I stick to small-town, full service places. The ones where the coffee is free, the attendant is friendly and happy to chat for 10 minutes, and will offer to check the fluids,...
havent one of those since maybe the 70s some did have there drawbacks, as that guy checking your oil likley to short stick ya just to sell some oil. got fired from my first ob because I refused to do that to customer.
I don't care how many miles she gets to a gallon, I always feel like a real wuss driving that thing. It's one of the few instances when I'm likely to decline an opportunity to get behind the wheel. It's like an immediate case of "automotive castration."
Ever watch "Curb Your Enthusiasm?"
[This message has been edited by Doni Hagan (edited 04-24-2007).]
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12:32 PM
Fastkx Member
Posts: 319 From: St. Louis, Mo. Registered: Feb 2006
I have a Chevy Silverado that when I drove every week to work was costing me about $300-350 a month, then I bought the Fiero and it cut that in half. Then started car pooling and now I drive every other week and have cut my gas exspenses down to just under $100 a month to drive to work. I drive 64 miles a day, I know that the duke is saving me money so she will stay in, maybe with some of the savings I will buy another fiero with a 2.8 to drive on the weekends.
Those friggen gas prices are on the rise again. Nearing record highs, just in time for summer. Anyone ready to scap their high performance engine for a Duke?
Gas is ranging between $2.69 and $2.79 USD for Regular 87 Octane per US Gallon.
I'm really ready to go to my Indy and the Duke as my daily driver.
I've seen many reports of 30+ mpg in L67 Fieros. It's definitely getting my attention and I may do one of those instead of a V8 at some point. 240+ HP and 30+ mpg sure sound like the best of both worlds.
All the Prius needs is some Dubs, chop it, drop it and you got a hot car!
Yeah? Well, wake me up when you talk her into letting me chop and drop her car! I have enough trouble talking her into stuff that has NOTHING to do with cars!
[This message has been edited by Doni Hagan (edited 04-24-2007).]
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10:53 PM
Apr 25th, 2007
Austrian Import Member
Posts: 3919 From: Monterey, CA Registered: Feb 2007
I would absolutely love to do a Tesla swap into the Fiero, since I won't afford a whole Tesla Roadster anytime soon. $90k, yikes 0-60 in four seconds 131mpg equivalent, or free mpg, if one can find free outlets..
See, you can still fill it up..
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12:03 AM
BobadooFunk Member
Posts: 5436 From: Pittsburgh PA Registered: Jun 2003
I would absolutely love to do a Tesla swap into the Fiero, since I won't afford a whole Tesla Roadster anytime soon. $90k, yikes 0-60 in four seconds 131mpg equivalent, or free mpg, if one can find free outlets..
See, you can still fill it up..
sweet.
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12:09 AM
Austrian Import Member
Posts: 3919 From: Monterey, CA Registered: Feb 2007
Yes, it totally is. You can check it out at www.teslamotors.com/ . There is also an article about it in both this months Popular Science, and Popular Mechanics. I really want this car to succeed.
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02:29 AM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
Their marketing strategy is to first make it a rich person's toy, and once established eventually all of us will be able to afford it. That seems to have worked for the last 100 years for every other technology so it should work for this car.
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02:35 AM
BobadooFunk Member
Posts: 5436 From: Pittsburgh PA Registered: Jun 2003
WOW, now you just added another "goal in life" for my list
Mine totaled $100,100 should i put in my reservation, .. lets see, at this rate, if i buy nothing, pay nothing (no rent , phone etc..), and eat nothing, then i can totally pay for this car in 5.5 years.
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02:55 AM
Austrian Import Member
Posts: 3919 From: Monterey, CA Registered: Feb 2007
Their marketing strategy is to first make it a rich person's toy, and once established eventually all of us will be able to afford it. That seems to have worked for the last 100 years for every other technology so it should work for this car.
That's the best strategy for electronics and any new technology. I remember when CD-burners were $4000 a piece. Blanks for them were about $25 each. (at least back then they came with jewel cases ) Projector TV's, Plasma screens, LCD's, Computers, etc.
This strategy works, because for rich people, price is secondary, and they want the newest technology. That in turn lowers the initial investment and the cost of adoption. It also means that years from now, if Tesla is still around (I really, really hope so, unless GM and the other car giants will kill it through government lobbying ) most of the engineering cost is absorbed by the early adopters.
If you looked at Tesla's website their next project is a $49k BMW M5 competitor (4 door sedan with trunk and room for 5 adults, and same great handling) "The company has set an ambitious goal of selling 10,000 to 20,000 of just the sedans." The project after that is a $30k mass market car.
Tesla is also planning licensing their electronics to other manufacturers. I think the name under which it will be sold is "Tesla Engineering" or "Tesla electronics"
quote
Originally posted by BobadooFunk:
WOW, now you just added another "goal in life" for my list
Mine totaled $100,100 should i put in my reservation, .. lets see, at this rate, if i buy nothing, pay nothing (no rent , phone etc..), and eat nothing, then i can totally pay for this car in 5.5 years.
Yea, kind of the attitude I have. Who needs to eat, sleep, etc. right?
At least then we won't have to worry about putting gas in it. If anyone is familiar with the term "war-driving" for open wifi signal, there might be a similar trend for outlets.. (btw. I officially say that I predicted this first so (c) Max 2007 )
I don't care how many miles she gets to a gallon, I always feel like a real wuss driving that thing. It's one of the few instances when I'm likely to decline an opportunity to get behind the wheel. It's like an immediate case of "automotive castration."
Ever watch "Curb Your Enthusiasm?"
you should try an older Honda Insight. Incredible off the line torque. Faster than most cars off the line because the engine and electric assist kick in at the same time giving incredible torque numbers. Problem is the body is made from old beer cans and will dent if you even look at it funny.
I will have an old 78 duke that any one can swap into there fiero coming in june that had an easy 52mpg hwy and 48city. Now it has carb and exhaust on the same side but you can get a sbc cyl head to fit. I have full faith in a duke when you get rid of the crappy injection and emissions.
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01:14 PM
Formula88 Member
Posts: 53788 From: Raleigh NC Registered: Jan 2001
I will have an old 78 duke that any one can swap into there fiero coming in june that had an easy 52mpg hwy and 48city. Now it has carb and exhaust on the same side but you can get a sbc cyl head to fit. I have full faith in a duke when you get rid of the crappy injection and emissions.
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01:21 PM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
I will have an old 78 duke that any one can swap into there fiero coming in june that had an easy 52mpg hwy and 48city. Now it has carb and exhaust on the same side but you can get a sbc cyl head to fit. I have full faith in a duke when you get rid of the crappy injection and emissions.
In most states with emissions, it's illegal to swap in an older engine than the one the car came with. You would never be able to pass. What car was it in where it got those numbers? Probably a lot smaller than a Fiero. I doubt that it would do that well in a Fiero anyway.
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01:43 PM
May 2nd, 2007
Austrian Import Member
Posts: 3919 From: Monterey, CA Registered: Feb 2007
they call them Oxygen bars, natural High (so to speak), just goes to show you at this point in time Humans may be far stupider then the cavemen of old. We buy $60 jeans that are the same as the $16 ones at wallmart/target/etc. We pay $30 for a t-shirt that costs $6 with advertising on it (tommy Hilfinger, or whatever). We pay $1 for a bottle of water that actually states on it that its from a TAP.
But back to the DUKE!, loved mine in my 78 Monza 4 speed wagon as a teenager I raced every datsun (they called um Datsuns back then, now they are Nissan) Toyota, Honda, mazda i could find. I floated the valves azlmost every race, reving it.. and it never FAILED me once. I owned it from 30,000 to 160,000 and all I ever did was rebuild Alt and starter, and replace brakes (hated those plastic pin holders on the brakes, they always wore out and the brakes clunked). I traded the car in the late 80's with 160,000 miles and i talked with the guy who got it about 6 years later and he was still driving it and it was almost to 200,000. One of the steadiest cars i ever owned.. but I must admit it was a crap box otherwise.. cold in winter, warm in summer ( no air), rode like a pickup and it sure didnt help my social life haveing a Wagon.
I am in the process (hopefully) of buying Duke Fiero for a future 3800SC swap, but this thread had me thinking I may go slow and use it for a cruzier for awhile.
Clok - yes Im long winded today
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04:53 PM
jscott1 Member
Posts: 21676 From: Houston, TX , USA Registered: Dec 2001
i'd sooner switch to motor power
131mpg equivalent, or free mpg, if one can find free outlets.. 
)
) most of the engineering cost is absorbed by the early adopters. 
(I'll replace this with a better picture, if I can find one)
