Re: Fuel Price

I've looked into doing that but then I passed a small vehicle squished like a bug in an accident. Not worth the gas savings.

I don't get the logic of a econo car while price's are high. I figure all the expense associated with another vehicle, initial cost, tax's, title, insurance and up keep. Would think that the gettin' isn't worth the goin'.

Roy

Complete BS and nothing more than a justification of ignorance. Just as many people die when one of those larger vehicles flips over or hits another large vehicle and as Max pointed out a while ago, most of the deaths in these smaller vehicles occurs in single vehicle accidents which I would attribute to the drivers thinking that they are slot cars and can turn at any speed.

Complete BS. Small tin can cars crush easier than bigger cars. As to your flipping over BS, thats somewhat limited to certain SUV's and is very attibutable to drivers lack of skills and over reaction. Also you need to realize that the newer SUV's have a substantially improved handling and are far less prone to roll overs even with the idiot drivers behind them.

Point is TBone. No way am I going to cram my family into a tiny tin can just to save a little gas. My family is worth more.

LOL. Actually, because they are lighter, they tend to bounce off unlike your 2 ton SUV's that tend to turn into a blob, especially when they hit each other.

Wrong again. Those little tin cans as you call them are much stronger than you think and many times, your big top heavy SUV's hit them, climb up on them and overturn.

They are still overweight and top heavy and statistics show them to be no safer than any other vehicle, actually they tend to be less so.

Like I said, just excuses to justify your desires.

Oh now thats pretty funny. Most tin can cars are safer in accidents than most larger SUV's and trucks according to you. Now theres a bonehead statement from you.

There ya go again trying to explain that tin can cars are safer in accidents. Too funny.

Ya, I desire to protect my family rather than cramming them all into a tin can.

Show me some stats that back up your claims.

Yeah, the car crashes out there look like pin ball games anymore, don't they? Don't you remember "crumple zones"? They're what's supposed to make small cars "safer". Crumples don't bounce worth a shit.

I think I'm going to get a couple of bumper stickers for my '68 and '69 model cars saying "your car is my crumple zone".

You are right, they do have crumple zones and because of their lighter weight, they are highly effective but if the damage goes beyond the crumple zones to the structural members, they do tend to bounce off. Those "safe" SUV's have so much mass, unless they hit a light vehicle, there crumple zones are not as effective and if the damage extends into the structural members, they tend to become the new unintended crumple zone, along with the passengers.

Not in the short term Roy.

I drive 70 miles roundtrip each day to work, cant move (refuse to live in Houston limits) or get another job (10 years there). I was burning way too much in gas and didn't want to have a car payment again (truck is paid for). Car cost me $6500 total. I bought it for all my daily driving even before gas went up. This includes chauffeuring my 8 yr old around which would cost me $150(at least) a week in gas at todays prices. The honda is running me about $40 a week on average.

Lets break down your question: Taxes run me $50 a year Title was $210 (one time fee) Insurance costs me $85 a year (just liability) Upkeep not much, it is a Honda after all. I can guarantee it will cost a hell of a lot more to maintain my big ass dodge than it will to maintain the civic. I love my dodge but she is a bitch to maintain, tranny goes out, dashes crack, pinging requires new wires and plugs every year to correct ,etc.

Maybe in the short term it wouldnt make sense and i agree with you there but this was a long term plan and the longer it goes to more it swings the cost effectiveness the other way. Truck doesnt cost a dime as long as it just sits in the driveway, but it is there if I need it. I work nights so fear of getting squished is a little bit mitigated, but still there.

So the car stands you approx $7,000 first year in. Now add in the cost of your paid for truck that I'm assuming is registered and insured and depreciating whiles it sit's there.That is a heck of a lot of gas! Aren't you running a little under insured on the honda? Liability? You own a house?

The truck is costing you about $500 a month. If this is a long term plan I have a suggestion. Sell your truck, put some serious insurance on the car and invest the rest of money in a building material company like USG.

Roy

lol, you're the one that spewed claims that small cars just bounce off. You're the one that claims that small cars are much stronger and big SUV's just turn into blobs. TBone, you're the one claiming these small little tin cans are saver than larger trucks and SUV's in accidents. So back up your claims.

USG just agreed to build a new plant here. More jobs, and plenty of market for the product.

Friends laughed when I didn't trade in my LeBaron... now I laugh as my truck sits ready to roll when needed, and I get 24MPG around town.

Bought a Daytona for $100 a couple of years ago..... now its being looked at and I might sell for double, with no money invested.

Top it off, I live in a small town, and work a mile away from home.

The bitch will be heating the house this winter, as it always is.

Anyone want to buy a cheap boat? tri-hull, I/O chevy four, twin 1 bbls. Needs work, sell to highest offer for heating fuel money, lol

As I thought, you cannot do it.

I bought some stock in USG a couple of months ago, it has gone up over $20 a share since. Not a bad return thus far.

The plant is around $180 million, quite a investment. Sadly, there is one hell of a need for it's products

Roy

The great part about it is that it will be located adjacent to a coal burning power plant, and some of the byproduct of the caol burning, potash, (IIRC) is a major ingredient in gypsum wall board. Also, its on a well maintained, low traffic heavy rail line, and close to I 80, so shipment out is easy as well.

Big time good thing for this area.

Let me give you the whole story. Ex wife took her car (in my name), got drunk and had license pulled. She gave her cougar back to me, with the $500 note as well. Car, ironically, rear ended by a drunk and totaled. Yea, no more payment + $8000 extra for pain and suffering. Used that money to buy the Honda so all it cost me was a couple weeks of minor neck pain which I was glad to trade for that note getting paid off. Truck hasnt been registered for about 8 months but does have liability. Yes its a lot of gas but the truck is there when I need it and if I dont use it all year it only costs me about 4 days pay. I only run liability and uninsured motorist because I have excellent medical coverage, friends who paint cars professionally and I am a better than average mechanic who can fix most damage from a wreck. I mostly drive off hours so I am not at too great a risk when driving. I usually am quite alone on the roadways. Plus there is the fact I am not putting a lot of miles on my truck and wearing out $300 a piece tires faster (36"). I have a 99 model with barely 60k miles on it.

Truck is paid for, I need the truck occasionally to pull boat, haul the motorcycle, etc so i wont sell it. See above for insurance. I was uneducated enough that i bought a 1/2 ton 4x4 instead of 3/4 so when i was paying on it it was only $425 a month. I didnt buy the truck or the car as an investment so I could care less about the depreciation but in Texas a 4x4 holds its value a lot better.