Poor Guy - Gas rant
Rub my Belly
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,093
Likes: 1
From: Lawrence, KS
Originally Posted by UnderTakr
I trust that Bush will do something about it
Anyways. Jeff is right about blue collar worker paying for it. I use my truck a lot for work and there is no way around that but the higher prices has affected my driving some. I take the back road to work and drive 45 instead of 55. It's only about 16 miles but I do save quite a bit of fuel doing 45 and not the posted 55. It only adds a few minutes to the drive time and I get to enjoy the scenery and wildlife too.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 20,774
Likes: 222
From: Newton America :-P
I'm pretty lucky having a company vehicle at my disposal.. but they are starting to watch every mile and every gallon. Getting to where a guy can't take a trip to California on the company nickle anymore. I don't beleive Bush will do much of anything, his plate is full and he is about out the door with no re-election to be conserned about. Americans won't buy the tiny little import cracker boxes. We have too much pride in our vehicles. We spend hundreds of dollars on add ons just to make them look different then the next guy. Its a no win situation. Until we get a decent rail system with 300 mph trains, and more nuclear and wind power - we pay what they say for oil. I think the price of wheat should go up accordingly, to give us some leverage.
Hotshot
Joined: Apr 2006
Posts: 11,794
Likes: 0
From: Kansas City, KS
I dunno guys...I love my big gas guzzling truck, but it's been sitting for most of the last month. I also own a 93 Ford Escort that now has 232,000 miles on it, and gets 30mpg+ around town, and will hit 40 mpg on the highway.
Yup, it's small, but I'm nearly 6 foot tall, and that car fits me better than any other I've ever owned.
At $3.27 a gallon, the truck is going to have some down time this summer.
Yup, it's small, but I'm nearly 6 foot tall, and that car fits me better than any other I've ever owned.
At $3.27 a gallon, the truck is going to have some down time this summer.
Fleet Owner
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 29,941
Likes: 46
From: Drummonds, TN USA
I purposely sought out a four cylinder Ranger with a five speed, and have been improving it gradually. I dumped the F250 and F100 I had as gas guzzlers and open projects I didn't need.
Daily commute is about 100 miles, six days a week. 2,400 miles a month...
Ten gallons comes to $30, I expect about 2 1/2 days between fill ups.
The math here is kind of fuzzy... I round it out at about 2 1/4 tanks per week.
9 fills per month = $270 to $300 per month roughly, just to get to work and back.
THIS MEANS that I nearly burn up an entire weeks pay each month just GETTING to work...
IE: A QUARTER of my income is wasted in the process of just getting there...
Daily commute is about 100 miles, six days a week. 2,400 miles a month...
Ten gallons comes to $30, I expect about 2 1/2 days between fill ups.
The math here is kind of fuzzy... I round it out at about 2 1/4 tanks per week.
9 fills per month = $270 to $300 per month roughly, just to get to work and back.
THIS MEANS that I nearly burn up an entire weeks pay each month just GETTING to work...
IE: A QUARTER of my income is wasted in the process of just getting there...
Last edited by Greywolf; May 24, 2007 at 12:58 PM.
Thread Starter
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Fleet Owner
Joined: Oct 2004
Posts: 20,774
Likes: 222
From: Newton America :-P
Friend of mine bought a VW Rabbit Diesel, and buys "Fuel" from a guy who makes it out of french fry grease. He gets great mileage, pays 1.00 a gallon. (But is always hungry) :-)... It's kinda all under the table at this point, but the guy might be making more in the future... I think it is a great idea. I saw somone do this on Dirty Jobs too, but they had a better outfit then the one I saw. Wonder what it would take to make a still in the back yard, and put "Granny's rumatiz medcin' " in the tank?
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,705
Likes: 4
From: Wichita KS
Bio diesel is acctually really easy to make, a little dangerous but easy, the unit they had on dirty jobs can be bought for around $1200, I know guys that use it and they swear by it. I did alot of research on this before I bought Hoss but kinda put it on the back burner since I can buy #2 for $1.35 
Hotshot
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 13,548
Likes: 77
From: Manhattan, KS
Duane it has been beat to death, but if the #2 is a funny red color, just don't get caught with it in the tank. That said the veggie oil stuff is another option. I just don't have the time or place to do it. If folks are interested they should check out the forum on it here at FTE. I guess I'll just have to stick to driving the little yota to work and save the big stuff for recreation.
Rub my Belly
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 3,093
Likes: 1
From: Lawrence, KS
I wish I had a little Yoda to drive. These full size trucks have been killing me at the gas pumps. I probably should just find another 2.9 to stick in this BII instead of a 302. Tag it and drive it on the street.
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New User
Joined: May 2005
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Likes: 0
I have been running my 1996 F350 PSD,CC, DRW Chipped on veggie oil for 2 years now, and it is a great savings.
For example this week I have used only 8 gallons of diesel and have driven 400 miles on my commuting back and forth to work. That is around $24 a week at todays fuel prices. Normally it would have cost me close to $120.
Last summer I drove to Florida and back ( 2200 miles ) and used 6 gallons of diesel, ( 120 gallons of FREE veg oil )
The farther you drive the more the savings, it takes a little time to process the oil, but with todays prices it's worth the time.
It's the wifes car and the Teenagers that are KILLING me with fuel.
BTW My truck was posted for sale and will be posted again, There are a couple of Personal problems why I have to sell her, The truck itself is GREAT. I just need the money for a personal reason, If interested PM me, or look on this site for the AD. The fuel prices would kill me when I sell it till I can get another diesel. https://www.ford-trucks.com/classifi...?product=15301
For example this week I have used only 8 gallons of diesel and have driven 400 miles on my commuting back and forth to work. That is around $24 a week at todays fuel prices. Normally it would have cost me close to $120.
Last summer I drove to Florida and back ( 2200 miles ) and used 6 gallons of diesel, ( 120 gallons of FREE veg oil )
The farther you drive the more the savings, it takes a little time to process the oil, but with todays prices it's worth the time.
It's the wifes car and the Teenagers that are KILLING me with fuel.
BTW My truck was posted for sale and will be posted again, There are a couple of Personal problems why I have to sell her, The truck itself is GREAT. I just need the money for a personal reason, If interested PM me, or look on this site for the AD. The fuel prices would kill me when I sell it till I can get another diesel. https://www.ford-trucks.com/classifi...?product=15301
Last edited by KansasDiesel; May 25, 2007 at 08:30 AM. Reason: add a link
Postmaster
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 3,705
Likes: 4
From: Wichita KS
Originally Posted by husker
Duane it has been beat to death, but if the #2 is a funny red color, just don't get caught with it in the tank. That said the veggie oil stuff is another option. I just don't have the time or place to do it. If folks are interested they should check out the forum on it here at FTE. I guess I'll just have to stick to driving the little yota to work and save the big stuff for recreation.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
From: Everywhere, USA
Ok my 2 cents!!
No matter what the cost of gas will be, there will always be people buying that gas at that price to make a living to support their family's. Theres nothing i or anyone else as a blue collar worker can do about it. I trust that Bush will do something about it, maybe not right away but will soon. I alone with others on this board will have to pay this gas prices nomatter what im driving to support our familys and to pay our bills. Do i like paying high dollar for gas? Hell no, but i do anyways so i can make money. Either that or live under a bridge in a cardboard box and eat rats. Something i dont think anyone would wish upon even their worst enemy!!
Just my 2 cents!!
Jeff
No matter what the cost of gas will be, there will always be people buying that gas at that price to make a living to support their family's. Theres nothing i or anyone else as a blue collar worker can do about it. I trust that Bush will do something about it, maybe not right away but will soon. I alone with others on this board will have to pay this gas prices nomatter what im driving to support our familys and to pay our bills. Do i like paying high dollar for gas? Hell no, but i do anyways so i can make money. Either that or live under a bridge in a cardboard box and eat rats. Something i dont think anyone would wish upon even their worst enemy!!
Just my 2 cents!!
Jeff
Well said!! I drive 100 miles a day just for work. As a result I just can't afford to drive my Galaxie nearly as much as I would like. I have actually been entertaining the idea of swapping out the 390 in it for a 300 I6 like I have in my truck just so I can afford to drive it more! I'd hate to lose the big V8 but at the same time the car was made for long comfortable vacation drives. At around 10-12mpg it's just not going to make any real long trips.
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 241
Likes: 0
From: Everywhere, USA
I have a 2002 ZX-2 that is my daily driver. What I meant is that I would like to drive the Galaxie more often and take it on trips but I can't afford it. If you check my gallery, I also have my 93 Escort that I hope to convert to a truck one day as well. I just need a better shop to work on it in and someone to give me some welding help.