Thread: How are gas prices affecting you???

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Originally Posted by Don Shillady

J. Robinson, what is your take on the Optima Yellow Top deep cycle batteries? They are cheaper than the red top version at only about $170 each AND they only weigh 26 lb. each.

...a professional EV builder/converter here in Virginia offered an interesting idea of using a fully synchromeshed T5 transmission WITHOUT A CLUTCH. Occording to that gentleman all you have to do is "back off " the amperage for each shift and there is no need for a clutch, just shift during the rpm lag as racers have done for a long time...

...so I commend J. Robinson and look forward to other EV builds.

Don Shillady
Retired Scientist/teen rodder

Thanks for the commendation, Don, but I am certainly no hero. I sort of fell into playing with electric race cars because of my students (long story).

Optima red tops sell for $149 here. I believe the yellow tops are slightly more. I have not researched /used the yellow tops because they are not on the approved list for competition in Electrathon. Electrathon America Electric Vehicle Competition index

Anyway, dealing with electric power has forced me to re-learn some things about horsepower and transmitting power to the driveline. Also, I still have a lot to learn... First, there is little if any need for a multi-speed transmission on these lightweight cars we build and race. The orange car pictured in my previous post has a six-speed derailleur in it, but we never use it. In fact, it has proven to be more problematic than useful. A DC electric motor generates power as soon as you put electricity in the windings. The motor in that car (Briggs Etek) is rated at 3.5 continuous hp at 1725 rpm on 24 volts. However, under load it is capable of 8.5 hp at 24 volts over a wide rpm range. The more load it's under, the more amps it pulls, but hp is there and produced under demand. This is all contrary to internal combustion engines which get their power from combustion /leverage; rpm's = hp up to volumetric efficiency limits.

Maybe a heavier car would require a multi-speed trans to keep the motor operating in its peak efficiency rpm range... As I said, I still have a lot to learn. I will not be converting my coupe or roadster to electric power; I might convert them to run on ethanol when it becomes available in this area. Tenatively, the electric vehicle I envision building for work /grocery getting will be similar to that orange car, but considerably larger. I need it to carry two people and a weeks worth of groceries. If I use a Briggs Etek motor and six batteries, I can wire it for 36 volts. It shold be capable of 40 + mph and have about 40 mile range. The orange car only uses two batteries, according to Electrathon America rules. It will easily top 40 mph, but only for a short time. In a race, which is a 1-hour timed event, it will run a steady 24 to 28 mph for the full hour, depending on the course surface, turns, etc.

I don't know if this forum wil be overly receptive to electric vehicles, but I'm sure there are forums just for that. The way things are going, there might be a lot more very soon...

Duplicated again! Please delete.

I quit driving my 99 Silverado (~20 mpg/ $70 week) a couple months ago . I've been taking the 04 Saturn Vue (~27mpg/$58 week) to work since the wife lost her job again in March. I need my pickup and its been paid for for years, but I've been kicking around the idea of buying a micro car for commuting. Something like a Focus, Toyota Yaris or corolla sized vehicle. I also looked at Honda Shadow Spirit 750 cc motorcycles last weekend, but mentally can't accept the risk to 2 wheels just yet because of the way your wives drive and talk on cell phones. . .

Originally Posted by Dave Severson

There ya go!!!! Don't blame the oil companies, ..........

Thats right Dave. I heard recently that Exxon Mobil, who have been castigated recently in Congressional hearings by that socialist bastard Dick Durbin and that broad from San Francisco for profiteering at the expense of the American taxpayer. Can you believe that? I don't recall the exact numbers so don't quote me here, but Exxon Mobil grossed like 14 billion last quarter, but paid 9 billion in Federal taxes! What did the Federal government do to earn that? Sounds like a shakedown to me....

Getting ugly here in my area. Got gas yesterday for my daily driver (regular) and it was $3.75/gal. Rode by same station today.... it's now $3.85 And I know they got their last load on Wednesday, so what's up with that.

Diesel is getting real close to $5.00 at the truck stop. It's a wonder that there are any independent rigs running the road.

Just a note on the polar bear fiasco..............the polar bear population has tripled in the past 40 years............yep, that global warming is sure a killer!!!

And a note on the impact of the value of the U.S. dollar. Had the dollar maintained parr value with the Euro as it was in 2002, the price of a barrel of crude today would be somewhere around $80. Hint to the Congress, the oil companies don't control the value of the dollar.

Before you get too excited about a new refinery in S.D. take a read on this; CorpWatch*:*US: No New Refineries in 29 Years. Note that this article is three years old, and if you think about what is meant by much of what is said, there is lots of disincentive in the system. If you do a current read on Arizona Clean Fuels Refining; Arizona Clean Fuels - Planning the most technologically advanced clean fuel refinery in the history of the US you will see that they've pushed back the "projected" operational date to 2012...........optimistic at best, and some 15 years since they started the process. They don't admit it on their site but they are having considerable difficulty raising the 2.5-3 billion in investment capital because of the threat of further law suits and lack of a firm commitment for crude oil supply.

Further disincentives to capital investment for any other potential refinery builds or investment in crude oil exploration domestically are further hampered by comments such as this; YouTube - Hillary on Oil Profits and this little gem from Rep Waters; Hot Air » Blog Archive » Video: Maxine Waters threatens to nationalize America’s oil industry
These are representatives of what will be the likely majority in both houses of Congress, and probably the Presidency starting next year. Like I said earlier, when you're standing in line for your small ration of gasoline in the future you'll wish you had today's situation which is the result of past year's poor political decisions/interference.

Bob, gas stations work in the future.....what they are selling right now generates the cash to buy my next load. For instance, if I buy 10,000 gallons today at $1 a gallon, I have to pay $10,000 for it before I sell it all. Therefore, I need to have accumulated $10,000 from the past sales.

If I am an independent gas station, I pay for my gas usually within something like 10 days after I get it. If I get a load on Wed and the distributor notifies me on Thurs of a price increase on the next load, I immediately change my price to cover the cost of the next load....because I need to accumulate more money because the gas will cost more.

If the distributor notifies me of a price decrease, I leave my price the same to cover the higher cost of the gas in my tanks. Some states limit the markup on gas by the station to something like 7cents a gallon.... however, gas stations are like grocery stores and casinos.... small margin but very large take.

Now you can see why there's a surge in the popularity of straight six powered streetrods. I love the look of a Chevy bigblock and have built several of them, but there's no way I'd do it now. I'm starting to wonder if a six isn't a better idea for my 48; I would like to be able to afford to drive it once it's done.

Son wanted to travel old Route 66 after graduating from College. Planned on 2,000 miles each way. Even with Toyota Tercel 40+ mpg, he decided increase in gas was too much. I guess I should have volinteered to take some vac and go with him. My last trip with him was in a 1964 Impala. Alt died on the way home from Goodguys Columbus. Slept in the car. "No officer, we have not been drinking. Car is broke down. Just waitn till stores open up."

The use of methane from landfills is a very good idea where possible. Methane is actually a worse greenhouse gas than carbon dioxide. Since carbon dioxide is a linear molecule with only three atoms it only has four vibrational modes while methane has five atoms and is tetrahedral so it has nine vibrational modes. Although the vibrational modes absorb and hold infrared heat energy to differing extents depending on their vibrational frequency, 9 is more than 4 so methane can hold more heat in the atmosphere than carbon dioxide and so is a much more effective greenhouse gas than methane. In fact, folks who wanted to deny that global warming is caused by human combustion of fossil fuels used to bring up cud-chewing animals like cows as a source of methane in cattle flatulance! Maybe it is worth mentioning that some greenhouse gases are necessary for life as we know it since without greenhouse gases the daily energy from the Sun if not held by the greenhouse gases would lower the average temperature to totally freeze all the oceans and in fact there are theories that long ago when the composition of the Earth's atmosphere was quite different the whole planet did indeed go through a "snowball" stage where all the oceans did freeze. So we do need greenhouse gases to hold the heat from the Sun but the argument is about how much and what causes fluctuations in greenhouse gases. While we are on this subject, whose fault is the occasional volcanic eruptions which spew incredible amounts of gases and particles into the atmosphere which tends to cool the Earth! Just some random thoughts related to methane as a fuel and/or greenhouse gas.

Don Shillady
Retired SCientist/teen rodder

Don, the two major "green house gas" emissions from we as people are CO2 (from the north end)and methane (from the south). There may just be a message for what the long term regulation intent is in that.

I am waiting with bated breath the day "Big Al" tells us how we are going to control volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

I am waiting with bated breath the day "Big Al" tells us how we are going to control volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

I'm sure he will answer those questions and more in his next "movie"

Originally Posted by NTFDAY

I am waiting with bated breath the day "Big Al" tells us how we are going to control volcanic eruptions and earthquakes.

Put a cork in the volcano

mount everything you own on BBC solid roller triple valve springs

There, that's done!!!


Don't need Al to fix the easy stuff, gotta save him for the big problems like how to justify living in a mansion that leaves and eco footprint bigger then any 3 of us combined!!!!!!!

BTW, gas is $3.69 here and the Street Rod Nationals are in town this weekend. I have to work this weekend but I drive by the fairgrounds and it appears to me that attendance is down this year.