Deisel hits 3.92 9 Time to park the truck

[tdw6974]

Looking at a 1998 Cabrio GLS for a daily driver. Stick shift. What to i need to check for weak points?? Rust issues tranny,clutch or engine issues? Looking at photos appears they have pretty good interior room wide door for easy entry for the daily lemans start. Thanks for any helpful hints T weaver

[x-ring]

I know nothing about VWs, but I feel your pain on the price of diesel. I haven't started my pickup in probably six weeks. We're at $3.69 here...

[pballance]

Filled up the truck this am so I could take care of the team owner and haul new furniture home.:cool:

$3.559 up more than .30/ gallon from the last time I filled up.

I feel the pain........... but still think diesel tow is the way to go.

[Jeremy Billiel]

I daily drive my diesel and no doubt this is getting old, BUT the cost of fuel needs to be over $4 before it makes financial sense to have multiple vehicles (even if the second vehicle gets much better mileage).

Diesel should start going down a bit once New England gets into spring and the demand starts to drop.

[JeffYoung]

Diesel is fuel oil essentially right? Higher than gas in the winter, cheaper in the summer. Mostly balances out.

[Jeremy Billiel]

Diesel is fuel oil essentially right? Higher than gas in the winter, cheaper in the summer. Mostly balances out.

Correct. The only difference is the dye.

[robits325is]

I daily drive my diesel and no doubt this is getting old, BUT the cost of fuel needs to be over $4 before it makes financial sense to have multiple vehicles (even if the second vehicle gets much better mileage).

Diesel should start going down a bit once New England gets into spring and the demand starts to drop.

Diesel hit $3.99 in Danbury last night - Up .35 in one day

I remember in the 70s & 80s the News would be at truck stops every day interviewing truck drivers. I wonder why they arn't complaining.

[tdw6974]

In the summer the gas price will go up(now I sound like the government EXPERTS) anyhow on Feb 21 Paid 3.63 9/ Tuesday I filled up again (only needed 8 gals) at 3.74 9/ today 3.92 /9 so I'm thinking the VW would be good in the winter and then full in the summer just for a Daily driver.

[tdw6974]

Diesel hit $3.99 in Danbury last night - Up .35 in one day

I remember in the 70s & 80s the News would be at truck stops every day interviewing truck drivers. I wonder why they arn't complaining.

The truck companies are now allowed to make a "Fuel surchage" have to do frequent overnight shipping of letters just opened an invoice from UPS letter was 16.50 + 2.89 fuel charge. Our Garbage collection has a surcharge for fuel The EXPERTS :eek: can't understand what is slowing the economy and why credit card debt is skyrocketing.

[MarkosMotorsports]

The truck companies are now allowed to make a "Fuel surchage" have to do frequent overnight shipping of letters just opened an invoice from UPS letter was 16.50 + 2.89 fuel charge. Our Garbage collection has a surcharge for fuel The EXPERTS :eek: can't understand what is slowing the economy and why credit card debt is skyrocketing.

Yesterday here in So Cal I saw prices at $4.19

[Greg Amy]

Don't bank on diesel dropping this year. I like to think I have a pretty good handle on oil macroeconomics, and trust me when I tell you that the current market has NOTHING to do with the fundamentals; right now we're dealing with an emotion-driven speculative market: oil and its derivatives are high because they're high, not because of product supply and demand.

Diesel is as high as $3.999 and as low as $3.699 in central CT. I watch daily for it to tick over $4.009, at which point the visual/psychological barrier has been breeched and it'll keep going (just like crude/bbl). You should plan your racing year expecting $4/gal diesel, and probably even $4/gal gasoline.

I just hope we get some relief within the new few months, otherwise I expect my home oil heating bill to rise a minimum of 50%. These energy costs have a very real probability of affecting my race schedule, in that I am giving serous thought to skipping the farther-away events such as Mid-Ohio and Road Atlanta this year (especially given I don't have a fully-prepped car; it's a bit expensive to do development/testing 1000 miles away from home...)

This is going to be a turbulent year in the petroleum market, and it's gonna take some serious changes in our economy (good or bad) along with significant changes in demand (i.e., stop using it) in order to bitch-slap the market to recognize the bubble and pop it. But, other than some peripheral indications of a flattening of demand, it's not there yet, not even close.

Your mileage may not vary, but the costs per mile certainly will. Hang on, kids, it'll be a rough ride in '08.

Tom, the V-dubs of that era are bulletproof cars. Get one that's been maintained well and you won't have any problems. - GA

[shwah]

Those cars don't have dramatic issues. The earlier A3 chassis cars do have some engine wiring harness gremlins over time, but a 98 should be in better shape than the 93-95 cars that people I know had issues with. Rust can be an issue in the floors, being a convertible I wonder if it has had any less inclement weather exposure...

[Jeremy Billiel]

Don't bank on diesel dropping this year. I like to think I have a pretty good handle on oil macroeconomics, and trust me when I tell you that the current market has NOTHING to do with the fundamentals; right now we're dealing with an emotion-driven speculative market: oil and its derivatives are high because they're high, not because of product supply and demand.

Diesel is as high as $3.999 and as low as $3.699 in central CT. I watch daily for it to tick over $4.009, at which point the visual/psychological barrier has been breeched and it'll keep going (just like crude/bbl). You should plan your racing year expecting $4/gal diesel, and probably even $4/gal gasoline.

I just hope we get some relief within the new few months, otherwise I expect my home oil heating bill to rise a minimum of 50%. These energy costs have a very real probability of affecting my race schedule, in that I am giving serous thought to skipping the farther-away events such as Mid-Ohio and Road Atlanta this year (especially given I don't have a fully-prepped car; it's a bit expensive to do development/testing 1000 miles away from home...)

This is going to be a turbulent year in the petroleum market, and it's gonna take some serious changes in our economy (good or bad) along with significant changes in demand (i.e., stop using it) in order to bitch-slap the market to recognize the bubble and pop it. But, other than some peripheral indications of a flattening of demand, it's not there yet, not even close.

Your mileage may not vary, but the costs per mile certainly will. Hang on, kids, it'll be a rough ride in '08.

Tom, the V-dubs of that era are bulletproof cars. Get one that's been maintained well and you won't have any problems. - GA

A little economics lesson.

When the economy goes in the shitter, they lower interest rates which devalues the US dollar against other currencies. So what does an investor do? Buy oil futures! Oil futures are typically not suseptable to US dollar fluctuations.

That is 100% why oil is going hirer. Greg is right... It has nothing to do with the supply and demand, but rest assured that the oil companies like it!!

[dave parker]

tdw
To answer your question on the 1998 Cabrio, they are not "bad" cars. Only buy a stick shift, VW automatics still leave a lot to be desired in the longevity/durability department. You will probably have coolant leak issues with the Cabrio (they come from the factory with it) and it uses special VW/Audi coolant that only the dealer sells.
As long as you can grasp that the Cabrio is not a Honda or Toyota as far as reliabilty goes you will be a happy VW pilot. But the flip side is that the Hondas and Toyotas just don't have the tactile feel that the VW has.

My opinion and worth exactly what it cost you, nothing.

cheers
Dave Parker
WDCR HP#97

[tdw6974]

395.9 Thanks for the info got the Vin # for VW cehecks out ok for no major claims paid under insurance. Greg is right will be looking at schedule for summer probably stay closer (watkins Glen 45 miles) Pocono 2 hours .

[GTIspirit]

Makes you wonder about the economics of running a diesel. 20-30% better fuel economy, but fuel is that much more expensive. So are you really saving anything to run a diesel?

[shwah]

You can tow with a LOT more ease. That is the real reason most people end up with them. Even at equal fuel prices it takes a lot of miles to make up the extra price of a diesel truck.

[tdw6974]

The Diesel replaced a Hemi. Both offer advantages and disadvantages. The Hemi did a hell of a Job towing as of does the Diesel. It just a different "feel" . At the time I acquired the Diesel(long story) diesel was 90 cents lower per gal than gas. The increased cost of the Diesel purchase would have bought a lot of gas now that the pricing has shifted. When the first"crisies' started I'm sure we all saw the "How to save money" by burning wood essay. I guess we will have to make our own Bio Diesel.

[x-ring]

Heh, if I had the spare time I'd sure as heck give the biodiesel thing a shot.

Maybe try to find a Golf or Jetta oil-burner and run it for a year just to see how it does. Does anybody here know anyone who has actually brewed and run any on their own?

[Greg Amy]

Does anybody here know anyone who has actually brewed and run any on their own?

I've done it, both as brewed biodiesel (BD) and as filtered waste vegetable oil (WVO).

Lots of work. Sure, you can save as much as ~$1.50 per gallon (more for WVO) but it's messy, smelly, and uses some nasty caustic chemicals (BD). You could never make enough for a 44-gallon tow beast - hell, you'd spend most of your time just gathering the WVO - but it would be "OK" to run in a Jetta that goes for two weeks between fills.

Best solution would be to form a co-op and actually run it as a club for paying members. Design the structure such that you've got someone brewing full-time and club members both supply the WVO and pay a nominal fee for usage.

Try it sometime, you might like it. But, trust me, you'll get tired of it once the novelty wears off... - GA