Gas Prices are going to kill me!!!!, $2.20 Gal Options

[dmenche914]

On the Mercades, 91 octane might be recommended, but a nice modern car like the Mercades should be ok on lower octane, just a little less perfromance, as the computer that controls the engine senses knock from low octane, and retards the timing just enough to stop the knocking. Technology is great some times!

The real problem is for a high compression car that does not have the knock sensor, as the low grade crap gas we get in high tech silicon valley will cause knocking, and the owner must manually retard the timing, increase mixture or what ever.

Last year used to buy 92 octane, now max is 91 octane, can you all believe this crap??? What ever happened to 98 octane, (when did we stop that???)

The oxygenates they ad now also are harmful, as they tend to lean out mixtures in older cars (either in carb cars, or older FI cars, like the 914) You need to richen the mixture by adding more fuel volume than was needed in the past, if you do not, you run lean. And when you make the fix (if you even can on a 914) your milage drops, so you burn more of the damn stuff anyway!!! (True enough, in my "fleet" of a half dozen cars or so, when they switched gas mixures out here, my milage went down about 10%, as was predicted in the news papers)

Ok, I think getting the lead out of gas was good, it was just so toxic, but good greif, many of the stuff they make us put in gas in Nazi California is a bunch of mumbo jumbo that non scientist wacko politicians come up with (like farm subsidizing thru mandated use of alchohol in the gas) There is little logic to the "clean gas laws" makes distribution more expensive, and is driven by political choices, and by persons (elected or appointed) that would rather see all evil cars scrapped so we can all ride busses in their commie socialist paridise.

I truely believe the lack of octane greater than 91 is purposely in place to run older performance cars out of the state, or into museums. I do not understand why a higher octane grade could not be made and be as clean as the so called clean gas we have today. (barring political mandated additives)

At any rate, nice Mercades!

dave

PS to address the monopoly issue of only two owners of Californias gas supply, The politicians have effectivily barred outside compitition by making it too expensive to get into Californias market. They have done this by not approving any new refineries for years, super strict pollution laws, workers comp laws, and numerous "un-freindly to business" laws, high taxes, oh, and special gas, gas that must be different depending on the time of year, and what county you sell it in. Why do business here, when the other 49 states are so much easier????

We are lucky we have to have even one, much less two gas suppliers out here.

dave

[Malmz]

I've got a friend who is looking for a 4 cyl TDI to put in his 914 just so he can run Biodiesel.  I'm looking for a 5cyl TDI to put in my tow rig. Tow Rig  Not quiet, but I really want that turbo diesel torque for the mountain passes.

Dang, that van is cool! I love WTF-type vehicles (even if you want to run me and my Excursion off the road!)

sm

[Red-Beard]

Mike,

the new avatar is disturbing....

James

[Otmar]

Dang, that van is cool! I love WTF-type vehicles (even if you want to run me and my Excursion off the road!)

Oh no! Don't go off the road, you'll hurt the poor trees! (IMG:style_emoticons/default/biggrin.gif)

Just kidding!

If the goal is to rid the roads of SUV's, I think that $5 a gallon is not the best way to go. Give me a break, I never owned one, ever! Why pray tell should I pay $5 a gallon in my economical car because someone (regardless right or wrong) wants SUV's off the road.

Naw, I wouldn't mind SUV's if they were paying their way. And if they were required to meet the same FMVSS as passenger cars. Trouble is they are classified as "Trucks" and therefore are not expected to meet safety and emissions standards because we don't want to penalize the farmers. Ya right, the yuppie next door to me that does her grocery run in her "Ford Explosion" is needing a farming exemption! just level the playing field, that's all I ask.
I've often thought that the speed limit for a car should be related to kinetic energy, you know, MV^2. It would sure slow me down in me Stretch V dub, but in case of an accident we'd all be on even footing. I don't mind that. Best of all, the light Teeners could be kicking ass! Oh well, I'm dreaming again.
In the meantime, there are many studies that show the real cost of gas at $6 to$15 a gallon. It's just being subsidized by our other taxes (seen your medical insurance bill lately?) and the federal deficit, which although rather invisible to most people affects us all.

So go ahead, give us $5 a gallon gas, but reduce the average tax burden the same amount. Economical car drivers will get a super break, and when I drag my 914 to a race with a truck I'll gladly pay the penalty.

[tdgray]

Not to get to far off topic but you really need to consider what these "gas" prices are doing to not just the consumer but the businesses also. From trucking companies to companies like mine these inflated prices are killing us. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/headbang.gif)

There is a good reason that OPEC is called a CARTEL. They are thieves and our stupid government just blindly looks the other way as they artificially prop up these prices. The problem is that it does not just affect gasoline prices it affects natural gas, electricity, fuel oil.... everything is related.

You want to talk about the declining value of a gallon of gasoline? Compare as to this:

1998 - my company paid 1.98 for an MCF of Natural Gas

2004 - my company pays 6.50 for an MCF of Natural Gas.

Sounds like a pretty big hike HUH? Well you do the math considering we use about 60,000 MCF PER MONTH.

Now who is getting f$cked (IMG:style_emoticons/default/finger.gif) Who do you think is going to absorb this huge increase? Well my bank will make damn sure it is not my company... so you'll end up paying for it in the long run. Great plan there people.

[Red-Beard]

In San Diego, the News just flashed real published Gas Prices of $2.99/gal.......

James

[rhodyguy]

forget the fuel eveything is more exspensive. paid $6.95 a lb for skinless boneless chicken breast. must be the avian flu. have you priced plywood lately? as for a democrat in office, i would pay $7 a gallon to get one and take the bus, walk, ride a bike, etc. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif)

kevin