I'm not. I survived the first go around. I'll survive this one.

 

cylinders = prestige and plays really well into the ideaology that more = bigger & better.

I dont see V8s dying off anymore than I see a rotary motor replacing all recipocating motors. Besides adding more cylinders for a given displacment has benefits. I'd take a 4.0 V8 over a 4.0 V6 any day.

 

Just out of curiousity - do you see the current run-up in fuel prices being driven by similar factors as the run-up in the 70s, or is something fundamentally different this time? I've got my own opinions on this, but I respect yours and I'd be interested to hear your thoughts.

 

Shew....your standards are pretty damn low!

I'm a long way from being anything related to an expert on the subject, but like most things, I do have an opinion if you're really interested.

There are some similarities to the 70's, but this time, there is no embargo, there is little "holding back" of production, and there is a hell of a lot more growing economies that are hungry for energy. The politics are similar - even though we are now dealing much more with countries like Venezuela (who, like the Middle Eastern countries, only want our money but otherwise don't like us). Add the much more vocal environmental movement, and the relatively flat fuel economy standards over the last several years.

That said - we'll come through it. Will things change? Absolutely. Much like the "original" muscle car era changed - dramatically - this one will too. In the end, I think we'll be fine.

In the meantime....my 284 cid DOHC 4V 4.6 and G-Force dog-ring T5 should be just about built by now. I need to get hot on getting put back in and on the road.

 

See, that's what I love about you - it doesn't take much arm-twisting to get your views on a particular topic.

OK, so I think you're looking at this the way I am in terms of what's driving the increased prices. The things you listed above don't seem to be fixed as easily as winning a bitching contest with a cartel. I mean, OPEC might be a group of SOBs, but they're still dealt with more easily than issues like petrogeology and the explosive growth in what used to be the third world.

My concern is that before, we primarily needed a political solution to loosen up supplies and get prices back down to an "acceptable" level. Nowadays, I don't think that we'll be able to get more oil - from what I've read, the world simply can't pump enough to keep up with the growing demand coming from every corner of the earth. Go ahead and tap into ANWR or engage in all the deep-ocean drilling that you want, and we still won't be able to increase production at the required rate. That kinda scares me.

I, too, think that we can get through this, and as long as we've got some wheels powered by an energy conversion device, people will figure out how to go faster. I'm just not sure that it's going to happen fast enough - and phasing in relatively modest increases in mandated fuel economy over the span of more than a decade probably won't solve any problems in the near-term.

If indeed the world's oil supply rate is currently near its max, and if indeed we start seeing huge gaps between supply and demand over the next 7-8 years, then the new CAFE legislation won't do a damn bit of good.

Oh, great - that'll shoot up gas prices another 10 cents

 

What is needed is a different fuel, not higher MPG standards. We will never conserve our way out of this.

 

I've bever bought into either or those ideologies. A Ferrari Dino has as much, if not more, prestige than an L78 Stingray.

Better is better, period, and is defined by the era. When gas was $0.25 a gallon bigger was the bench mark. Now energy is in a bind, the rules have changed, and bigger just means bigger.

 

I agree that we are likely very close to reasonable, relatively cost-efficient capacity.

Something has to give....and it will, whether we like it or not.

Bob

 

So you're saying that it takes a couple hundred horsepower and 3,500lbs of structure just to transport my skinny *** to work? At some point, our means of transportation just look silly.

At least the military is looking seriously at the problem - maybe that'll bring a paradigm shift in personal transportation.

 

as always performance will find it ways into the public..

 

Somebody finally said it!


But on a side note, a fear of commercial vehicles (like 18-wheelers) and their smaller counter part (soccer mom SUVs) are what I see driving up car weights. Not much you can do about fixing that though.

 

I think he means that regardless of fuel economy, oil is a finite resource (technically it is renewable but not nearly as fast as the rate in which we consume it) that is going to run out regardless. We need a different source of energy period.

 

The delima comes b/c I have to also use that 3500 lb vehicle for every other facet of my life, hauling kids, groceries, travel, in all weather conditions with a reasonable amount of safety provisions...not to mention ever longer commutes to good paying jobs.
I'd take a 'Busa powered Smart car in a minute if an extra work car was in the budget...insurance included.

 

if we give in to letting them making us stop bidding in the world race for supercars....

all i can say is... "'dem dam libs"

 

We'll get a different energy base through higher fuel prices. Not through conservation, or especially government spending. The government couldn't spend their way out of a paper bag, and yet people expect them to be able to spend ten billion dollars, and magically have an alternative to petroleum.

Not gonna happen.

Fuel breakthroughs will happen in the private sector, as fuel prices climb.

When there is money to be made.

Not before.