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Are gas prices fueling your pain? - READ ONLY

10042 messages,  Last post on Jul 12, 2008 at 3:07 PM

You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires

What is this discussion about? Fuel Efficiency (MPG)


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#8133 of 10042
Re: Some of the reasons... [andre1969] by lemko
Jun 02, 2008 (9:10 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (Jun 02, 2008 8:54 am)

Everyone has a price and mine is $10 million after taxes. At $10 million, I'd pay off my house, car and could quit work. Of course to the outside world, I wouldn't look or act any different except I wouldn't worry about money anymore. I'd stay in my current house unless the neighborhood went bad. I wouldn't buy another car. I might do something frivolous like restore my Park Avenue for the heck of it, but even then I couldn't be out more than $5K and my conservative investments would more than cover it. At $10 million, I wouldn't even need to touch the big money, but could live very comfortably off the interest. I would, of course, keep all my wealth a secret from my girlfriend. As far as she's concerned, I'm living a hand-to-mouth existence.
#8134 of 10042
Re: Hallelujah... [lemko] by andre1969
Jun 02, 2008 (9:16 am)

Replying to: lemko (Jun 02, 2008 8:59 am)

Yeah, I'll be bringing the Trep up to meet you guys for the Ford show. I figure that would be the best test of it to see if it's really fixed. If it's going to break down on me again, it'll do it when I'm far away from home!
 
My DeSoto might get around 12-14 around town, maybe 16-17 on the highway. Which isn't bad for a 50 year old two-ton beast with 341 cubic inches, no overdrive, and a fairly aggressive rear end.
 
Interestingly, it's actually faster, yet gets better fuel economy than my '76 LeMans, midsized car! But then, the LeMans really isn't much lighter. I think the DeSoto's about 4,000 lb, but I'm sure the LeMans is at least 3800. And it actually has more displacement...350 versus 341 CID. And the taller gearing might actually work against the LeMans, as it's going to be more likely to downshift, and I'm sure the secondaries on its 4-bbl carb are only too willing to open up. The DeSoto just has a 2-bbl.
 
I'm probably just going to bring the 5th Ave to the Mopar show. I hate to say it, but I'm still a little leery of my other one. It's been better behaved since I rebuilt the carb, but I want to see how it acts once the weather gets really hot. That was when it would always leave me stranded in the past.
#8135 of 10042
Re: Some of the reasons... [gagrice] by lemko
Jun 02, 2008 (9:25 am)

Replying to: gagrice (Jun 02, 2008 9:08 am)

Geeze, this brings up my girlfriend's older sister who lives in Connecticut. She hasn't worked in years and her husband is going to lose his job in a few weeks. She wants my girlfriend and her other sister to help her sell her house and its contents. She can get a job, but she claims she has a Master's Degree and wont do any job she considers beneath her. HELLO!!! You're about to lose your house and you're worried about taking a job that is beneath you? If I were about to lose my house, I'd be working 24/7 at whatever job is available to keep it from happening. I wouldn't be too proud to be a dishwasher at that point.
 
How did she sink to this low point? Both of them were not only trying to keep up with the Jones, but the Rockefellers as well. They live in a wealthy area of Connecticut that is very much unaffordable to ordinary middle class people. Who the heck are they trying to impress? My girlfriend and I? We think they are super-stupid! The wealthy people where they live? Those folks can easily see these two are poseurs.
#8136 of 10042
Re: Here's something pretty disgusting... [andre1969] by aspesisteve
Jun 02, 2008 (9:34 am)

Replying to: andre1969 (May 31, 2008 3:34 am)

yep,
The big oil companies make you an 'independant' reseller of their product and have complete control over what you can earn. They basically let you have control over running the snack shack. As for gas, they are ruthless and will squeeze everyone who gets in their way. They really don't have competition.
#8137 of 10042
I dont by larsb
Jun 02, 2008 (11:41 am)
I just don't feel sorry for people who run out of gas.
 
A little prior planning and understanding how long your vehicle can run on "E" is all it takes.
 
I went a lot of years barely scraping by on living expenses - but I never ran out of gas.
 
( And carry an empty plastic gas can with you if you are stupid enough to let it run out. )
#8138 of 10042
Re: I dont [larsb] by bumpy
Jun 02, 2008 (11:54 am)

Replying to: larsb (Jun 02, 2008 11:41 am)

There is only one way to know just how far past the E you can go...
#8139 of 10042
Re: I dont [larsb] by fezo
Jun 02, 2008 (11:55 am)

Replying to: larsb (Jun 02, 2008 11:41 am)

I think there is just a certain personality that will test the limits of what the E really means on a gas gauge. I've never run out of gas myself - even when we had a car without a working gauge. That was always fun. I was sharing the car with my brother who was of the opposite school of thought. Every so often you'd have to bail him out with the gas can. Once in a while you'd think you were heading things off at the pass, pull in for gas and it would take a quart. I was very happy when we replaced the gauge.
#8140 of 10042
Well... by lemko
Jun 02, 2008 (11:57 am)
...even with the gas gauge on "E" newer cars have a low-fuel warning light. I would most definately fill the car when that light comes on. I think at that point you only have about 2-3 gallons left.
#8141 of 10042
Re: I dont [bumpy] by circlew
Jun 02, 2008 (12:05 pm)

Replying to: bumpy (Jun 02, 2008 11:54 am)

The answer never changes.
 
Regards,
OW
#8142 of 10042
Re: Well... [lemko] by fezo
Jun 02, 2008 (12:09 pm)

Replying to: lemko (Jun 02, 2008 11:57 am)

Yeah, it takes a major league bozo to run out of gas in a modern car.
 
The one we had the adventures with was a 54 Mercedes. We actually had to replace the instrument cluster. Nothing in it worked. We got one from a junk yard - it was metric!
 
In the early 70s a friend's dad had a new Mercedes that had no fewer than three fuel warning lights. One cam on with a few gallons still in there; another when you were getting seriously low and, my favorite, the last one came when you actually ran out of gas! Talk about an idiot light!

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