Gas prices

[Dan Ward]

If I ever get me a studebaker, I plan on doing a good bit of driving. Has anyone ever wondered if they will be able to drive their car as much as they want if gas prices go to 5 bucks a gallon? In my opinion, it's just question of time until they do. I've actually thought of a plan B ( it may not be a good plan ). What about a more efficient drive train? Like a small diesal engine ( did I spell diesal wrong?) Anyway, is that a crazy idea? It's not what I would want, but it would get you down the road. regards Dan

[John Kirchhoff]

One thing that's going to temper gasoline and diesel fuel prices is ethanol and bio-diesel. The higher the former get, the greater the production of the latter two will be. Ethanol already sucks up a bunch of corn, our local plant cooks up 45,000 bushel a day...around here that's over 700 acres of corn a day...every day. The use of bio-diesel is going to increase for the simple reason that it reduces pollution. Ethanol can also be made from other plant residues such as grass but the high cost of transporting such high volume-low yield materials will probably nix that. There's other sources of crude oil subsitute...poultry guts. Yep, the Tyson poultry processing plant in Missouri was producing 600 barrels a day of high quality crude oil from turkey guts, feet, heads and such. Natural gas in the US is pretty pricey, but overseas the stuff is dirt cheap, about 20% of our cost. That's why so much nitrogen fertilizer comes from overseas anymore. If crude gets too expensive, you can bet that liquifying natural gas will become much more practical so that it can be used as a motor fuel. Of even higher probability would be the gasification of coal which could then be turned into a liquid.

Don't think that crude oil couldn't come down in price because of Middle East politics. We usually think of turmoil causing oil to rise, but for instance take Iran's nuclear bomb aspirations. Right now oil revenues are funding their ressearch. Saudia Arabia is Sunni and Iran Sheite....do you think Arabia is going to set there and let their rival religious fanatics build a bomb that could be used to blow them up? No way, and the best way to bring Iran's nuclear program to a screeching halt is not for the US to intervene but for Arabia to start pumping oil like there's no tomorrow. Prices would drop like a rock, Iran's income would be severly curtailed and they couldn't afford to pursue their nuclear program. Would the drop in oil prices hurt Saudia Arabia? Probably not. They could overcome any income shortfall by sheer volume whereas Iran has limited production. Arabia has the potential to produce much more oil than they do, so it wouldn't be any problem. Guys, supply and demand is one thing but politics is as big or bigger factor in it all.

[John Kirchhoff]

One thing that's going to temper gasoline and diesel fuel prices is ethanol and bio-diesel. The higher the former get, the greater the production of the latter two will be. Ethanol already sucks up a bunch of corn, our local plant cooks up 45,000 bushel a day...around here that's over 700 acres of corn a day...every day. The use of bio-diesel is going to increase for the simple reason that it reduces pollution. Ethanol can also be made from other plant residues such as grass but the high cost of transporting such high volume-low yield materials will probably nix that. There's other sources of crude oil subsitute...poultry guts. Yep, the Tyson poultry processing plant in Missouri was producing 600 barrels a day of high quality crude oil from turkey guts, feet, heads and such. Natural gas in the US is pretty pricey, but overseas the stuff is dirt cheap, about 20% of our cost. That's why so much nitrogen fertilizer comes from overseas anymore. If crude gets too expensive, you can bet that liquifying natural gas will become much more practical so that it can be used as a motor fuel. Of even higher probability would be the gasification of coal which could then be turned into a liquid.

Don't think that crude oil couldn't come down in price because of Middle East politics. We usually think of turmoil causing oil to rise, but for instance take Iran's nuclear bomb aspirations. Right now oil revenues are funding their ressearch. Saudia Arabia is Sunni and Iran Sheite....do you think Arabia is going to set there and let their rival religious fanatics build a bomb that could be used to blow them up? No way, and the best way to bring Iran's nuclear program to a screeching halt is not for the US to intervene but for Arabia to start pumping oil like there's no tomorrow. Prices would drop like a rock, Iran's income would be severly curtailed and they couldn't afford to pursue their nuclear program. Would the drop in oil prices hurt Saudia Arabia? Probably not. They could overcome any income shortfall by sheer volume whereas Iran has limited production. Arabia has the potential to produce much more oil than they do, so it wouldn't be any problem. Guys, supply and demand is one thing but politics is as big or bigger factor in it all.

[lstude]

Studebaker actually put diesel engines in 3 (I think) 63 Larks. I took a picture of this one at a show about 10 years ago. I think they were 3 cylinder Cummings engines, but I am not sure about that.



Leonard Shepherd, editor, The Commanding Leader, Central Virginia Chapter, http://centralvirginiachapter.org/

[lstude]

Studebaker actually put diesel engines in 3 (I think) 63 Larks. I took a picture of this one at a show about 10 years ago. I think they were 3 cylinder Cummings engines, but I am not sure about that.



Leonard Shepherd, editor, The Commanding Leader, Central Virginia Chapter, http://centralvirginiachapter.org/

[60studehawk]

I took this pic at the Atlantic Zone meet last summer.

[60studehawk]

I took this pic at the Atlantic Zone meet last summer.

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by lstude

Studebaker actually put diesel engines in 3 (I think) 63 Larks. I took a picture of this one at a show about 10 years ago. I think they were 3 cylinder Cummings engines, but I am not sure about that.

It's an English-built Perkins four-cylinder diesel. The owner is Torrey Kirby, Inwood, WV.



[img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/R-4.JPG[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/64L.JPG[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/64P.jpg[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/53K.jpg[/img=right]Paul Johnson
'53 Commander Starliner (since 1966)
'64 Daytona Wagonaire (original owner)
'64 Daytona Convertible (2006)
Museum R-4 engine

[53k]

quote:Originally posted by lstude

Studebaker actually put diesel engines in 3 (I think) 63 Larks. I took a picture of this one at a show about 10 years ago. I think they were 3 cylinder Cummings engines, but I am not sure about that.

It's an English-built Perkins four-cylinder diesel. The owner is Torrey Kirby, Inwood, WV.



[img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/R-4.JPG[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/64L.JPG[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/64P.jpg[/img=right][img=right]http://www.frontiernet.net/~thejohnsons/Forum%20signature%20pix/53K.jpg[/img=right]Paul Johnson
'53 Commander Starliner (since 1966)
'64 Daytona Wagonaire (original owner)
'64 Daytona Convertible (2006)
Museum R-4 engine

[Swifster]

I don't want to make this a political debate but this is just my opinion. If and when you get a Democratic President, you'll see gas prices drop. Gas was cheap until Pro Oil George came into office and within a few months, gas jumped from $1.25 to $1.70 (these were midwest prices for you CA guys). Obviously 9-11 had a lot to do with further increases as well.

With Exxon-Mobil making 36 BILLION in profit, it's protected price gouging.

Having said the above, my way to fight the pump with be a T-5 or T-56 transmission.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona

[Swifster]

I don't want to make this a political debate but this is just my opinion. If and when you get a Democratic President, you'll see gas prices drop. Gas was cheap until Pro Oil George came into office and within a few months, gas jumped from $1.25 to $1.70 (these were midwest prices for you CA guys). Obviously 9-11 had a lot to do with further increases as well.

With Exxon-Mobil making 36 BILLION in profit, it's protected price gouging.

Having said the above, my way to fight the pump with be a T-5 or T-56 transmission.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona

[dallastx75208]

Having a t-5 put in my 62 hawk because I plan on making it a daily driver and it will be better on gass and be a little quieter.

quote:Originally posted by Swifster

I don't want to make this a political debate but this is just my opinion. If and when you get a Democratic President, you'll see gas prices drop. Gas was cheap until Pro Oil George came into office and within a few months, gas jumped from $1.25 to $1.70 (these were midwest prices for you CA guys). Obviously 9-11 had a lot to do with further increases as well.

With Exxon-Mobil making 36 BILLION in profit, it's protected price gouging.

Having said the above, my way to fight the pump with be a T-5 or T-56 transmission.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona

[dallastx75208]

Having a t-5 put in my 62 hawk because I plan on making it a daily driver and it will be better on gass and be a little quieter.

quote:Originally posted by Swifster

I don't want to make this a political debate but this is just my opinion. If and when you get a Democratic President, you'll see gas prices drop. Gas was cheap until Pro Oil George came into office and within a few months, gas jumped from $1.25 to $1.70 (these were midwest prices for you CA guys). Obviously 9-11 had a lot to do with further increases as well.

With Exxon-Mobil making 36 BILLION in profit, it's protected price gouging.

Having said the above, my way to fight the pump with be a T-5 or T-56 transmission.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom - Valrico, FL

1964 Studebaker Daytona

[rockne10]

I don't know what I'm talking about so take this with a grain of salt and think of me as the devil's advocate.

With the amount of petro-chemicals we require to produce our abundant acres of ethanol, where do we stand? Electric cars hold great promise but, how much coal and petroleum does it take to produce the electricity to charge them?

The process of processing consumes it's own percentage of resources, not to mention the payroll required to support the people who process and the managers and auditors who monitor the processors of the process.

Every breath we take is going to consume the energy available in the world. We can do our best by maintaining our Studebakers rather than consuming new hybrids and populating our landfills with the goods we have become bored with.

[rockne10]

I don't know what I'm talking about so take this with a grain of salt and think of me as the devil's advocate.

With the amount of petro-chemicals we require to produce our abundant acres of ethanol, where do we stand? Electric cars hold great promise but, how much coal and petroleum does it take to produce the electricity to charge them?

The process of processing consumes it's own percentage of resources, not to mention the payroll required to support the people who process and the managers and auditors who monitor the processors of the process.

Every breath we take is going to consume the energy available in the world. We can do our best by maintaining our Studebakers rather than consuming new hybrids and populating our landfills with the goods we have become bored with.