To the second highest gas prices in the nation.
We’re just about tied with the San Fran bay area for how much a gallon of regular unleaded costs here in western Washington. $3.46 was my breaking point. I’ve been watching my weekly cost of to-work transport go up and up over the past couple months, and then last weekend I sat down and did some math.
It ended up that I was spending nearly 15% of my weekly income just to get to work to make more income. I understand that you have spend money to make money, but the return on my investment wasn’t going up, while the percentage of my weekly investment was.
I actually spend more than the average $3.46 a gallon because I don’t put shitty gas into my vehicles. No Safeway, no 7-11, no Arco and only once have I put Costco in the tank. Usually it is Unocal or Chevron (there are very few Exxons here in the Seattle Metro area. The eco-socialists ran them out of town after the Valdez and they’re still holding that grudge). I also do my best to put premium unleaded into the tank because I like the way my vehicles perform with the better gas. Though, to be honest, after prices went above $3, I started in on the mid-grade stuff.
And it is for that reason that I asked y’all about Ranger’s yesterday and for which I’d like you to meet the newest member of the family: Walker
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Walker is a 1992 Ford Ranger Custom that was formerly owned by the Washington State Department of Transportation.
He is equipped with the 2.3L 4-cylinder and a 4spd manual w/OD. He came with everything you see in the picture, including the toolbox and the light beacon (which has been unplugged but otherwise works). Apparently 92, the “Custom” badge still meant what it did when Grimm rolled off the factory floor in 1977: Basest of the base models. No A/C, no cassette player, no 60/40 split bench seat and all vinyl. At first, I felt like had climbed into a Cushman, but that went away after a few miles, and I’m sure will entirely disappear in a week or so.
I’ve pointed folks before to the Washington (and just recently Oregon) property surplus sites. That is where I found Walker, sitting all by his loneome amidst drug seizure vehicles and used Crown Vics. After doing a bit of research on his potential for fuel savings, I put in my bid on the Washington eBay site.
$1400 later, he was mine and I picked him up yesterday mornign and drove him to work last night. Yes, $1400 is a bit more than I wanted to pay, but anything that’ll get 28mpg or more is going for a premium up here right now.
I have come to confirm that his ODO had just rolled over 100K before he went up for sale, and after the drive to work now has 135 miles on it. I’ll be requisitioning the service records in the very near future to see if the state did their job in keeping up with his maintenance (timing belt/clutches/oil changes, that sort of stuff), but if his running condition is any sort of clue, I would say that they did a damn fine job.
The math has concluded that with the cost of regular maintenance (oil changes and a new set of tires in the next month) and insurance and licensing fees, plus the intiial cost of purchase, if Walker uses 25% less fuel than my usual commuter, the F-150, he will have paid for himself in 14 months. If he uses 33% less fuel, then he’ll have covered himself in 12 months.
In my new “trying to be more optimistic self”, I’m shooting for cost paid for in under a year, with a gas saving of 40%. Just think; 40% fewer taxes to the fed and the state, who are the only ones getting rich off gas prices. As you can tell by the greed expressed by those on the left who are already beginning to bemoan the “low” federal gas tax rate.
Wish me luck.
PS: Seeing as how I now own 4 trucks, this does mean that Fred is going to have to go on the sale block. I’m just simply running out of places to park them. Anyone interested in a 1974 Ford F250 Camper Special (and/or the camper in that pic, drop me a line).
Yeesh. I see premium here in the Tampa area around the $3.50 mark too. However, I drive a 95 Jeep Wrangler and she’d run on oil sludge so I get to put the cheap crap in it.
I drive 25 miles to work (+25 back) each day. I did the math, and gas would have to stay at $5.50 a gallon in order to make it more economical for me to switch vehicles (and then I’d be stuck with some crappy Escort wannabe).
I might have to start asking to work from home a bit more. My company is pretty ‘left leaning’, I should make it an ‘environmental issue’.
Welcome to the Ford 2.3l family of little trucks, Phil.
My LBT (little black truck, ’99 Mazda B2500) just got a new lease on life with a new clutch, and I will have to put a new timing belt in it soon.
Walker. Interesting name. Is that in memory of the Colt Walker by any chance?
Get some info up on Fred and camper soon.
There’s an Arco (read AM/PM) refinery/storage facility near where I live and you see Chevron, Exxon and Mobil tankers filling up there all the time. The gas is the same.
Well the Washington fed and state aren’t the only ones getting rich off gas prices. I’m sure the oil companies and the execs who run them are making some nice change in their pockets right now.
States could always do away with gas taxes altogether and go to toll roads. Then the roads that get used the most make the most money for their upkeep.
Heh. My new Suzuki DL1000 gets 50mpg. My ol’ Toyota pickup with 254K on the clock still gets 20-24mpg. Never mind the 26mpg from the SUV I rented to get to Boomershoot. Can’t beat well-design modern engines for efficiency, now if the .gov would only improve so much…
Kevin,
All petrol is not the same. After it is refined they add their own detergents. Look a top tier fuel. The manufactures I.E Toyota, BMW GM and others were getting engine problems that should not have happened. The answer is in the amount of detergents used in the fuel. EPA mandated levels are below effective levels. If below effective level it does not matter if it is 99% or 1% it willnot clean. So these manufatures bandeds together and created a criteria to get their seal of approval. I have switched from arco to shell and I have alos incresed economy from 17mpg to 21 with no other changes in driving habits or destinations. Pure emperical data and therefore I can justify the higher price petrol due to having to use less. Sorry for the spelling, but I suck and offer no further excuse.
And Riverdog,
I ASSume that the walker is for Walker, Texas Ranger, being that it is a Ford Ranger. Phil, I think any man that does NOT name their vehicles is not in their right mind. My tan Cherokee is Jawa because he is small and like the dirt.
You wont be happy. Take a look at msn auto below.
http://autos.msn.com/research/vip/Reliability.aspx?year=1992&make=Ford&model=Ranger&trimid=-1
Christopher, the Walker Colts were made for the Texas Rangers. I suspect that the Norris character is named after Capt. Samuel Walker, who ordered the Colts for the Rangers.
? You’re bragging about a vehicle that with a manual tranny, ONLY gets 28 MPG ?
c’mon now. I’ve a 98 Dodge Neon/automatic that gets 33 MPG. and it has 150k on the odo.
Friends of mine, that have the manual tranny version of the same car (but less miles) report MPG ratings averaging 38.
If you’re really looking to save some gas, get a ‘old-style’ Neon. Or a Geo Metro. (manual=40+MPG) Either can be had for under $2k.
But I love your site. REALLY!
I had a Geo Storm years ago with the 3 cyl. Suzuki engine and a manual trans that easily got 42 mpg on the highway all day long @ 70mph; city was IIRC 34 or so. +1 on the Geo suggestion; they are suprisingly good cars.
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