This is why I got rid of my 67 Ford Highboy 9 or 10 years ago. It got 9 miles to the gallon and it was costing me $100 a week just to get back and forth to work.
The Big Red Dodge gets 12 mpg.
The difference between now and then is that I know I will never be able to replace this truck.
Just like I can’t replace that Ford either.
It has quintupled in the price between what I sold it for and what it would cost to buy now.
If It even ran and wasn’t rusted out.
I’m just gonna say fuck It and suck it up this time.
One of many reasons I’m not getting rid of my ’03 Grabd Cherokee, which only gets 14-17 mpg, and especially my 1989 SHO which gets between 25 and 30 mpg. Also another reason I am not planning on going anywhere in my Beaver Motor Coach that gets 4.3 mpg… which I own all 3 free and clear.
Gas will come down again, only question is when.
I’m not unloading any of my old vehicles, irrespective of their less than optimal fuel economy, because they are all in good, serviceable condition, and are simply far too costly to replace with anything more modern. They have the added advantage of being self-serviceable (by me) as I’ve already accumulated the knowledge, special tools, and a significant stockpile of parts to keep them in good condition for probably the next 10 years, at least. They are also all old enough that they don’t have any of the nanny State technological bullshit seen on vehicles made since the early 2000s. I’ll keep running these until I squeeze the very last drop of milk out of the teat.
Yup. ’03 Tahoe, ’03 Suburban, ’08 Silverado LTZ here. All in good running condition, with no big expenses in the foreseeable future. Likewise on the tools and parts.
I figure I can keep at least one of the three in running condition for as long as I need one.
I figure I can buy a lot of gas for what a newer one (that I don’t want) costs.
And what kind of mileage does that little Brit car you have get? Sounds like it is time to make the sucker run. I am assuming it is a standard transmission, so the question becomes can ya still shift it? I drove a Jetta TDI for 14 years commuting 66 miles/day 5 days a week, saved my ass that did, but now I am not so sure I could shift as easily as 20 years ago Most of our current fleet gets 27 MPG on average, that little Jetta was in the 40 to 50 MPG range. I miss it but realize the days of footwork may be drawing to a close. Clock ticks 74 trips around the sun next week 😉
My mid-70s F250 4×4 gets close enough gas mileage to my 2015 trying-to-be-the-same-thing that I’m not giving it up; I’d give up the 2015 first (though no plans for that either … in case of “it’s too old to be on the road” laws).
What it might cost in gas saves me in being self-repairable with absolutely no computers or “ET phone home” services. Or needing metric wrenches.
That and the 70s truck is built like a truck; the 2015 is built for contractors that might drive through mud
The 70’s truck was built; the 2015 was snapped together.
I just filled up here in Roseburg and for 20 gallons in my truck it was $100.25 and thank the truck gods I didn’t fill up with 34 gallons, I would have had to call you to float a loan till next payday on May 3rd… I get 13 to 14 mpg if I have a tail wind going down a 7% grade.
Got news for you, mine freund, when I pull up to the gas pump with my Beaver for a fillup, I literally have to pump/pay twice or even 3 times, as the gas pumps are now limited to $150 at a time.
My tank is 97 gallons. I have to take out a loan to fill it.
I gassed up last Tuesday, it was down to $3.29 from $3.49. I try not to get out much.
I got a 2011 F150 with130k miles getting 18-20 mpg.
Come and take it!
Wait, yeah never mind. Wrong thread.
How much of the gas price is self inflicted (taxes)? I heard California is getting close to 50/50 between cost of gas and tax. And we’ll ignore their special blend.
Gas was 3.59 when I filled up two days ago. Other states are cheaper. Deep blue are more.
It is $4.99(regular) here in Roseburg, OR. Fuel is close to $6.00.
(Israel’s) Freedom isn’t free.
It was some years back during the Obama years where I did the numbers on getting rid of a truck that got 12 mpg and buying a new one that got maybe 20 (highway) mpgs. Given the old truck was paid off and worth almost nothing for trade-in, I’d have to drive the new one over a half-million miles before the numbers worked out. Clearly better to just keep the old one and suck it up. I did buy a cheap motorcycle that got 60 mpg for commuting when the weather was good, so that helped. But yeah, keeping the old one running is generally always the better economic choice.
…and insurance is much, much cheaper.
Wife and I left South Florida and are heading west in our RV. Paid $2.94/gal in Oklahoma on Thursday.
We have an 80gal tank and get 7-7.5 mpg towing our Jeep. The further west we go and work expensive it’s going to get. 💰💰
😢
SW Michigan is currently fluctuating between 3.65 and 3,88 per gallon for regular. Yeah, long trips are diminished to the max at the moment. We did hit 4 bucks for two days last week. The insanity is apparently contagious, we should be basing prices on domestic production only for the benefit of our own economy, screw the rest of the planet. Almost tempted to accept a ban on the export of all critical natural resources from our territory but then that would be rational.
Here in the central valley of calif I paid $5.29 pg a couple days ago at valero. Ten miles away a different valero had it for $5.09 pg.
I paid $3.69 last Tuesday here in central New England. I’m driving a 2011 compact SUV with 79K miles it. Last inspection the mech told me that the underside of the vehicle looks in pristine condition. I’ve checked all of the manufacturers recommended maintenance boxes over the time I’ve owned it. I don’t drive much being retired, so I figure this is my last vehicle.
There’s two more major maintenance items left, one at 80K and the other at 120K. At the rate I’m rackin’ miles, I don’t know if I’ll see that last one.