground," he said. "I go in for treatments |
| and began marketing it over the Internet. | | | | every four months, work out twice a day, eat a lot |
| "It was a stroke of genius to sell it only over the | | | | of healthy green stuff like broccoli, and take a |
| Internet," said Miller's friend, Michael Camar of | | | | battery of strong nutrients over and above the |
| Jacksonville Beach. "Frank has complete control over | | | | chemo. I'm not afraid to die. I just want to die well, |
| his invention. He answers his phone and his e-mails, | | | | knowing that I've done something good. I'm praying |
| fields questions and gives advice one-on-one to | | | | to God that my kids inherit a company they can be |
| customers. That kind of service is rare these days. | | | | proud of or the money from the sale of that |
| Frank's invented the most ecologically safe product | | | | company. Either way, I'll be in the history books as |
| I've ever seen, and it's working in engines | | | | the guy who did this. |