Fueling the falcon. When does it become too much?

[XAGSV8]

For the last 2 years I have heard petrol is going to be $2 by Christmas. I will believe it when I see it. I will never sell the Fairmont as it is for the weekends so one tank lasts me for months. Whatever the daily driver is though at the time may be converted depending of petrol prices or the pushy will make an appearance again.

[exrtnz]

Originally Posted by Psycho Chicken

Fuel prices were meant to hit $2 a litre two christmases ago. I'm not overly fussed. Prices come and go. It's only a matter of time before the seppos are out of Iraq, a government will come out of that and will need money. Iran won't be run by a complete nut job for ever. Fair enough the demand in China and India won't drop off straight away, but it won't last forever either.

I bet people were thinking fuel prices would always be high back in 1973 and 1980, but they dropped off again. Besides, it's still cheaper now than in 1980.

Yeah I cant see it reaching $2.00 by christmas. The chinese have bought 4-6 big oil fields in nigeria and 1 in kuwait that will reduce the demand when up and running on Suadi and the other GCC countries which should bring the prices down a bit. Nigeria apparently have a very healthy supply. And Iraq still has the 2nd largest oil reserves in the world, Saudi has 90+ fields and they still have 55-60 full.

[Aeron]

$2.50/litre and im out of here :

[Smoked]

There is still atleast another 20 years worth of natural fuels. Given the rate or R&D in alternative fuels, we probably wont be using that much of them by then.

[GREGXR8]

i've voted $4 or more but i've got an lpg xf wagon i drive to work so i'm only running the xr on weekends. i have the xf heater being modified (raising pipes 7 inches). core is at radiator shop now so i can fit the clevland in. its on lpg so why not.

[Agent86]

another thought that everyone is missing is our support infrastucture.

EVERYTHING is moved at some point, more often than not several times, on trucks.

Australia only survives on the pack of the road transport industry.
Think about this.
I know more than a couple of operators who have shut their doors and have their vehicles parked and for sale with no intent of returning them to work.
The major companies are desperate for drivers, so much so they are looking at bringing in AFRICAN drivers.
We all worry about petrol prices, so consider the negative effect high diesel prices are having.
If Major comanies like C**es and ETC...are dictating the price of transport regardles of economic pressures to ensure THEIR bottom line and increased profits, think about the people they are squeezing to privide you the services they do.
These people are giving up and retiring, and with no workforce to replace them we have created a genuine crisis that WILL bring australia to its knees.
High fuel prices hurt the average aussie, just think about the flow on effects for the people that keep our country moving.
We are worried about that now, just imagine when all our food and comodities double in price when the transport sector finally passes on the true increses in running costs to retain their profitiability.
Anyone who says this is Bs or wont happen has their heads in the sand.
I work in the transport indutry and i can say that there are lots of increases in rates starting to appear as the amount of trucks and drivers to haul the growing freight task, decrese.

We can all only hope and pray ( if that is in our list of options ) that we have the potential crisis averted..

[AshMan]

LPG is a band aid solution, once everyone goes to LPG, the price will increase.

Alternative fuels are okay, but I have to wonder if there will be performance vehicles in these lines (the reason I won't buy a Prius).

Hybrid cars are okay, but gutless and you still have to fuel them up, and battery technology still has a long way to go.

Electric cars also are far off being viable (again with the battery technology).

Humanity as we know it have become dependant on fuels which, have been known for many years as being finite, that is, will run out one day, and yet nothing has been done till recently.

Just like the water crises, why did we wait until it was nearly too late to do something?

[xbgs351]

Where is the option that I won't dump my Falcon at all?

[MattGTP]

I will always have the large family car like a falcon, teritory or explorer. Cant survive without one. Alright in the city to own a small car but not practicle if you do alot of open road traveling with a family. Also have you ever tried to pull out a 22foot boat with a focus.

[EBII Fairmont]

I am 21, and the eb is my second car i have owned. I purchase this car from a grandma and said from day 1, i will keep on petrol for as long as i can. t got too a point were close to half my pay would go to petrol for the eb. So about 3 months ago i changed to gas, with my bill going from $75 a week, to $25 a week.

I am just praying that the price of gas doesn't skyrocket. We all know that the government will be adding excise to gas in 2008, since its unfair for people who purchase only petrol have to pay for (i believe is a load of crap. just another way for the government to get more of our hard earned).

Coming from someone who really needs a car to be able to get to uni and work on time easily, it is becoming very hard. Future generations will suffer with the current way things are heading.

[Philbie]

My Wife has traded down to a turbo 2.0L vehicle now........and i won't (and neither will she) go lower than that for her needs,.

As for me, my V8 Falcon days have gone (it gets a new home on Monday), and I have only 19 months to go on my current vehicle before I must find another.

I'd love a fuel efficent, kid carrying, towing capable, AWD family tourer that costs bugger all to run and is more reliable than the sun coming up in ther morning.

That being said - and being of the understanding that the above vehicle doesn't exist - maybe I should buy a scooter for travelling to work and a a gas guzzling monster truck for weekend warrioring and needs 4 megalitres of water just to wash it each week - hey there's a thought - with Bendigo now on massive water restrictions (they can't wash or water anything now) thats the next issue we all have to worry about.


In all reality........I have no idea what could replace what I have now and be fuel friendly whist doing it, but a Petrol falcon or territory is no longer an economical option for this family.

Cheers,

Philbie

[oneea'S'pack]

I would have to say after owning three e sereis falcons i am down down to one lonely ea and i can get 480 to a tank around town on premium and wont be to worried about the price of fuel.And while working at a ford dealer ship on penuts as a wage and the fact that i know wat the focus drives like i wouldnt touch one
i would prefer to spend the extra on fuel in the old ea's'packhttp://www.fordforums.com.au/newreply.php#
Dancehttp://www.fordforums.com.au/newreply.php#
Raisedeyebrow

[deankdx]

A work mate asked Me what he should do, Buy a new car that was good on fuel or keep his current car which he likes otherwise?
there would be maybe $15000 change over i said, even at $100 a week fuel saving, that would mean 3 years of driving the current vehicle, who knows where things will be in 3 years. if the car is buggered, then maybe time to downsize if it suits, otherwise why bother.
i love LPgas personally, although My XF uses $10 per 100km of the stuff so its not much difference to say a Hyundai Getz for economy. with similar performance. but i can tow a trailer which is the reason i keep it.

[SVR73]

Fortunately I have a hilux to drive every day which as long as I keep revs down, delivers good economy and has a smaller tank than the falcon
The AU XR sits in garage for weeks in most cases and I am driving it less and less to keep it in the 70k range for a long time.

No matter what the fuel price goes to, I will never sell or LPG convert my falcon and hope to pick up a blue or black AU1 or 3 XR8 ute or sedan next year to also keep permanently.

I really do feel for large families with all the bills they have to pay.
fortunately I have no mouths to feed.

[DROppD]

Try living in N.Z. Its bloody dear now and they reckon $2/L by Christmas!

[AshMan]

It's getting hard even for a fulltime working couple with no kids (like us) to get by.

We're renting and doesn't look like we'll ever be able to afford a house, let alone run 2 cars, put food on the table and clothes on our backs.

[TUF_302]

Once it hits $2 a litre ill be buying a motor bike, wont sell the falcon but wont be using it alot either!!

[EBII Fairmont]

Just been watching 60 minutes, and it looks like there will be no fuel left from 2015, and the current way things are heading, it looks like we will be living like they did in the 1920's.

How stuffed will that be?

[snypereb]

i get picked up for work everyday now so i dont have to pay anything for fuel during the week but i have to on weekends which aint much depending if there is a cruise on!!

[Iphido]

Originally Posted by EBII Fairmont

Just been watching 60 minutes, and it looks like there will be no fuel left from 2015, and the current way things are heading, it looks like we will be living like they did in the 1920's.

How stuffed will that be?

Very stuffed.

Concidering the pulled most of the tram and train lines out since the 20's and the buses are less common and reliable than the 60's.

Not to mention with the rise in the cost of oil, roads and tyres become much more expensive. Plastics too.

[red_hotxr6]

Well according to the FOX news report a couple of weeks ago, the usa has more than enough under ground to supply the U.S.A itself for quite a while.Completly untapped.

[4.9 EF Futura]

Originally Posted by matt04xr8

I will always have the large family car like a falcon, teritory or explorer. Cant survive without one. Alright in the city to own a small car but not practicle if you do alot of open road traveling with a family. Also have you ever tried to pull out a 22foot boat with a focus.

No offence but it's the "i cant pull my boat with a small car and they're uncomfortable on long trips" attitudes that are going to see us plough into the energy crisis harder than anyone could imagine.

Like i said - i mean not to offend. But when oil hits the price required to see $4/L at the pump - you're not going to be too worried about how to get the 22 footer down to the boat ramp, as the world is going to be a fu--en mess.

A great post from aceofspades. And remember this is only one example of the impacts - but infrastructure is an important one. Unfortunately participants in this industry cant feed their families on a $2000 LPG convsersion rebate.

The PC in front of you consumed several times its weight in oil during its production. Same deal with the cars we drive.

[Iphido]

No offence but it's the "i cant pull my boat with a small car and they're uncomfortable on long trips" attitudes that are going to see us plough into the energy crisis harder than anyone could imagine.

But how much smaller do you have to go. The BF Ghia already gets very simular fuel consumption to a Mazda 6, 4 cylinder camry or a simular 4 cylinder mid sizer. Which is as small vechical as I would concider as my main transport (for various reasons).

There will be huge rammifications from sustained high oil prices. As this may push the world into recession, all those company vechicals may not be all paid for. Supermarkets have already started increasing prices on goods, so have airlines for services.

So its not just going to be fuel at $4 a litre. Milk, fruit juice, macdonalds ,KFC, concrete, will all be affected in some way as well.

Add to this the rising price of raw materials. Steel, copper have gone throught the roof. Houses, cars, offices, electricity, water, etc will all get more expensive.

We may not just be hitting peak oil. But peak copper and some other raw materials. Where demand is out stripping supply and exploration atleast in the short term.

[gs1973]

Originally Posted by Iphido

But how much smaller do you have to go. The BF Ghia already gets very simular fuel consumption to a Mazda 6, 4 cylinder camry or a simular 4 cylinder mid sizer. Which is as small vechical as I would concider as my main transport (for various reasons).

There will be huge rammifications from sustained high oil prices. As this may push the world into recession, all those company vechicals may not be all paid for. Supermarkets have already started increasing prices on goods, so have airlines for services.

So its not just going to be fuel at $4 a litre. Milk, fruit juice, macdonalds ,KFC, concrete, will all be affected in some way as well.

Add to this the rising price of raw materials. Steel, copper have gone throught the roof. Houses, cars, offices, electricity, water, etc will all get more expensive.

We may not just be hitting peak oil. But peak copper and some other raw materials. Where demand is out stripping supply and exploration atleast in the short term.

That's it..I'm going to slash my wrists!

[Black XR6]

Without reading the thread as im at work.

My opinion is it depends on why you own a falcon. Or more to the point, why you drive a Falcon. If you "drive" your falcon and enjoy driving it then it dosnt matter how much it costs, you will keep it. If you just use it as a means of getting from A to B then you will probably ditch it early.

Also, look at the needs of the driver/family who own it. They may need a big car and dont have much choice but to drive something like a Falcon.

Anyway, I voted in the above $4 a litre.

[Rob]

I plan to drive the GTS as hard and for as long as I can while the opportunity is still around.

[needaXYGT]

i will never ditch my falcon, ill just get me a motor bike and use the falcon when it needs to be used.

[BlueRaven]

I'm waiting for someone to do a hydrogen conversion for Clevos :P

[Veefore]

I switched from a Gas powered EL to a Hyundai Accent 3 years ago and the Accent was more expensive to fuel than the EL. It appears at the moment that the OPEC nations are content to have fuel hover around the $1.50 mark. If they put it up too much more it will stimulate more research into alternative fuels and that would be bad for business.

[05MkIIFutura]

Originally Posted by 4.9 EF Futura

No offence but it's the "i cant pull my boat with a small car and they're uncomfortable on long trips" attitudes that are going to see us plough into the energy crisis harder than anyone could imagine.

Using an extra 2 or 3 litres per 100km is going to make **** all difference. It is all the unecessary trips and continued growth of car use (China mainly) which will be the cause of exponential oil demand