what to do...

[jbruch694]

so i started driving like 3 months ago, and im coming to a realization: i cannot afford to pay for gas for my silverado on a teenagers budget...

would it be a stupid idea to sell it for KBB value (like $5,000) and buy a (fairly heavily) used VW diesel or something that gets like 40 mpg for a similar price? or does that just strike you as stupid?

 

[B.M.800]

desiel is pretty pricy too... maybe a I6 jeep or other small suv? maybe even move to a small car, unless you need 4X4....

 

[Doc Sprocket]

That's a good idea, IMO. I drove older, (and more efficient) vehicles as a student for much the same reason. Well, that AND older cars and trucks were all I could afford.
Just be sure to buy carefully.

EDIT- @BM- diesel might be pricey, but the efficiency makes up for it...

 

[B.M.800]

thats true, older disels are even better running on veggie oil... my brother at one point was 80% veggie... but thats not to great when it is cold out, thats killer to the wallet...

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I would love to get a diesel, and brew my own.

 

[B.M.800]

me too... love to get a diesel for a gokart too, puffin black frenchfry smellin smoke!

 

[jbruch694]

yeah and thats one reason id want a diesel, to run it on veggie oil. it seems like such a cool project. though, apparantly its harder to do with newer, DI engines, cause the injectors are smaller and any particles clog it, and then you have to install the whole flush system, heated tanks, lines and all that jazz. that wouldnt be something id do as soon as id get it, id rather enjoy the 40 mpg for a bit and then consider that.

i dont need the truck, and its not even a 4x4 haha...it just comes in handy every few weeks to haul lumber for projects, large amounts of yard waste, and stuff like that. i just drive it cause my dad essentially gave it to me, and he paid $1800 for it (as i mentioned in the car thread)

the only vw's i can find for the kbb value of my truck (like $5k if im lucky) are early 2000's with like 150K or more miles, which is fine, cause i know how to do maintenance, as everyone should. anyway, just wanted to get opinions.

 

[B.M.800]

and they are run by friggen computers... if you do decide to run vegie make sure you read up all about it, and maybe reread...

 

[jbruch694]

oh yeah man, i know. im almost 17 and ive been reading up since i was 12 lol. still not sure whether or not id do it. also, debating manual vs. automatic, cause i live in a place where manual would be a pain in the a$s.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

I found over time (and not much time, either) that a manual transmission "disappears". Maybe it was just me, but after awhile I wasn't thinking about it at all, even heavy traffic was no issue. The only exception to this rule was my '87 Chevy10 Van. Fullsize, V8, all-mechanical clutch linkage. It was a very heavy clutch that required a pretty good push. Was hard to ignore that one. Today's vehicles all have hydraulic clutch systems, and pretty much require the push of a pinkie finger...

 

[bighead]

trade it. You could trade a truck easy.

 

[jbruch694]

Yeah I know it'd be relatively easy to sell or trade. I'm just trying to figure out if it's worth it. My friend who owns a vw says don't do it, cause of how much of an expensive pain in the @ss maintenance can be, even if you do it yourself. Yesterday I helped him replace a shot wheel bearing and he had to buy several tools cause the ones you were supposed to use wouldn't work, that type of thing. I also helped him install a new turbo, which was a solid 16 hour job. But who knows, it could be worth it, especially since I know how to now.

 

[oscaryu1]

Get a cheap ol' Merc Diesel?

GEO METRO xD

 

[jbruch694]

i almost bought a 1996 geo metro recently actually, some old lady was gonna sell it for $500, and it had 14,500 miles on it! but she decided that she could get a lot more.

 

[newrider3]

cause the injectors are smaller and any particles clog it, and then you have to install the whole flush system, heated tanks, lines and all that jazz.

If you end up with any money left over after the purchase of the car, you can invest it in a waste oil centrifuge.
What this does is spin your waste oil at high speeds, separating out the water and particulate from the oil.
You can run WVO, or waste motor/trans oil through it, and it will come out cleaner than the diesel you get from the gas station.
The best part is people are used to having to pay to get rid of large quantities of used motor oil, so you'd have no trouble getting hundreds of gallons for FREE.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Oil-Centrifuge-...ategoryZ159913QQvarZQQcmdZViewItem#vi-content

Pricey, yes, but how long will it take to pay for itself in fuel cost savings? A year, maybe two? Sounds pretty cost effective to me.

 

[jbruch694]

yeah, im saying if you do it improperly. there are like 5 different ways of filtering it, and i love how versatile diesel engines are with what they can run on. rudolf diesel intended for them to run on peanut oil, but oil was booming so nobody did it.

yeah, i dunno. after watching my friend slave over changing a wheel bearing on a vw with only 60,000 miles, i may decide otherwise. plus id miss the truck like no tomorow.

 

[Bluethunder3320]

rip out the engine, and slap in a diesel! maybe even a turbo diesel from a VW.

when im old enough to get a car, i might get an old ford pickup with a blown gas engine and throw in some souped up VW motor or something else.

 

[Doc Sprocket]

Doesn't matter, VW or not. Sooner or later you end up having major hemorrhoids over a particular component.

 

[newrider3]

rip out the engine, and slap in a diesel! maybe even a turbo diesel from a VW.

when im old enough to get a car, i might get an old ford pickup with a blown gas engine and throw in some souped up VW motor or something else.

Umm, a VW diesel is great in the small car it was designed for, not a fullsize pickup. Not to mention the VW's transverse FWD drivetrain vs. a pickup's longitudinal RWD.

For an F100 or F150 you should be looking for a Cummins 4bt, Isuzu 4BD-1T, Detroit 4-53t, or similar 4cyl medium duty truck engine.

 

[devino246]

rip out the engine, and slap in a diesel! maybe even a turbo diesel from a VW.

when im old enough to get a car, i might get an old ford pickup with a blown gas engine and throw in some souped up VW motor or something else.

Id like to see this.