Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I think you omitted the reference to the vehicle being jury rigged for that fuel and the fire hazard old man. I do not think DeathRabbit posts inspire any confidence if you view #43 above. I am sure you use $5 junkyard tires as well.
The greasecar modifications are far from being fire hazards, if you knew anything about them. It's actually much harder to get diesel or grease to light off than gasoline, but you have no problem driving around on a rolling bomb, yourself, now do you?
And yeah, I have used tires on my BMW (though mine cost $25 each online). Funny thing is, you have "used" tires on your car, as well. Tires that would cost $5-10 at a junkyard in the condition they are in right now...
^^Granted regarding unfamiliarity of the conversion. IMO, fuel system changes are problematic unless done by an establishment with a reputation in the conversion. You know, not Jasper. Own vehicle designed to strict standards for gasoline use and storage.
Anyone who purchases used tires for their vehicle is either poor or has little concern for their vehicle. No one I know who values their vehicle purchases $5 tires. Mine are used through use but were purchased new with warranties and quality control standards and not subject at the time of purchase to UV degradation or concealed damage from being sourced at a junkyard.
I guess that raises the question - is this something that the auto companies might be able to reverse through clever marketing, or are the changes more fundamental? And what does it mean for the future of the American auto market?
Well, GM can pay off their school loans, in exchange for new debt.
Or GM can get into smart phones, developing apps, or such. GM and MTV can kick dirt.
Quote:
Originally Posted by rbohm
with the rising cost of new cars, auto insurance, gasoline, etc. is it any wonder that the young people are not buying cars like they used to?
consider that back in the early 90s a ford fiesta would have cost about $10,000, today they are closer to $17,000. want a mustang? in the early 90s you could buy a V6 mustang new for around $12,000 or so, now they are pushing $25,000.
add to the above an economy that is still rather soft, and not creating jobs like it should be, and it is no wonder that new cars sales are not what they used to be.
Well said. These execs are so clueless. Car prices are going through the roof not including insurance rates, taxes, gas and maintenance.
That's enough to discourage any young person trying to get ahead. It's not a coincidence the age of Camry/Civic and Accord/Civic owners has gone up. The prices of these cars have gone up as well. Young people cannot afford these cars. It's not just about appeal or lack thereof. Price is just as, if not most important.
I was at a recent car show, where a fully loaded Focus was going for $27k (sticker on the window. I'm not making this up. It was well equipped). It makes absolutely no sense to get a sub compact at this price. I guess that's also what's driving used car prices. If these car companies haven't figured things out by now, maybe they should just shut down.
Their marketing will fall on deaf ears if the targeted audience does not have the funds to buy their products.
For one, I'm proud of the youth and how practical they're being during these harder than normal times.
The greasecar modifications are far from being fire hazards, if you knew anything about them. It's actually much harder to get diesel or grease to light off than gasoline, but you have no problem driving around on a rolling bomb, yourself, now do you?
Fryer grease is largely saturated fats and thus a solid at room temp. I should know, I paid for my first car by working at a greasy spoon and routinely dealt with fryers. IIRC (it has been a while) it took getting the grease up to around 180-200 F before much of it would melt and it took about half an hour for our 40,000 BTU gas fryers to melt the approximately five gallons of grease in each fryer in the morning. You would have to do the same heating in a waste grease-powered vehicle. (Look at the conversion kit here- Frybrid Vegetable Oil Fuel Systems -they note a heater in their grease tank.) You need a pretty hot heat source to melt the congealed grease in a reasonable time frame, and that heat source can and does easily catch things on fire. Shoot, where I live you need a heat source to fire off a gasoline vehicle during some parts of the year, let alone something that burns Crisco.
I've dealt with greasecar conversions, and the vegetable oil is not like crisco, but more like diesel fuel.
You do have to heat it up a bit when cold but you don't need a giant flame burner to do so, only a mild electrical current that can be done safely and efficiently.
Simply put, have you any verified stories of greasecar conversions burning down? I thought not. But yet, gasoline cars going up happen daily.
I run grease and motor oil through my dodge and fire hazards are my least concern. You don't need to be a rocket scientist to be able to fabricate a neat and reliable home-made system. My home processer is a single 55 gal drum with electric heating elements and a centrifuge and the auxiliary system on the vehicle is an extra tank, valving/plumbing and a couple flat plate heat exchangers that use re-routed coolant.
This is probably my most favorite project that I have completed. I now have a vehicle that can run on virtually any oil and a waste oil processer capable of filtering and dewatering 55 gallons of oil in 2-6 hours depending on contamination levels. Dangerous? Absolutely not. Messy? Only if you're not careful!
I'm 20 years old, I've had two minumum wage jobs, and a little bit of college experience. I've never learned how to drive though. My parents weren't able to afford driving classes, and they didn't have the time to teach me. Also, the jobs I had were part time, less than 20 hours a week. Do the math there, is that enough money to even buy a halfway decent used car today? No, it's not. My dream car is currently the Dodge Challenger, and a new one costs at least $25,000, with nicer models being over $40,000. It would take years of working a minumum wage job to have the cash to pay for a car like that, not factoring in other things that are more important like food and shelter. Speaking for my age group, a lot of us are in college. Hard to afford college and get a car(of any kind), when getting an education is argueably the more important thing if you ever want to be able to buy a new car in the first place. I don't live off of the government, I will admit I still live at my parents though. Sorry, cars aren't as cheap as they were in past decades. I've heard the stories of how you could get a nice, new car for $3,000. $3,000 might get you an alright used car that is going to need some kind of repairs today.
Location: We_tside PNW (Columbia Gorge) / CO / SA TX / Thailand
34,705 posts, read 58,042,598 times
Reputation: 46172
Quote:
Originally Posted by Felix C
^^Granted regarding unfamiliarity of the conversion. ....standards for gasoline use and storage. .[/b]
THUS us grease burners would never have ANYTHING to do with Gasoline, that stuff is DANGEROUS . (not like veggie oils that have more BTU, but MUCH less hazard) No venting / expansion / errant electrical issues.
... No one I know who values their vehicle purchases $5 tires. Mine are used through use but were purchased new with warranties and quality control standards and not subject at the time of purchase to UV degradation or concealed damage from being sourced at a junkyard.
Ha, Ha again...(the 'perceptions' of the ill informed ...) I've been employed in and very immersed in the tire industry for over 40 yrs(repairing LOTS of damage for others but NOT ME) . I know enough about tires to NEVER run most varieties of BF Goodrich, Firestone, or Goodyear and very few Bridgestones. I drive very agressively (ex-racer) so I have significant criteria for my tires (Which does not include warantee, or 'free' mounting and Balance ... ).
I am well versed in date codes too. And I am quite happy to not have your competition when sourcing my $5 tires
RE: vehicles, I do have many Rabbits, ... and Jettas, Golfs, GTI's, and a fleet of grease burning Passats (Yes, Passats are airbag and ABS equipped, but can cost as much as $2000 for a 52 mpg car that has a 25 gal tank... 1200+ mile range). So, if I have a fragile cargo (like YOUR mother-in-law), I can take a Passat rather than a Rabbit (if you prefer....)
Rabbits, are my street legal 'go-carts' and many have lots of suspension and handling mods (Since they were 'Class' cars for SCCA). You can make an awesome Rabbit for well under $1000 and have every bell and whistle available (and NO electric windows, TG). MOst of my Rabbits were $20 - $100, some I get for free. (No warantee).
As for DANGER of driving one.... I put it all in perspective, I still have MANY motorcycles, bicycles, bulldozers, tractors, semi's, 4x4's and other dangerous ways to get dead. Thus I carry healthy insurance policies, & no debt, (Thx to my $35 cars and $5 tires ). I Have a blast, travel and live all over the world. And not give a rip about getting crunched. (Far more likely when traveling in 3rd world countries).
Hey, I'm Insured. (And a VERY defensive driver with well over 5 mil accident free miles).
BUT, ... I might not make it home tonight!... I'm prepared for that Hope you are too (In case those 'waranteed' tires fail you ) Seen that happen MORE than I care to mention.
^^^HAHAHAHA. Good sense of humor and as Errol Flynn said "I love a man who can best me" Of course, they could say stuff like that in the 1940s without it being taken cross-eyed.
In 1987 I bought a Mitsubishi pickup with AC and a 5 spd brand new for $6,995. There are no comparable deals like that today. I was a recent college graduate working and going to graduate school. There were several affordable automobiles that were available for 1/4 or 1/3 of my modest salary in an entry-level position. The same cannot be said today. There are few, if any, new vehicles available in the $9,000 to $12,000 range.
My child just turned 16 and started looking for jobs several months ago. There are few opportunities available in the area. She has applied at grocery stores, fast food restaurants, nursing homes, summer camps, life gaurd postions, etc. Many of the jobs formerly available to young people are being occupied by retirees or displaced workers who need it to make ends meet.
The reality is that a car is out of reach for many young people today due to cost and the poor economy. It doesn't matter what the style is because most young people will realize that they just don't have the money and the car image thing of past generations just isn't that important to many of today's young people.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
...) I've been employed in and very immersed in the tire industry for over 40 yrs(repairing LOTS of damage for others but NOT ME) . I know enough about tires to NEVER run most varieties of BF Goodrich, Firestone, or Goodyear and very few Bridgestones. I drive very agressively (ex-racer) so I have significant criteria for my tires (Which does not include warantee, or 'free' mounting and Balance ... 
).
for a 52 mpg car that has a 25 gal tank... 1200+ mile range). So, if I have a fragile cargo (like YOUR mother-in-law), I can take a Passat rather than a Rabbit (if you prefer....)
). 
). I Have a blast, travel and live all over the world. And not give a rip about getting crunched. (Far more likely when traveling in 3rd world countries).
Hope you are too
) Seen that happen MORE than I care to mention.
