Lot of interesting threads here:
Growing up - quite a few years ago - I always "knew" that pouring Coke on a rusted-tight bolt was a sure way to make it come free. Had to let it sit overnight, as I recall. I wasn't a gearhead, so I never actually tried it, but I've spoken to contemporaries and they all "knew" that, too.
Just this year I saw on the internet that pouring (contemporary) Coke on oil-stained concrete was an excellent way to remove the stain. I'm responsible for contracting for pressure-washing several parking garages in my condo complex, and I think I'm going to to give that one a shot.
I'm puzzled by the references to "Coke syrup" as a medicinal treatment. I've always heard how secret the syrup is, but also how expensive. I wonder just what that stuff really was?
My son is a machine-controls engineer, and about 10 years ago his company was contracted to develop a syrup-injection system for the Indianapolis Coke bottler. They wanted a hyper-accurate system to squirt the Coke syrup into each can/bottle before it was filled with carbonated water on the bottling line.
The point was that the Coke syrup they bought from Atlanta was so expensive that thay didn't want to waste a single molecule in dosing the cans. He said the super-secret Coke syrup came in re-usable plastic containers which were basically cubes about 28-30" on a side. Each container - 10 or so years ago - cost the bottlers about $14,000.
It made a whole lot of cans of Coke, but they really didn't want to waste any.
I just wonder if the "Coke syrup" was really the same stuff.
Myself, I drink a bottle of Coke about once every 15 years.
Suburban gourmand