"Tom Boltwood" <nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:BCEF8AFE.23B62%nospam@hotmail.com...
>
>
> > From: "dreas" <dreas@shaw.ca>
> > Organization: Shaw Residential Internet
> > Newsgroups:
> >
alt.autos.4x4.chevy-trucks,alt.autos.acura,alt.autos.alfa-romeo,alt.autos.an
ti
> > que,alt.autos.audi
> > Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:39:34 GMT
> > Subject: Re: Fuel prices are dropping
> >
> >
> > "MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
> > news:MPG.1b3290e9ae43bd5a98a231@news.individual.ne t...
> >> In article <Wb_xc.723937$oR5.374104@pd7tw3no>, dreas@shaw.ca says...
> >>> Damn! The best I can do is realistically about 20MPG on the open road.
> >>> In city driving it's less than 15. On the plus side, I didn't pay much
> > for
> >>> the
> >>> old car and I drive it only once or twice a week. A tankfull of gas
> > lasts
> >>> a month or two...
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> I do about 180-200 a week, and go through roughly 30-35 litres a week.
> >>
> >> Mixed motorway and main road, very little town. if I spend it all doing
> >> town roads at 30 or less, I end up with the 26.
> >
> > Try that with 318 cubic inches [5.2 litres] of pushrod overhead valve
V8,
> > a three speed automatic, enough room for six adult passengers, and all
> > their gear, and lots of groceries. That's my '87 Plymouth RWD personal
> > car...
> >
> > But the taxi is another story. It's a full-size Ford ex-police car with
a
> > 4.6
> > litre overhead cam V8 that sucks oil by a litre to every 500 kM, room
> > for four passengers besides the driver [due to bucket seats instead of a
> > bench in the front], and it drinks 15 litres of fuel to every hundred
kM's
> > that I drive. That's roughly 15 miles to the gallon at nearly four
dollars a
> > gallon...
> >
> > No wonder my profits are down this year!
> >
> > -'dreas
> >
> Why don't you drive a more efficient vehicle? You could quite easily
reduce
> your engine size by two litres, double your economy whilst improving your
> performance and leave the rest of us with more fuel to go round.

It's not my choice to make. I lease the taxi by the shift, I don't own it.
I'd like to drive a hybrid or a Crown Vic on natural gas with a huge
tank. Actually, I'd love to burn liquid hydrogen but the infrastructure
just isn't there locally. The taxi industry is a balancing act between
cheap cars and efficient cars. There are no TDI Volkswagens in the
fleet because they cost a lot to buy compared to used police cars,
and for some reason diesel isn't popular like propane used to be...

-'dreas

 

"Tom Boltwood" <nospam@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:BCEF8AFE.23B62%nospam@hotmail.com...
>
>
> > From: "dreas" <dreas@shaw.ca>
> > Organization: Shaw Residential Internet
> > Newsgroups:
> >
alt.autos.4x4.chevy-trucks,alt.autos.acura,alt.autos.alfa-romeo,alt.autos.an
ti
> > que,alt.autos.audi
> > Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:39:34 GMT
> > Subject: Re: Fuel prices are dropping
> >
> >
> > "MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
> > news:MPG.1b3290e9ae43bd5a98a231@news.individual.ne t...
> >> In article <Wb_xc.723937$oR5.374104@pd7tw3no>, dreas@shaw.ca says...
> >>> Damn! The best I can do is realistically about 20MPG on the open road.
> >>> In city driving it's less than 15. On the plus side, I didn't pay much
> > for
> >>> the
> >>> old car and I drive it only once or twice a week. A tankfull of gas
> > lasts
> >>> a month or two...
> >>>
> >>>
> >>
> >> I do about 180-200 a week, and go through roughly 30-35 litres a week.
> >>
> >> Mixed motorway and main road, very little town. if I spend it all doing
> >> town roads at 30 or less, I end up with the 26.
> >
> > Try that with 318 cubic inches [5.2 litres] of pushrod overhead valve
V8,
> > a three speed automatic, enough room for six adult passengers, and all
> > their gear, and lots of groceries. That's my '87 Plymouth RWD personal
> > car...
> >
> > But the taxi is another story. It's a full-size Ford ex-police car with
a
> > 4.6
> > litre overhead cam V8 that sucks oil by a litre to every 500 kM, room
> > for four passengers besides the driver [due to bucket seats instead of a
> > bench in the front], and it drinks 15 litres of fuel to every hundred
kM's
> > that I drive. That's roughly 15 miles to the gallon at nearly four
dollars a
> > gallon...
> >
> > No wonder my profits are down this year!
> >
> > -'dreas
> >
> Why don't you drive a more efficient vehicle? You could quite easily
reduce
> your engine size by two litres, double your economy whilst improving your
> performance and leave the rest of us with more fuel to go round.

It's not my choice to make. I lease the taxi by the shift, I don't own it.
I'd like to drive a hybrid or a Crown Vic on natural gas with a huge
tank. Actually, I'd love to burn liquid hydrogen but the infrastructure
just isn't there locally. The taxi industry is a balancing act between
cheap cars and efficient cars. There are no TDI Volkswagens in the
fleet because they cost a lot to buy compared to used police cars,
and for some reason diesel isn't popular like propane used to be...

-'dreas

 

"MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b33e595d9decc7b98a245@news.individual.ne t...
> In article <BCEF8AFE.23B62%nospam@hotmail.com>, nospam@hotmail.com
> says...
> >
> >
> > > From: "dreas" <dreas@shaw.ca>
> > > Organization: Shaw Residential Internet
> > > Newsgroups:
> > >
alt.autos.4x4.chevy-trucks,alt.autos.acura,alt.autos.alfa-romeo,alt.autos.an
ti
> > > que,alt.autos.audi
> > > Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:39:34 GMT
> > > Subject: Re: Fuel prices are dropping
> > >
> > >
> > > "MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
> > > news:MPG.1b3290e9ae43bd5a98a231@news.individual.ne t...
> > >> In article <Wb_xc.723937$oR5.374104@pd7tw3no>, dreas@shaw.ca says...
> > >>> Damn! The best I can do is realistically about 20MPG on the open
road.
> > >>> In city driving it's less than 15. On the plus side, I didn't pay
much
> > > for
> > >>> the
> > >>> old car and I drive it only once or twice a week. A tankfull of gas
> > > lasts
> > >>> a month or two...
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >> I do about 180-200 a week, and go through roughly 30-35 litres a
week.
> > >>
> > >> Mixed motorway and main road, very little town. if I spend it all
doing
> > >> town roads at 30 or less, I end up with the 26.
> > >
> > > Try that with 318 cubic inches [5.2 litres] of pushrod overhead valve
V8,
> > > a three speed automatic, enough room for six adult passengers, and all
> > > their gear, and lots of groceries. That's my '87 Plymouth RWD personal
> > > car...
> > >
> > > But the taxi is another story. It's a full-size Ford ex-police car
with a
> > > 4.6
> > > litre overhead cam V8 that sucks oil by a litre to every 500 kM, room
> > > for four passengers besides the driver [due to bucket seats instead of
a
> > > bench in the front], and it drinks 15 litres of fuel to every hundred
kM's
> > > that I drive. That's roughly 15 miles to the gallon at nearly four
dollars a
> > > gallon...
> > >
> > > No wonder my profits are down this year!
> > >
> > > -'dreas
> > >
> > Why don't you drive a more efficient vehicle? You could quite easily
reduce
> > your engine size by two litres, double your economy whilst improving
your
> > performance and leave the rest of us with more fuel to go round.
> >
> Agreed. While, hevean forbid me for mentioning it on an Alfa group, but
> if you want a biggish engine in a largish car, why not look at the V6
> TDi Skoda Superbs (if they are avialable on your home market) as the
> taxi, or the features of a Passat, but cheaper and bigger, and something
> like a 164 as your own car?

Skodas are not available here, and things like Alfas are rare and expensive,
not to mention that local mechanics know nothing about them. Typically we
have run Oldsmobile Delta 88's and 98's when they were plentiful, followed
by Chevy Caprices because they were cheap used vehicles, having been
used as police cars for a couple of decades, and now the Ford Crown
Victorias are cheap and plentiful, having been used as police cars for over
ten years now. The Chevys were quite adaptable to alternate fuels like
propane, as the 5.7 litre pushrod V8 ran well on them. The Olds 307
was a clean-running engine which also worked well on propane, but now
that lighter cars running on V6's like Intrepids can burn gasoline more
cheaply than the bigger cars can run propane, where's the advantage of
alternate fuels? When it comes to my personal car, the Chrysler 318
drivetrain is tough, needs minimal maintenance, it was cheap to buy, and
I don't drive it enough to make a more fuel-efficient vehicle worth the
extra
cost of buying one. I mean, a $50 tank of gas lasts more than a month.
Paying thousands now to get something that uses less gas is kinda ludi-
crous...

> Both a engines more suited for the kind of use, and both as
> substantially cheaper to run. The superb in particular has a good size
> boot, and the more efficient modern TDi would feel similar to a torquie
> US V8.

I have been driving V8's for something like 25 years now, and the bigger
ones feel more powerful no matter how big the car. I used to have a '64
Cadillac with a 429[7.5litre] engine, and it was quick despite its size. I
had a Suburban [big station wagon on a light truck chassis] with a 350
[5.7 litre V8] and trailer towing package including low gearing, and the
torque it had was hard to beat. I doubt that the TDI would feel like a
real V8. Although the fuel savings would tend to make me want to drive
one, it wouldn't be the same as the real thing. There is still no substitute
for cubic inches [unless it's supercharged]...

> I'm sure something in the Alfa 166 range would be equally
> suitable as a taxi, but the initial high price, depreciation, and heavy
> use of a taxi wouldn't make it the best shot.

That's exactly my point...

-'dreas

 

"MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b33e595d9decc7b98a245@news.individual.ne t...
> In article <BCEF8AFE.23B62%nospam@hotmail.com>, nospam@hotmail.com
> says...
> >
> >
> > > From: "dreas" <dreas@shaw.ca>
> > > Organization: Shaw Residential Internet
> > > Newsgroups:
> > >
alt.autos.4x4.chevy-trucks,alt.autos.acura,alt.autos.alfa-romeo,alt.autos.an
ti
> > > que,alt.autos.audi
> > > Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2004 14:39:34 GMT
> > > Subject: Re: Fuel prices are dropping
> > >
> > >
> > > "MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
> > > news:MPG.1b3290e9ae43bd5a98a231@news.individual.ne t...
> > >> In article <Wb_xc.723937$oR5.374104@pd7tw3no>, dreas@shaw.ca says...
> > >>> Damn! The best I can do is realistically about 20MPG on the open
road.
> > >>> In city driving it's less than 15. On the plus side, I didn't pay
much
> > > for
> > >>> the
> > >>> old car and I drive it only once or twice a week. A tankfull of gas
> > > lasts
> > >>> a month or two...
> > >>>
> > >>>
> > >>
> > >> I do about 180-200 a week, and go through roughly 30-35 litres a
week.
> > >>
> > >> Mixed motorway and main road, very little town. if I spend it all
doing
> > >> town roads at 30 or less, I end up with the 26.
> > >
> > > Try that with 318 cubic inches [5.2 litres] of pushrod overhead valve
V8,
> > > a three speed automatic, enough room for six adult passengers, and all
> > > their gear, and lots of groceries. That's my '87 Plymouth RWD personal
> > > car...
> > >
> > > But the taxi is another story. It's a full-size Ford ex-police car
with a
> > > 4.6
> > > litre overhead cam V8 that sucks oil by a litre to every 500 kM, room
> > > for four passengers besides the driver [due to bucket seats instead of
a
> > > bench in the front], and it drinks 15 litres of fuel to every hundred
kM's
> > > that I drive. That's roughly 15 miles to the gallon at nearly four
dollars a
> > > gallon...
> > >
> > > No wonder my profits are down this year!
> > >
> > > -'dreas
> > >
> > Why don't you drive a more efficient vehicle? You could quite easily
reduce
> > your engine size by two litres, double your economy whilst improving
your
> > performance and leave the rest of us with more fuel to go round.
> >
> Agreed. While, hevean forbid me for mentioning it on an Alfa group, but
> if you want a biggish engine in a largish car, why not look at the V6
> TDi Skoda Superbs (if they are avialable on your home market) as the
> taxi, or the features of a Passat, but cheaper and bigger, and something
> like a 164 as your own car?

Skodas are not available here, and things like Alfas are rare and expensive,
not to mention that local mechanics know nothing about them. Typically we
have run Oldsmobile Delta 88's and 98's when they were plentiful, followed
by Chevy Caprices because they were cheap used vehicles, having been
used as police cars for a couple of decades, and now the Ford Crown
Victorias are cheap and plentiful, having been used as police cars for over
ten years now. The Chevys were quite adaptable to alternate fuels like
propane, as the 5.7 litre pushrod V8 ran well on them. The Olds 307
was a clean-running engine which also worked well on propane, but now
that lighter cars running on V6's like Intrepids can burn gasoline more
cheaply than the bigger cars can run propane, where's the advantage of
alternate fuels? When it comes to my personal car, the Chrysler 318
drivetrain is tough, needs minimal maintenance, it was cheap to buy, and
I don't drive it enough to make a more fuel-efficient vehicle worth the
extra
cost of buying one. I mean, a $50 tank of gas lasts more than a month.
Paying thousands now to get something that uses less gas is kinda ludi-
crous...

> Both a engines more suited for the kind of use, and both as
> substantially cheaper to run. The superb in particular has a good size
> boot, and the more efficient modern TDi would feel similar to a torquie
> US V8.

I have been driving V8's for something like 25 years now, and the bigger
ones feel more powerful no matter how big the car. I used to have a '64
Cadillac with a 429[7.5litre] engine, and it was quick despite its size. I
had a Suburban [big station wagon on a light truck chassis] with a 350
[5.7 litre V8] and trailer towing package including low gearing, and the
torque it had was hard to beat. I doubt that the TDI would feel like a
real V8. Although the fuel savings would tend to make me want to drive
one, it wouldn't be the same as the real thing. There is still no substitute
for cubic inches [unless it's supercharged]...

> I'm sure something in the Alfa 166 range would be equally
> suitable as a taxi, but the initial high price, depreciation, and heavy
> use of a taxi wouldn't make it the best shot.

That's exactly my point...

-'dreas

 

"MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b33de9e7b55860298a244@news.individual.ne t...
> In article <Gujyc.732318$Ig.573638@pd7tw2no>, dreas@shaw.ca says...
> > Try that with 318 cubic inches [5.2 litres] of pushrod overhead valve
V8,
> > a three speed automatic, enough room for six adult passengers, and all
> > their gear, and lots of groceries. That's my '87 Plymouth RWD personal
> > car...
> >
> Sounds wonderful, except the fuel.

For the limited-use personal car it's alright. I used to have a Cadillac
that got
less than ten MPG, but at that point you enjoy the ride and don't care about
fuel economy...

> The taxi sounds even nicer.

The taxi could be a lot cheaper to run if it were on natural gas or
propane...

> Wish fuel was affordable.

It's not, but sometimes there is no choice...

-'dreas

 

"MeatballTurbo" <carl.robson@bouncing-czechs.com> wrote in message
news:MPG.1b33de9e7b55860298a244@news.individual.ne t...
> In article <Gujyc.732318$Ig.573638@pd7tw2no>, dreas@shaw.ca says...
> > Try that with 318 cubic inches [5.2 litres] of pushrod overhead valve
V8,
> > a three speed automatic, enough room for six adult passengers, and all
> > their gear, and lots of groceries. That's my '87 Plymouth RWD personal
> > car...
> >
> Sounds wonderful, except the fuel.

For the limited-use personal car it's alright. I used to have a Cadillac
that got
less than ten MPG, but at that point you enjoy the ride and don't care about
fuel economy...

> The taxi sounds even nicer.

The taxi could be a lot cheaper to run if it were on natural gas or
propane...

> Wish fuel was affordable.

It's not, but sometimes there is no choice...

-'dreas

 

And that is why we are big. Our country is big, our cars our big, our ego is
big, and we have the fists to back it all up. 200miles in a mini sounds
about as fun as bubba in your ***.

~KJ/TLGM

<MikeHunt@lycos.com> wrote in message news:40C8BCCC.A4DC5A5C@lycos.com...
> In the US 200 miles gets one to the next town and back.
>
> mike hunt
>
>
>
> MeatballTurbo wrote:
> >
> > In article <rircc0hqnc4l8bimjpjq27t7fqh2v06bcl@4ax.com>, b
> >
> > Also we do much shorter journeys. 200 miles is considered a long run
> > here even if you do it everyday. I imagine in some parts of the states,
> > that is just a bit further than "popping to the local store".
> > --
> > The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.
> > http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

 

And that is why we are big. Our country is big, our cars our big, our ego is
big, and we have the fists to back it all up. 200miles in a mini sounds
about as fun as bubba in your ***.

~KJ/TLGM

<MikeHunt@lycos.com> wrote in message news:40C8BCCC.A4DC5A5C@lycos.com...
> In the US 200 miles gets one to the next town and back.
>
> mike hunt
>
>
>
> MeatballTurbo wrote:
> >
> > In article <rircc0hqnc4l8bimjpjq27t7fqh2v06bcl@4ax.com>, b
> >
> > Also we do much shorter journeys. 200 miles is considered a long run
> > here even if you do it everyday. I imagine in some parts of the states,
> > that is just a bit further than "popping to the local store".
> > --
> > The poster formerly known as Skodapilot.
> > http://www.bouncing-czechs.com

 

So basically we can all agree that it was a good thing we left the
limeys....

~KJ/TLGM

"Pete" <iowna156@alfa.com> wrote in message
news:vn3fc09oj1o4j3cc6iujf2lu2i3da758fm@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 22:19:13 GMT, "burntkat IS AT sc.rr.com"
> <burntkathatesspam@sc.rr.com>, wrote:
>
> >not our fault you're willing to pay that kinda money for the the
> >"music" industry puts out..
>
> Which is exactly why sales have dropped by enormous amounts.
> The industry cries "piracy downloading is killing them" but in reality
> they have priced themselves out of business in the UK.
> Especially when the rest of the EU pays half the price.
> It is the same with movies. Everything is marked up for the UK
> market and then Taxed Up too.
>
> Pete
> --
> <iowna156@rustclubalfa.com>
> 156 2.0 TS (2001) - Proteo Rosso (his)
> 147 2.0 TS (2002) - Gem Green (her's)

 

So basically we can all agree that it was a good thing we left the
limeys....

~KJ/TLGM

"Pete" <iowna156@alfa.com> wrote in message
news:vn3fc09oj1o4j3cc6iujf2lu2i3da758fm@4ax.com...
> On Wed, 09 Jun 2004 22:19:13 GMT, "burntkat IS AT sc.rr.com"
> <burntkathatesspam@sc.rr.com>, wrote:
>
> >not our fault you're willing to pay that kinda money for the the
> >"music" industry puts out..
>
> Which is exactly why sales have dropped by enormous amounts.
> The industry cries "piracy downloading is killing them" but in reality
> they have priced themselves out of business in the UK.
> Especially when the rest of the EU pays half the price.
> It is the same with movies. Everything is marked up for the UK
> market and then Taxed Up too.
>
> Pete
> --
> <iowna156@rustclubalfa.com>
> 156 2.0 TS (2001) - Proteo Rosso (his)
> 147 2.0 TS (2002) - Gem Green (her's)