Peak Oil revisited

[Doug]

I learned to drive in 1976 Volary waggen ( slant 6 ).
They were ugly but not unreasonable on fuel ( compared to the 318 I guess ).
That was probably the most robustly build of the Chrysler unibodies of the day and not bad thing to have to work on.
Took a load in a back good if you added a leaf and carried it well on winding dirt roads.

I guess you could load up a lot of sheep in the back and drive, but the though never crossed my mind.
You know that in a small diesel would have been a realy great car

[dpollo]

 Stan:    Monta-a-a-na, no  Va-a-a-ncouver Island ye-e-e-es,    over 20 years with sheep,(my wife's doing, and all the kids did 4H.} Back with a few cattle now, but am primarily a market gardener.  Doug, we had a  76 Volare with the leaning tower of power. A good car after we replaced the front fenders, but the 79 was better. Alas, times do change.   June 28 was my wife and my 40th anniversary so we retravelled the route we covered then in the same make and model of car, a 50 Plymouth. Back in 68, the last stop light was on the outskirts of Victoria, the next was in Duncan, about 40 miles away. (There are now 15 new lights between the original two.) Gas was 43 cents per Imperial Gallon, it took $5 to fill the car, Beer was $2.52 a dozen and I think the ferries to VI were about $11.  But as I recall, I was making $10 per day. Look at todays wages and prices and maybe things are not so bad. It took $60 to fill the Plymouth last week, that's more than I paid for the first car back in '65.    On the farm, I still make $10 on a good day.  What this has to do with diesel engines beats me but I know I  get a lot more work per gallon of fuel out of my International 434 diesel than I do out of the old Ferguson (gas).

[Stan]

Yup, had it up to 100 ewes at one point, only lost $90/head/year.  I was the most successful sheep farmer in the Peace River country in the late 70's achieving that level of financial "success".  It's not a joke when a farmer says when he wins the lottery he's gonna to farm till its all gone. 

Doug, I used to see my neighbours rip the air cooled onan engines off their combines and go to the wreckers and get a slant 6 to replace it.  They used to put a rad on the side, and run those hydraulic pumps with the engines screaming at what sounded like 4000rpm all day.  They'd come in at night and the exhaust manifolds would be glowing red!  One tough engine.
Stan

[Doug]

Chrysler parts were probably a lot cheaper than Onan lol.

I have found memories of both the Onan, the slant 6 and the old Chrysler flat head 6.
The Inline sixs they made ran so well I think because in line 6 are smooth ballanced engines to start with, they had an extra main bearing and the long narrow block and head helped them cool compared to a compact engine like 4 or V.

So you guys are into Sheep eh...........


Dpollo I was reading in Macleans that the cost of living and net wealth in Canada is on the increase, we work less hours and have less debt load than we used too. They compared that to the USA where incomes are slightly higher and taxes a little lower but debt is rising faster and net worth and wealth are dropping.
They say something most people around here already know, Small home, keep debts down and you come out ahead ( and medicare here saves us a pile of money ). So acording the article we are better off today in real dollars today than in years past.

Nothing there about diesel too....

[dpollo]

Doug, that Maclean's article is likely correct, however bubbles tend to burst and I guess I was raised with too many stories from the great Depression of the 30s. I do not carry any debt unless it is going to be of benefit  down the road. Hence, a lifetime of 20 year old cars and a modest home.  But I don't have to "work for the man" anymore.  My dad was heating a range of greenhouses with oil in the early 50s. 8 cents a gallon and he complained he was working for the oil companies.  I did not understand this at the time, but looking back through his financial records , the light bill was about $4 per month, telephone $3 but the oil bill for the winter of 50 51 was $430. Total annual income about $2100. not enough to be taxable.
He got out of flowers and converted back to wood and coal, coincidentally about the time I was old enough to split and tote.  Nowadays, I only heat a small greenhouse, just enough to keep the frost out, and an even smaller house for propagating. It's electric hence the lister diesel generator.  (had to get the diesel thread in)  Ran it seven hours this season. Lifesaver. 

[atimperson]

dpollo

What kind of mileage are getting with your Smart ,and how long have you had it.

Tim

[dpollo]

Tim,  my post may have implied that I have the Smart in my possession, in fact it is in transit. ETA, late July.  I ordered a "Pure" coupe which is a base model without all the extra junk that can add  a lot to both the weight and the cost. Mine has  air conditioning as its only option.
If you want to learn more about them, google Club Smart Car. They have a great forum. When it arrives, I will be pleased to reveal its mileage, but owners are claiming about 60 mpg.