Road Runner Nest

so if gas gets to $ 4.oo /gal like they say ,is it going to keep you guys from driving youre cars as much this summer? im lucky to get 5-6 mpg so it could definately put a hurting on my cruising ,jeff

Id rather pay alot of money and be safe than pay less and drive a car that 80% plastic and would fold up in a minor wreck...

And if you think about it,how much money are you actually saving having classic insurance?

I have to use racing gas, 5.99 a gallon but it stays pretty consitant and been the same for a year or so.

BRIAN

Smellslike1974 wrote:Id rather pay alot of money and be safe than pay less and drive a car that 80% plastic and would fold up in a minor wreck...

And if you think about it,how much money are you actually saving having classic insurance?

You are aware that newer cars are safer than the old cars aren't you?

yes im aware of that.

But id also rather get in a fender bender with my old car and have to straighten out panels myself than to get in the same exact accident with a newer car would most likely get totaled.

in a way an old car can be safer depending on situation.

Newer cars are safer vis-a-vis airbags and crumple zones, sure. But if getting rolled by a semi or big SUV, I'd certainly rather be in my Satellite than a Geo Metro. I had a Metro for a few years - 50+MPG and about two or three pounds of sheet metal made up the whole car. A fenderbender with a Suburban would've likely taken me out.

BUT to answer the question, it's certainly a drag! I despise the oil magnates and futures speculators of this country jacking up the price of gas based on whether someone sneezed on a pipeline somewhere or if Chevron ramped down production on purpose for whatever reason. The amount of shill advocacy and spin doctoring that goes on in the media coverage of oil prices is *&^&%^% disgusting. And meanwhile, the oil companies reap truly gigantic profits, the biggest in history... While telling us they 'have' to raise prices to compensate for production and 'market demand' issues, blaming the consumer for driving their SUV or going on too many trips.

But I don't have an opinion about it or anything.

exactly!

i would much rather get into a wreck in a new car with safety equipment. you know how hard nice parts for these old cars are to find?

idk people drove for a long time without airbags and crumple zones...kind of leads to an increase in 'junk' cars in my opinion totaled by an accident that wouldn't do half as much damage back in the day lol......and idk i'll pry get hate mail, but saftey is really a natural selection kind of thing. in europe, there aren't guard rails and fences around ravines, cliffs, trails, etc. because if you're actually dumb enough to lean over the edge, well there ya go...i personally feel, that instead of just being careful and paying attention, we, as a society, are way over-protective and really think that a seat belt or an airbag will save us, so it's no big deal. but i've known a couple people who were beheaded by an airbag and most recently my exe's mom's thumb was ripped off by one. there was a lady that my mom knew that somehow the seat belt took her head part way off...however, in general air bags and seat belts are good...but crumple zones? come on now...isnt it most likely just a way to get more money out of the consumer?

and ya i only get maybe 10 mpg, but i just cruise around town, so no big deal

But if you think about it,ofcourse back then there were alot of cars totald,because *everyone* was driving an old car.Now a days a classic is a rare sight(here anyway).

ffej wrote:so if gas gets to $ 4.oo /gal like they say ,is it going to keep you guys from driving youre cars as much this summer? im lucky to get 5-6 mpg so it could definately put a hurting on my cruising ,jeff

Gas hell! I've got a 40 foot diesel pusher motor home...8 mpg...150 gallon tank and I go to 15 NASCAR/IRL/NHRA races a year!

Oh for the old days when diesel was cheaper!

God love dependable, decent mileage 318's!! I love to cruise in my car, and having a 318 helps. I bought my car in 2000, and put 30,000 miles on it just cruising around town, never for work/daily crap...just cruising.

But even with the 318, I'll watch things a bit. But I feel bad for the BB guys getting 6,7,8 MPG.

I bought my car with 203,000 miles, it now has 235,000. #'s matching engine/trans, engine was rebuilt at 178,000.

1971SSP wrote:God love dependable, decent mileage 318's!! I love to cruise in my car, and having a 318 helps. I bought my car in 2000, and put 30,000 miles on it just cruising around town, never for work/daily crap...just cruising.

But even with the 318, I'll watch things a bit. But I feel bad for the BB guys getting 6,7,8 MPG.

I bought my car with 203,000 miles, it now has 235,000. #'s matching engine/trans, engine was rebuilt at 178,000.

Yeah, . last year I put a deposit down on a 360 Magnum crate and was excited as all hell, but three M.R.I.'s over the summer cut that idea out, so I'm left with the numbers matching .318. I had to eat the deposit.

I just bought a book on how to build a hi powered 318 and I figure I can take it one step at a time. The 318 shares the same block with the 340, and that's a pretty damn good engine, so I'll convert my small block 318 to a 340.

I found a 400 on Craigs list and toyed with that idea. . .but not with the gas prices as they are now. It's way worse than in 1974!

I hope the MRI's turned out OK? It truly sucks that we in this great country can't get essential medical care without it bankrupting the non-wealthy. And speaking of gas prices, notice the oil-funded media tells us over and over 'oh gas is still cheaper when you adjust for inflation' - uh, I'm pretty sure people are paying a *much* higher percentage of what they earn nowadays for gas (and food and everything else that has to be trucked). Sorry - rant off.

I'm unsure of what mileage my 318 gets, but it's a firebreathing wench. 340 heads with Edelbrock Performer 340/360 intake, 360 springs, new valves/seats, Holley 600, full length TTI ceramic coated headers, fairly stout Schneider cam and .030 bored over. With 2.5" Flowmaster 2-chambers from headers back, it sure doesn't SOUND like a regular 318.

Car isn't blistering fast, but with 3.23 (I think) in the 8 3/4" rear, it's OK off the line and actually pulls fairly well on the freeway. I have yet to do a proper compression check, though. I think the rebuild was about 30-40K ago.

what kind of mileage do you get?