How are gas prices affecting you???

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!!!:rolleyes:

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.:HMMM:

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

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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. :rolleyes: :HMMM:

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

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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. :rolleyes: :HMMM:

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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!!!!!!!:LOL: :LOL: :LOL:

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. :CRY:

regular gas prices are nuts but it's interesting the station here that pumps 100 octane price was steady at 5.55 last year and steady at 5.85 this year... That's something like a 5-6% increase... regular gas has gone from maybe 2.80 to 3.80+... what ~35%? I guess there is the supply and demand element (who buys 100 octane?) but there is more going on than meets the eye... yes US $ is worth less than Carter years... after being worth most (before this president?)...

Weird.... sorry for the politics

-Chris

:eek:

You can still buy 100 Octane at the pumps. Out here the highest we have been able to get for years is 91 and it is barely burnable. You could throw a bucket of it on a fire and put it out. As for prices, our lowest which is 89octane, (yea right ), was $4.09 but they said next Tuesday with the next load it would jump 10¢ per gallon for all grades. This stuff doesn't even look like gas and you can really tell the loss of power and mileage that it gives. Strange that down in southern Calif. where the big smog problems are they can still buy SONOCO and I believe they can get 95 octane one of the guys said.

Ron :confused:

You can't find 100 oct just anywhere... I know of one station in the denver area that has Sunoco 100 unleaded on tap (although it is a Sinclair station). Most everywhere else around here the highest you get is 91 premium (lower for the altitude). If you get out on the plains a bit you'll start seeing 93 oct premium. We can also get the 100 at the track (when it's open and it's about $1 more per gallon)...

-Chris

Our local Sunoco sells VP unleaded 100 in the spring/summer in the pump. During the off season it's in a 55 gal drums and the 100 leaded as well. Both are $10+ a gal. Why they sell VP and not Sunoco is anyone guess. But they switched to VP bout 8 years ago. They don't advertise the leaded 100 but it's there. Last year both were $8.65 a gal. I remember when it was $4.99....ahhh the good ol days.

just topped off with 11 gals of high octane. $49 bucks!! if that don't affect you :mad: :CRY: :mad: :CRY: :eek:

Use to be 11 gals for 11 bucks

I would not be surprised at all if the government imposed heavier "gas guzzler" tax - which could make a giant impact on those of us who actually drive our rods. If it really gets bad gas guzzlers could be outlawed all together!:whacked:

Our realatives across the Atlantic may alrewady be thinking along these line!
Ban gas-guzzling cars, says ex-Shell boss - Telegraph


Yikes!:eek:

Give me Horsepower or Give me Death!;)

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Originally Posted by Geronimo

just topped off with 11 gals of high octane. $49 bucks!! if that don't affect you :mad: :CRY: :mad: :CRY: :eek:

Use to be 11 gals for 11 bucks

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I filled my harley the other day to the tune of 22 dollars with premium. I've never come close to that in a motorcycle before!:HMMM: :eek:

Filled my 34 up again today with the Sunoco 93 octane good stuff. $3.999 per gallon, but what a good deal. The 91 octane was the same price.:confused:

Checked my mileage, and it was up to 12 mpg.:D Last week it was 6.:eek: Must be living right.:LOL: :LOL:

I have to fill up the daily driver tonight so I can go to work tomorrow. I expect that it will be about $45 or more to add about 11 gal. That will get me to 2.5 trips to work.:( Oh well, this week I only have to work 4 days, and next week with the start of the Nats East, I only work 3 days. Life is good. :whacked: At least for the next two weeks.:LOL: After that it will probably turn to crap.:eek: :CRY:

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Originally Posted by GulfCoastGasser

I would not be surprised at all if the government imposed heavier "gas guzzler" tax - which could make a giant impact on those of us who actually drive our rods. If it really gets bad gas guzzlers could be outlawed all together!:whacked:

Our realatives across the Atlantic may alrewady be thinking along these line!
Ban gas-guzzling cars, says ex-Shell boss - Telegraph


Yikes!:eek:

Give me Horsepower or Give me Death!;)

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As much as I hate to think it, I'm afraid you might be right. This gas situation could just be the ammunition the tree huggers have been waiting for so that they can justify clamping down on us.

I know some will say it could never happen, but we have all seen some laws passed that we swore would never happen. All it takes is the right timing and circumstances. :( :(

Don

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Originally Posted by Geronimo

just topped off with 11 gals of high octane. $49 bucks!! if that don't affect you :mad: :CRY: :mad: :CRY: :eek:

Use to be 11 gals for 11 bucks

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No.....it used to be $2.75 for eleven gallons!! :eek: of course, that may have been a few years ago.....;)

I pay ALL my gasoline by credit card (a habit I picked up from when I had my own business). I pay it in full every month of course, but my average bill about a year ago was about $250......My last bill was over $600....Luckily Im a single man and make a decent salary so Im still doin ok. But I dont want to even think about rationing.....thats a real scary thought!! :whacked:

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Originally Posted by Itoldyouso

As much as I hate to think it, I'm afraid you might be right. This gas situation could just be the ammunition the tree huggers have been waiting for so that they can justify clamping down on us.

I know some will say it could never happen, but we have all seen some laws passed that we swore would never happen. All it takes is the right timing and circumstances. :( :(

Don

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You're so right Don.....can you say double nickel...?? That'll be next...55 mph speed limits again....:(

All corporate America and Uncle need is an excuse to control your life style.
We use too much oil - so control our usage through high prices, limited quanity and taxes. Does no one remember the late 70's? :cool: Gas shortage my a**.:whacked:

Once they have us paying $10/gallon and accepting it, gas will flow like water and the mega-land-boats will replace all the hybrids again.:rolleyes:

Its a horrible-cycle and we all just play along.:eek: