Andy Ball wrote to Roy Witt:

 RW>> You're posting from Janis's BBS in New York, so I
 >> take it you're both in the area?

 AB> No. We're in Illinois.

Ewwwww. I grew up in IL...snow and ice isn't my favorite weather. I left
IL in 1966 and have only been back to visit.

 RW>> Some of the late model mini pickups do very well on
 >> mileage. They usually have a 4 cyl engine and manual
 >> transmissions, which help with the fuel mileage.

 AB>     I invariably buy a manual but he can't drive stick, so
 AB> I'll have to find something automatic for him.

No time like the present to learn stick. It's not that hard to do.

 RW>> The drawbacks to a diesel are the higher cost of fuel
 >> and the more frequent maintainence required to keep
 >> the fuel system and engine oil clean.

 AB>     I've noticed that in the U.S. Diesel isn't consistently
 AB> less expensive than gasoline.

At one time it was. Early 1980s it was cheaper to buy than gasoline. But
it was awfully hard to find it when on the open road. I had one of those
GM diesel cars then and stopped at a truck stop and begged the guy to let
me buy from his truck pumps. My tank was nearly empty and those pumps are
set to  pump a lot faster than a gasoline pump. The tank which had a 25
gallon capacity was full in less than a minute.

 AB> I think that back home in the U.K. we taxed Diesel at a lower rate,
 AB> to help industry out.

In Texas, diesel is taxed the same as gasoline. About 18-20cents/gallon.
The federal tax is much higher, but it's consistant across the country. My
sister and BIL live just a few miles south of the Wisconsin border and
don't buy fuel in IL because it's too expensive. When I drive there to
visit, I always fill up in Clinton, IA and don't have to fuel up again if
I don't drive long distances when there. I stopped taking the shortcut
through St Louis because of the prices in IL.

 AB> I've heard that Diesel engines over here have "lower compression"
 AB> that makes them less efficient, too.

22.5:1 is low? Maybe diesels have changed since I owned one. My neighbor
has a Chevy Duramax diesel pickup that he says gets better milaage than
the gasoline pickup he had before it. Plus the performance is better than
the gasoline counterpart. The only thing he doesn't like is the urine
injection, which cleans up the emissions, but makes fuel costs higher.


         R\%/itt


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