How does $8.00 per gallon of gasoline sound ?

[beemanbeme]

I haven't seen the first car ad that shows an actor in a white coat sitting on his desk and asking the question, "hey Azzhole, are you really so insecure that you've got to drive a 12mpg F350 to your job at the 7/11?"  I daresay the mark up on big trucks with V8's --best gas mileage in their class don'tchaknow-- is quite a bit higher than micro-putters so the car companies are helping in this also.  And the Americans want their big vehicles. They just want cheap gas to run them on.

I have a friend that drives a big Blazer type thing with the big tires and such all year because he elk hunts 2 weeks a year.  I've told him he could save enough on gas, payments, insurance, tires, and such on a little commuter car (he works in an office) to rent a 4x4 for his trip to Wyoming.  But on the rental he wouldn't be able to have a vanity tag that said "ELKHNTR" and the elk decal in the back window and so forth so to him it's worth it. 

And we won't even discuss the monster car that soccor moms drive to and from school so their darlings won't have to ride a bus or gasp, shudder walk.

So Americans want their big cars and they want to go fast.  In fact, it seems to be a matter of pride that they can afford to indulge these wants.  They just whine while they do it.  Like the fellow complaining how expensive new Cadillacs have become as he drives by in one.

[ironglow]

Beeman;
     To that post I can only say ..DITTO !!

[SHOOTALL]

I just had to replace my truck , down sized from a 3/4 ton crew cab with 8' bed to a 3/4 ton crew cab with a 6' bed  !
Hope it saves some diesel ! Don't have a vanity plate but am a life member in RMEF !

[30-06man]

I haven't seen the first car ad that shows an actor in a white coat sitting on his desk and asking the question, "hey Azzhole, are you really so insecure that you've got to drive a 12mpg F350 to your job at the 7/11?"  I daresay the mark up on big trucks with V8's --best gas mileage in their class don'tchaknow-- is quite a bit higher than micro-putters so the car companies are helping in this also.  And the Americans want their big vehicles. They just want cheap gas to run them on.

I have a friend that drives a big Blazer type thing with the big tires and such all year because he elk hunts 2 weeks a year.  I've told him he could save enough on gas, payments, insurance, tires, and such on a little commuter car (he works in an office) to rent a 4x4 for his trip to Wyoming.  But on the rental he wouldn't be able to have a vanity tag that said "ELKHNTR" and the elk decal in the back window and so forth so to him it's worth it. 

And we won't even discuss the monster car that soccor moms drive to and from school so their darlings won't have to ride a bus or gasp, shudder walk.

So Americans want their big cars and they want to go fast.  In fact, it seems to be a matter of pride that they can afford to indulge these wants.  They just whine while they do it.  Like the fellow complaining how expensive new Cadillacs have become as he drives by in one.

Heck if you can get 20MPG out of something full size and get the same out of a small truck then I am going for the bigger one. I get the same fuel mileage as I did out of my 91 Ford Ranger as I do out of my 99 Dodge Ram 2500. They are both stock the ranger had the 4cly and the Dodge has a 5.9 liter Cummins Diseal and I use it.

[ironglow]

 30-06 man;
   Something HAD to be wrong with your Ranger ! With one exception, have driven 4cyl manual shift Rangers since the Ranger's debut, about 1982. I usually trade every 3 years, thus,
    I have owned several and each of them delivered 25-29 miles per gallon.
  The lone exception was a 2002 4 liter V6, which was equipped with the only auto trans I ever owned in 55 years driving. Well meaning folks told me I needed an auto
  trans to haul  the light , 2500# camper I was buying. I put up with that combo for about 2 years..then gave the truck to my son and sold the camper. I hated the
  automatic trans and hated the mileage  even more, truck alone 18mpg, truck & trailer..11-12 mpg.
     Went right back to 4cyl, 5 speed Rangers, the one I have now (second since the V6), delivers 28mpg highway..and hauling the small, "teardrop" campers I build, I still get 25 mpg.

[ironglow]

  BTW: According to Fox new tonight, the Reps held fast and shot down the crippling "environmental" bill of which we speak. There is no other obvious answer (IMO),
  than that most Dems hate the US and will do everything they can to cripple or destroy our commerce and economy.
  If George Soro's boy, B. Hussein is elected, he will sign the bill, just a Soros demands..then Soros can make billion$..and greatly dammage the US at the same time.
   Remember, this is not the only national economy he tried to destroy !

[copdills]

Not TOO GOOOOOOD

[30-06man]

30-06 man;
   Something HAD to be wrong with your Ranger ! With one exception, have driven 4cyl manual shift Rangers since the Ranger's debut, about 1982. I usually trade every 3 years, thus,
    I have owned several and each of them delivered 25-29 miles per gallon.
  The lone exception was a 2002 4 liter V6, which was equipped with the only auto trans I ever owned in 55 years driving. Well meaning folks told me I needed an auto
  trans to haul  the light , 2500# camper I was buying. I put up with that combo for about 2 years..then gave the truck to my son and sold the camper. I hated the
  automatic trans and hated the mileage  even more, truck alone 18mpg, truck & trailer..11-12 mpg.
     Went right back to 4cyl, 5 speed Rangers, the one I have now (second since the V6), delivers 28mpg highway..and hauling the small, "teardrop" campers I build, I still get 25 mpg.

I put way over 200,000 miles on it and never had a failure except the alternator and the timing belt. It was a good truck when I had it and I wouldn't blink if I bought another today. I put it through pure hell and I still got $1000 for it when I sold it. I get good mileage out of my Dodge and I am going to work on putting a cold air intake and a computer chip to improve mileage. I hope to be pushing 24-25 highway then. I have a friend who got 26 out of his with the same upgrades so that's not too bad for a truck of its class. I paid $13000 for it and it had 90,000 miles on it which is very low for a diesel and it probably will be the last truck I own. My Ranger had a manual trans and my 2500 had an auto.

  BTW: According to Fox new tonight, the Reps held fast and shot down the crippling "environmental" bill of which we speak. There is no other obvious answer (IMO),
  than that most Dems hate the US and will do everything they can to cripple or destroy our commerce and economy.
  If George Soro's boy, B. Hussein is elected, he will sign the bill, just a Soros demands..then Soros can make billion$..and greatly dammage the US at the same time.
   Remember, this is not the only national economy he tried to destroy !

I got a phone call to sign a petition today from my senator to put down this bill. I don't know if its dead yet or not.

[Sourdough]

It's headed there anyway, without any more taxes.  I just paid 5.899 per gallion for Diesel to get home yesterday.

[30-06man]

It's headed there anyway, without any more taxes.  I just paid 5.899 per gallion for Diesel to get home yesterday.

I am paying $4.50 a gallon in SC but your way up north in Alaska where everything is expensive.

[ironglow]

  30-06 man;
   Though i still "don't get" the low mileage with a Ranger..but if you can get that good of mileage with the dodge..go for it !
    Sourdough;
        I saw a TV show a few months ago, and at that time the video was a couple years old. It seems there was a remote Native village about halfway up the pipeline and
   somewhat to the west. No cars or trucks in the village but a good supply of snowmobiles & ATVs .Even though the pipeline ran through , not very far away..gas then,
    was $8 per gallon..simply because they were at "the end of the supply line".. Who'd a thunk it !

[Sourdough]

Last winter the folks in the villages paid over $8.00 a gallon for fuel oil to heat and produce electricity.  This coming year I've heard they are looking at $14.00 to $16.00 a gallon.  I think the villege was Aniktovik Pass.  They are actually inside Gates Of The Arctic National Park.

My hunting partner has a 1983-Dodge D-50.  It has an Isusu diesel engine, five speed tranny, and he is getting 36 mpg.  He has my Samurai's 30 mpg beat.

[ironglow]

I had a couple of those Samurais..(90 & 94) you are not kidding about the 30mpg mark ! My Samurai would get 30 mpg whether in 4WD or 2WD. My wife and I usually
 have a "car" along with our Ranger. The best mileage I ever had was with a 1983 Dodge Omni. I am hesitant to mention the mileage I got with it, because folks would think I'm "stretching it" and I am very concerned about my accuracy. ...But that little car had a 1600cc Peugeot engine, very high gearing and on steady speed, long trips ..would challenge 50 mpg !
   I do believe that the cars of the early 80s got the best mileage..don't know why except that it was at that point the govt started piling on with the "green" addditions.
 
   I never did figure why they dropped the Samurai, if they hadn't, i would have one today. I think possibly Consumer Reports hurt them with their "hit piece" against
  the Samurai..which you and I kinow ..was bogus..
 

[beemanbeme]

A sad reality that no one seems to mention:  Let's fix the price of gas at $4.00 and the mileage at 20mpg.  If by some magic, we suddenly began to get 40mpg, the oil companies would merely raise the price of gas to $8.00 a gallon. 

This actually began in the 70's when the oil companies declared that unless they could build the Alaskan pipeline there would be an oil shortage and the "service" stations discovered they could jack up the price, have the customer pump their own gas, stay open shorter hours, and make as much PROFIT off 1000 gallons of gas as they could off 10,000 before the "shortage".

One of the things that no one mentions when they talk about running automobiles on these exotic fuels like chicken manure and waste cooking oil and such is the odor.  As a rule, they stink.   

[myronman3]

i too had a ranger w/ 4 cylinder that at best would get 17 mpg.  and i also had a plymouth horizon that would about reach 50 mpg. 

[ironglow]

  While I can't understand the low mileage with the Rangers..individual trucks ?..But I sure can agree with your Plymouth Horizon..it was essentially the
   same car as the Dodge Omni.
   At the same time, my son had one of those little Dodge Colt coupes (actually, a Mitsibishi) which would beat my Omni. The Colt was very distinctive,
  in that it was 4 speed with a high/low range..giving it 8 speeds..guess the factories forgot how to build such advantageous transmissions !

[Ruskin]

Today (06/10) on Boortz.com there is information on oil companies.  We tend to make the same mistakes that the unlearned repeat in the press about  big profits of the oil companies.  Go to e-trade and do a search of the oil companies and compare the net profit to the net profits of banks, big pharma and other companies to understand what I am saying.   Boortz is a libertarian and does a good job explaining profits and margin.  Why don't we complain about big pharma?  Maybe it is because of the third party pay system we have moved to.  Most people believe perscription are $5 and $10 dollars becasue their medical plan pays or medicare pays.  The real cost is not disclosed to the consumer.  If we purcased fuel the same way no one would be complain the cost would be subsidized and paid by government of some insurance type company without market forces.  There are no market forces a t work because our elected idiots don't want supply to increase which would force prices down.  Can one imagine independance where the arabs would not be abel to hold us as hostage to their whims.  Look at what they are doing wiith the money.  Million dollar cars.

I was sent a link to u tube with a story by Lindsey Williams, who has written the Energy Non-Crisis.  Do a google and see if one can find the video.  He states that we in the US have enough gas and oil to cover us for 200 years.  Why are the nutcases in Washington stopping us from becoming energy independent.  No one can destroy us faster than we are destroying our country.  Maybe we should be mad, really mad.

[ironglow]

TM;

  The money being made by the pharma companies seems a bit outrageous at times..and I think they try a bit of "slight of hand" in trying to fool people.
   Sometimes a needed prescription requires just one pill or one pill per month.
   E.G. Sally Fields advertises that single pill per month "Boniva"..Now, the drug cos know that if Jane doe needs this single pill per month, she goes to the drug store,
    slaps down say $40 or $60 (or whatever it costs) for a single little pill..she will wonder why..Sop they pack that single pill in a big 3"X4"X.5" carton just to make it look
  "expensive"..
   I estimated the price at $40 or $60 because I don't know the actual cost; but I'll bet it is NOT 98 cents..In reality, 98 cents for a small pebble of chemicals from
   drums of chemicals would probably make big money even at the 98 cent rate...

[Sourdough]

Ironglow: you were talking about cars that got 50 MPG.  In 1981 when the wife and I got sent to New Mexico we bought a new Honda Civic Hatchback.  Nice little car, the wife wanted the bigger 1600cc engine instead of the 1300cc.  She also got the five speed manual tranny.  We went to El Paso about twice a month, 100 miles of straight flat highway.  I would check the milage, if we went the 55mph as posted then we got 50 mpg.  If I kicked it up to 65 or 70 milage went up to 52mpg. 

The wifes boss went to Los Cruses four nights a week for classes.  When he found out what we were getting for mileage he went and bought a new Civic just like the one the wife had except he got the 1300cc engine.  His best milage was at 55mph and the best he could get was 48mpg.  If he kicked it up to 65 or 70 his mileage dropped even more. 

[ironglow]

Sourdough;
  I have driven small cars for years (alongside my Rangers) and one thing was clear..sometimes one could go "too small" in the engine dept., thereby getting an engine
  that has to work too hard, trying to push/pull the car.
  The Honda Civic series have always been extremely frugal on fuel !