AJC Vent - Haven for "Weenie" car drivers!

[Wires]

For those not near Atlanta, the Atlanta Journal Constitution (AJC), (more properly known as the Atlanta Urinal-Constipation) has a feature called "the vent."

People can call in to an answering machine, or e-mail in a little one or two line "vent" - sort of a mini editorial.

Well, I got tired of the smug BS from the hybrid drivers, as well as the bs from the tiny, underpowered car drivers, so I sent in these two fine "vents."

There's a lot I am willing to do without to save money before I resort to buying a "weenie car." (I had to say weenie, because they wouldn't print P***y.) Now, this was all in fun - I was merely saying that I am willing to sacrifice in other areas to be able to afford a car like the Marauder. I am willing to not eat out for lunch, not buy expensive clothes and do other things to afford my Marauder.

I also pointed out the a hybrid was a poor economic choice - they cost too much and dont' get that much better gas mileage than a good regular car.

Man, you'd think I just insulted the Pope and everyone's mother.

They said I must have a small "you know what" for using a term like "weenie car."

They said that the choice of a hybrid car was for "exploring alternative energy sources." It was about "not making decisions with one's wallet."

Such hatred from people who propose to be "kinder and gentler" and "nice to the earth." They are just as biggoted as the worst racist.

It's a good thing I don't give a flying s*** about what they think. I am a little miffed that the guy who compiles this thing set me up. Oh well, he must drive a p***y car too.

[Rider90]

I am willing to not eat out for lunch, not buy expensive clothes and do other things to afford my Marauder.
Glad to hear there are more like me.

Good post btw, I hate those friggen cars...get them all off the road...

[hitchhiker]

I like to get real close to them so that they panic and change lanes to get away from me! You know like driving on the line rather than a foot inside of it!

speaking of calling the media people:

Try calling the newsroom to ask that they come out and take pictures to show the public what happens when a house full of illegal aliens with their 14 cars ruins a nice suburban neighborhood!

:mad2:

[Breadfan]

People are just all hung up on hybrids. Hybrid this, Hybrid that. It's a joke really.

People think they're helping the environment - but they aren't.

Anyway, the popularity of hybrids shows just how much people care:

1.) Most lie about buying them to save the planet - they buy them to look cool
2.) Hybrids give people another outlet of snooty-ness
3.) People just want to drive alone in HOV. I don't blame them.
4.) Saving money is more important than the environment to most - they buy hybrids thinking they will

Then there's the things wrong with all this logic...

1.) Hybrid battery production negates the environmental savings when compared to a standard sub-compact econo car.
2.) You must drive your hybrid about 150,000 miles before you actually make money off it - I doubt most will do this, they'll need the latest model of the hybrid to look cool well before this.
3.) In 10 years or so we'll have another environmental problem - old batteries piling up. Hybrid batteries will go bad, and some will be recycled but plenty of the lead/acid goodness will end up in streams.
4.) People don't know enough about their own cars to make it worthwhile. Hybrid owners rarely replace the low-rolling resistance tires with the same type. They usually get cheapo tires and complain about why their mileage went down.

Hybrids have their place, and are interesting cars, but the craze they have become is NOT about saving the environment, it's about looking cool and trying to one up the other guy.

The only "hybrid" I care to drive is a V8 with a compressor-assisted-intake, i.e. a big fat blower.

[Big House]

I like to get real close to them so that they panic and change lanes to get away from me! You know like driving on the line rather than a foot inside of it!

speaking of calling the media people:

Try calling the newsroom to ask that they come out and take pictures to show the public what happens when a house full of illegal aliens with their 14 cars ruins a nice suburban neighborhood!

:mad2:

hHitchhiker....man you need to see somebody for that;) THat kinda anger can hurt you or better yet somebody. Speaking of the Hybid cars, there was a special on the BOOB tube with some spark box cars. Their goal was to see how far they could push a gallon of gas. One guy, a quoted "really Conservative republician" doing about 45 in a 70mph zone getting 113 miles to one gallon. CAn you say traffic disaster in the making.

[SergntMac]

Seems like "letters to the editor" are no different from posting an opinion here. Folks will read and reply, and some replies may be harse with disagreement. You had your say, they will get their chance too.

What I don't understand is the inherrent hypocracy of some "environmentally concerned" citizens, being involved in trendy efforts without taking any true action. If you really want to "hug a tree", then fire off the whole nine yards and live accordingly. Hybird vehicles are more fashionable than effective at this time, driving one about town is more showing off your politically modern trendy jewlery than taking any true action.

The wallet has everything to do with making an automotive choice. You should be buying the most utility, service and entertainment you can get, for the bucks you can afford to spend. No manner or method of transportation is free, except for walking. Likewise, none are totally free of impact on the environment.

If you want to be active and impact environmental concerns, live your life the way our ancestors did. Close the gap between home and work address, and walk. Educate your children in the nearest school, and shop at the corner store. Live your life in your neighborhood, and contribute to making that neighborhood worth living in. If you're not prepared to live it like you talk it, STFU.

Just my .02C, carry on gents.

[shakes_26]

Warning, the SMUG index for Atlanta has just been increased to a 2/3rds S.F*

*San Fransisco

[hitchhiker]

hHitchhiker....man you need to see somebody for that;) THat kinda anger can hurt you or better yet somebody. Speaking of the Hybid cars, there was a special on the BOOB tube with some spark box cars. Their goal was to see how far they could push a gallon of gas. One guy, a quoted "really Conservative republician" doing about 45 in a 70mph zone getting 113 miles to one gallon. CAn you say traffic disaster in the making.

I am not angry, I am entertaining myself.

I don't cause accidents, just little squeeze-er-ooh before I floor it to let them know a real car is beside them and that they couldn't catch me in my MM if their life depended on it!

There's nothing more smug than driving a Marauder and knowing you can!

:D

[GAMike]

In Atlanta their are so many accidents, the crappy driving will do you in before the envirornment ever will. ( I live here I can say that lol) At least in a Marauder you stand a good chance or surviving an encounter with some of the worst drivers in the U.S. You get out of more trouble with the gas than the brake here believe me.

I have lived up and down the east coast. By far Atlanta drivers are so unaware of what is going on around them its not even funny. ( You can tell this by how many ppl. jerk and pull out in front of a big black 4 door, and after doing so, wake up and try to figure out if they just drove like an idiot in front of unmarked.... At least in MA where I grew up, when we cut you off, we knew we were doing it, we just didn't give a hoot. Drive your Duracells if you want. I'll take a V-8 any day.............. Vent This! AJC.

[AzMarauder]

Well I will go against the stream here.....

Personally I applaud folks who buy hybrids... I don't care what their motives are. If they want to stick their noses up in the air and act like they are better than me... the line for people who do that is pretty long... and the subjects over which people like that stick their noses in the air is equally long. No worries.

Like it or not... we are going to have to deal with our energy consumption. This pain isn't a "maybe" it is simply whether it happens sooner or later. The folks who are buying hyrbrids are just financing my as yet unborn grandchildren's energy future. The automakers haven't developed or marketed the technology we will need for energy independence because the American people haven't made it economically viable for the automakers to do so. If we all made it plain we wanted bicycles instead of SUVs... Detroit would be building bicycles in short order.

Additionally, fuel costs are influenced by supply and demand. So the more hybrid owners, the less fuel consumed, perhaps my fuel costs will go down!

The day is coming when hybrids will be the norm. Rather, I should say, let us pray for the day that we have cars that run on things other than gasoline. Our energy dependence is the root of all our foreign policy problems. With China's emerging economy and their development if anyone thinks energy costs are going down in the next 20 years.... :bs: Heck, even Russia's economy and hence military is resurgent, based solely on petrol dollars.

We can beat our big hairy, supercharged, V-8 chests ... but the truth is 3rd world energy producing countries have us by the 'nads !

I am looking forward to the day I have the option for hydrogen powered transportation.

(slips on flame resistant suit)

GET SOME !

[Hotrauder]

No flame here, sadly right on the money. I want the first 500HP, 1200 lb. hydrogen cell urban gorilla fighter for the exact same reason I want my Marauder. As long as it is bad and fast and fun to play with I don't care what it runs on. Dennis:beer:

[fastblackmerc]

I'd love to see the looks on the hybrid's owner's face when he gets the bill for replacing those batteries :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek: :eek:

[Breadfan]

I wonder if the first Prius mod will be a hydraulics suspension...I mean...you already got the batteries...

Halfay there, right?

[Breadfan]

No flame here, sadly right on the money. I want the first 500HP, 1200 lb. hydrogen cell urban gorilla fighter for the exact same reason I want my Marauder. As long as it is bad and fast and fun to play with I don't care what it runs on. Dennis:beer:

Yup, hydrogen fuel cells are where it's at.

I'd like to keep my gasoline engine for now, I don't think an electric motor can quite mimic the sound or feel of a blown V8 with a big exhuast.

But, for a commuter car or around town car I'd love a 500hp electric car on hydrogen fuel cells.

The thing about hybrids is, they just don't do enough to help the environment. It's yet to be seen if they are WORSE on the environment than a standard compact car. I think they are for one simple reason - LEAD ACID BATTERIES. And lots of them.

A base Civic or Toyota Echo gets 40mpg+ and only has one single battery.

Now hydrogen fuel cells are a bit better for the environment, I don't quite recall all of it, but I know their main byproduct is water, and the materials they use to function are no where near as toxic as lead acid.


You know, with all this talk of electric cars and 4 wheel sewing machines and all, I wonder if Singer will reopen their automotive division?: http://www.singercars.com/singerhistory.html

[ckadiddle]

I wonder if the first Prius mod will be a hydraulics suspension...I mean...you already got the batteries...

Halfay there, right?
Here's a thought. Buy a hybrid, disconnect the batteries from the drive train and put in a 50000 watt stereo system instead!:eek:

[X369]

Check out the hybrid built at West Philadelphia High School by students in shop class using junkyard parts and a kit car body - 0 - 60 in 4 seconds and 60+ MPG on vegetable oil and electric. Weenie car? I saw it at the auto show in Philly hiding in a corner in the basement. It was easy to get close to; the crowds were around Kobe's Lambo and it's new rims!

http://evteam.gambitdesign.com/gallery/albums.php

Ron

[marauder307]

People are just all hung up on hybrids. Hybrid this, Hybrid that. It's a joke really.

People think they're helping the environment - but they aren't.

Anyway, the popularity of hybrids shows just how much people care:

1.) Most lie about buying them to save the planet - they buy them to look cool
2.) Hybrids give people another outlet of snooty-ness
3.) People just want to drive alone in HOV. I don't blame them.
4.) Saving money is more important than the environment to most - they buy hybrids thinking they will

Then there's the things wrong with all this logic...

1.) Hybrid battery production negates the environmental savings when compared to a standard sub-compact econo car.
2.) You must drive your hybrid about 150,000 miles before you actually make money off it - I doubt most will do this, they'll need the latest model of the hybrid to look cool well before this.
3.) In 10 years or so we'll have another environmental problem - old batteries piling up. Hybrid batteries will go bad, and some will be recycled but plenty of the lead/acid goodness will end up in streams.
4.) People don't know enough about their own cars to make it worthwhile. Hybrid owners rarely replace the low-rolling resistance tires with the same type. They usually get cheapo tires and complain about why their mileage went down.

Hybrids have their place, and are interesting cars, but the craze they have become is NOT about saving the environment, it's about looking cool and trying to one up the other guy.

The only "hybrid" I care to drive is a V8 with a compressor-assisted-intake, i.e. a big fat blower.

I'll second all of the above, with my own addition: Those vehicles that are supposed to fantastic in the fuel-economy department (I'll hold up the old classic---the Honda Civic---as the penultimate example) never have a gas tank big enough for the owner to truly enjoy the gas efficiency. Give me a Honda with a 30-gallon gas tank, and I'll break Exxon in 6 months. I'll have 'em on their knees pleading with me to buy their gas.

Y'know.....why not follow Year One Inc.'s advice? Restoration IS recycling...I'm tempted to go out and find an old something-or-another---a '65 Plymouth Valiant is the first thing to come to mind---with the old straight-6, totally rebuild it from the framerails (or floorpans---might be a unibody) up, adapt the 6 to a modern 4 or 5 speed overdrive automatic, throw in a gas tank slightly bigger than original, and voila! Daily driver!

I'll take a S.W.A.G. and say you could probably pull about 30 mpg on the interstate, maybe low 20's in town, with the a/c on. The extra large tank means you're only pulling into the station once every week and 1/2, maybe every two weeks (operating in town, of course).

Sorry...I know this is pulling the thread slightly off-course here, but IMO, this would present us with a viable alternative to the "Hybrid Hubris".

[ex00p71]

Ya know, its a shame your in Hawaii, I don't have a 65, but I do have a 66 Plymouth Valiant with a slant six for sale. It does need work though. Speaking of slant sixes, did the later generations ever get fuel injection?

[SergntMac]

Give me a Honda with a 30-gallon gas tank, and I'll break Exxon in 6 months. I'll have 'em on their knees pleading with me to buy their gas. This is one great point. The longer we can stay away from the pumps, the better off we are in terms of fighting back against high dollar gas. I like this thought a whole lot, thank you 307.

However, it does seem to be a short term response to pump prices. Eventually, consumption will catch up with us, 'cause the only real solution, is not to burn as much gas as we burn today, no matter how often we need it. If I show up at the pumps with a 50 gallon tank, the gas stations could counter my effort with a restriction to 20-25 gallon fill-ups. In the end, we lose anyway, 'cause we force the dealers to ration.

When I was a child in the '50s, everything in the world was closed on Sunday. I look back now and see it all as a some kind of "national day of rest", and maybe that's the answer?

For one 24 hour period per week, stay home and play with the family around your home. Or, do anything else anywhere else that doesn't require you to start your car. Give this plan a few weeks of passion nationwide, and we may see some results.

Just a thought, with some hope. Happy motoring, gents.

[marauder307]

Ya know, its a shame your in Hawaii, I don't have a 65, but I do have a 66 Plymouth Valiant with a slant six for sale. It does need work though. Speaking of slant sixes, did the later generations ever get fuel injection?

I think they did...not 100% sure, but I think that's what's powering some of the recent model Jeeps (transferred it over when ChryCo bought AMC).

The Valiant was a for-example case...this could also be done with, say, a '65 Mustang with the 200 ci 6. Adapt a modern 5-spd auto out of a wrecked '05-'06 Mustang to the back end of that "Sprint-6", put in a 20-25 gallon fuel tank, and bingo.

To illustrate my point a bit....I learned about gas "bunkering" from my late grandfather. He used to keep 50-gall drums of diesel in his shop for his old Mercedes back in the early-mid '80s; had about 2-3 of 'em, and every 3-4 weeks he'd load up his utility trailer, go down to the nearest local gas station that had diesel, fill up the drums, fill up the car, drive home, and be good to go for about the next month. Spent maybe 100-150 a month on fuel. I don't remember when he stopped doing it, but I've been thinking about it myself here lately and wondering if I should resurrect the idea...the idea being that if we can slow down demand, the supply will increase and market forces will act to pull the prices back down.

Mac might be right tho; at some point Big Oil would get wise and do something to counter....

[marauder307]

For one 24 hour period per week, stay home and play with the family around your home. Or, do anything else anywhere else that doesn't require you to start your car. Give this plan a few weeks of passion nationwide, and we may see some results.

Just a thought, with some hope. Happy motoring, gents.


I myself already do this...Sundays are a day to get the laundry done, putter about the house, play those next few levels of the current video game I've got on my computer system...BUT NO DRIVING. I run all my errands on Saturday (grocery, gas, etc.), and then the car goes in the barn Saturday afternoon and stays there until I start to work Monday afternoon. Right on, Mac...:up: