not to sound negative, but...I say let gas go up. It will keep all the yuppy SOB's who commute 50-100 miles one way to work suffer. I am all for that. It will hopefully do a couple of things, allow a more consistent home price with what the area can support (too many people who work in a major citywith a high income levelbut live in a suburban area and increase the cost of a normal house), reduce congestion/traffic, reduce greenhouse emissions, and allow people to spend less time on the road so they can spend more time with their kids so the kids are lees likely to become one of the many un-intelligent kids who need Bush's "no child left behind" in order to graduate high school.

 

I don't drive at all during the week. I am my lucky that my wife doesn't work early so she can drop me off. Saves me a ton of money that just goes back into the car. But once the baby is born that's all gone[]

 

I can remember in the 70s when the oil imbargo thing went on gas prices shot up and there was fuel rationing(odd even license plate numbers). It basically changed the automoblie industry from the big cars to the small ones put ontop of that the emmissions stuff and it killed the performance market. The same thing is going on today to a leeser extent fuel price is headed up no doubt, emmission controlls are getting stricter and the government is mandating more fuel efficient cars. I think we are headed for another car downsizing overall and horsepower decrease. It affected the performance enthusiest in the 70s and 80s our local dragstrip actually closed for the only time since its start in the 50s. The only thing around here that makes it more bareable is that we get "fuel perks" from the local grocery stores depending on how much groceryies you buy and with three kids we get a 50 cent or better reduction. I am all for the alternate fuels and to me there is no question the E85 can offer a performance advantage but unfortunatly I see the big oil companies doing research with other forms of alcohol that would be similar to gasoline octane and btu output but will retain the corosiveness properties. It is going to be a seriously changing environment in the years to come. I wonder if it could bring oppertunities to make money for some enterprising inventors....

 

A few of the gas saving ideas I can remember... smokey yunik heated vapor carb - I think this was a farse.... V8 6 4 Cadilacdidnt turn out to good........ chrysler lean burn system I had a cordoba I dont think the system worked..... I am sure ther are others I just cant recall them right now

 

If you think about it...gasoline isn't all too bad...

Electric cars might be worse for the environment then everyone thinks: Electricity is produced using primarily coal/ nuclear sources to create energy. Both coal and nuclear energy producing plants release a crapload of toxic emissions/ radioactive waste products. Plus the energy balance relays to at least a 50% energy balance which is pretty crappy. Mechanical energy creates the electricity, some is lost as heat, then transfered which results in a loss over a length, then convert the electrical energy into mechanical energy again.....not very efficient.

Alternate fuels: E85 is not bad, but it takes grains which would potentially be used as food for consumption/ animals. That will lead to more hormone injected animals that we will be forced to eat. Plus the efficiency of burning the E85 is not necessarily that great. Biodiesel is actually being blended into currently available diesel fuels.

The 8-6-4 motors aren't all to effective either.....I think in some vehicles it gains 1-3 mpg better over the same vehicle without this feature. La-di-da....there are better technologies that shoudl be available....maybe spark retardation at highway speeds..

One thing I would like to mention is that some older cars I have had have gotten better mileage then new more "technologically advanced" vehicles. I had a 91 sentra (1.6 L 5 speed)that got 45mpg highway. A friend bought a 04 sentra (1.8L5 speed) that couldn't get better then 33 mpg highway....explain all the money that we spend for R&D when buying newvehicles

 

ya that makes since 1969 ss, but it the reason why i do it is to keep me from driving so much, bc last night before i went to a car meet, i put 25 dollars in gas. then i just put another 15 in after i got off of work today, and i only drove like 10miles today.

 

I agree with you to an extent. Living near the Maryland line in Pennsylvaniapopulation in our area has nearly qaudrupled with MD residents seeking lower home prices. Being a home builder we build the exact same homes in MD for literally almost twice the selling price but the same cost to us...maybe about 15 percent more for land value. I am sick of paying for all these people that move for lower prices and then escape taxes and keep a job that pays a wage meant for a higher standard of living.

 

The professor has some good points. However there are a few things omitted. First, the glut of SUVs on the roads today amplify the problem of emissions and gas usage. Four wheel drive/all wheel drive vehicles were once primarily marketed for the army and the trades that required such utility vehicles. Nowdays it's a staus symbol. Minivans are too lower class to take the kids to soccer, let's get an Escalade. Add to that, these trucks are used for commuting which equals about 40% increase in gas consumption for an average family. We all see it on the roads every day, why drive a vehicle that gets 12 mpg when a vehicle that gets 25-30mpg would do the same job.

Research & Developement money spent by auto manufacturers? C'mon it's in your face every halftime, between innings and during every caution flag on your TV. Five star this and that,,,it's safety. Or if you beleive the Germans, it is wipers that function at autobahn speeds, 60% grade crap, etc. Economy is not elegant or marketable to most buyers, air bags, voice activation and creature comfort is.

E85 is an excellent alternative to fossil fuels, Bio-diesel even better. Cars and trucks have been built using renewable sources also. Who stands to profit if production of these vehicles is closely controlled and paced? The recipients of your money are in New York, Chicago and D. C. There are more people to point at than we have fingers. Money speaks louder than comon sense.

Look behind the curtain Dorothy, if you want to know who is in control.

Sorry,,,,rambling. Sermon ended. Hard to stop!!!

 

sorry i missed those points JRs72RS....glad you could pick up where i left off.

One other point to make is I heard that GM had trailers of alternate fuel vehicles but stopped the program and destroyed the cars. The reason: big oil bought out the program and put it to an end.

Have to love a country run by GREED!!!