Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Anyone Else Sick Of Getting Robbed at the Pump?


Yeah, I know, DUH!!! As you may have seen already, to the right I have been looking into a new way to get myself around besides via the stinger missile. It actually makes me depressed at the thought of getting rid of it, but mid 20's on mileage just ain't cutting it. A car is probably the worst investment you can make, but not so for the world around you. I'm so sick of the Ethanol red herring, that I'm looking to my own solution and going diesel in the near future. I've been very intrigued with going bio diesel as the studies keep pouring in. VW is now claiming to have a 60 MPG diesel on it's way before the year is up. Of course those numbers could very well be over stated by an otherwise extremely trustworthy auto industry...I can't even type that with a straight face. Face it, ethanol is a joke and a danger to the environment and wallets of consumers.

My brother-in-law has been a guinea pig for the last year using his Jetta to see if creating bio diesel is worth it. Turns out, it's not bad. I plan on waiting to see if Subaru will ever get their plan to go diesel off the ground, and if so, I may very well bite.

Bottom line, I think corn sueezin's are better off left to the guys in Lynchburg and not to oil companies. In a world where we see our oil prices jump to all time highs where the rest of the world sees only moderate increases...must I finish the thought?

7 comments:

Chatterness said...

My hubby set up his own biodiesel station in our garage. It was great! He was producing this stuff for about 50 cents per gallon.....UNTIL.....these mom and pop chinese restaurants starting charging him for the veg. oil. When more people came knocking on their door for the oil, they started taking bids.....it got old trying to chase down free veg. oil. It was nice while it lasted.

The CDM said...

What about the doughnut shops? Kida makes me want to ask them if they could pass a health inspection(not as if I'd do something so nasty).There are shit loads of places to get used oil. Even if they do charge ya, ever thought of making soap with what was left and selling it?

I've been looking into the cost of a fuel meister and splitting the cost with my brother-in-law. But first, I'll need the car. We found a great source not too far from where we live, and they mentioned nothing of cost...at least not now anyway.

Anonymous said...

I drive a bug, but it only gets about 30 mpg, which kinda sucks when you think about how small it is! We also have a Tundra, and you can guess what the mileage on that is. 18, normally, but when we are towing the pop-up, and have our bikes on the rack on the roof, it knocks it down to about 12! We're going to NY for 2 weeks this summer. I figure we'll get as far as southern PA before we have to take the bikes off and ride our bikes the rest of the way up because we'll no longer be able to afford the gas! :-o

My husband thinks we should trade in the bug (he hates the bug...he's 6'2 and can't drive it because he doesn't fit, and it hurts his back to even drive around town in it!), but I love my bug! He wants to trade it in for a hybrid of some sort. Prius, perhaps, or maybe something larger that can pull the popup. I don't know, though...the bug is paid for and I do love it.

Carrie said...

Aaahh... this post puts perfectly (try saying THAT 3 times fast!) why I don't have a car, and won't until I finish my nursing degree-pay off my student loans - get my masters degree - pay off my student loans - get my NP - pay off my student loans - sign over my bonus to BMW for a Mini Cooper.

Car + Gas + Insurance + Maintenance = paycheque in the garbage.

The CDM said...

Kim, 30 ain't too shabby, you must do a lot of in-town driving. It's when you get sub 20's when you should be concerned, like with the truck, ouch. Global vehicles USA will be importing a diesel hybrid truck from Mahindra motors. It has decent horsepower with loads of torque by 2010. They claim it should get 30-35 MPG, we'll see. I'd like to give you some picks of mine if you trade in the bug, but without knowing what you're looking for in a car, I'll just say good luck for now.

Carrie, Canada, ay?(like you haven't heard that about a million times) If I lived in a huge city like Ottawa, I would definately consider your approach. If it's workin' for ya, all power to ya. I'm somewhat envious. Mini has some possible surprises coming up, depends how research goes. Thanks for crashin' in.

Anonymous said...

Yeah, mostly in town driving with the bug. We take the truck on our long trips. I think if I were going to trade it in for anything I'd want a Prius, but I don't want to trade it in just yet. It's in good shape and, as I said...paid for! I think we're just going to have to wait and see if anything comes out that gets decent gas mileage, is big enough for my husband to be comfortable, and can pull the popup. The diesel hybrid sounds encouraging!

California Girl said...

I'm stuck in the back of beyond and not able to see much of my family because none of us can afford to drive out to see anyone. I will miss a few family events but will hopefully make at least Thanksgiving. Damn f'ing oil companies. And my car gets great gas mileage.