With oil over $120 a barrel, gasoline prices are now at all time highs, and are projected to go even higher. In fact, the prices for petroleum products such as oil and other automotive lubricants are also rising. Average, non-enthusiast, drivers are cutting back on personal spending to keep their tanks full. Automotive enthusiasts, on the other hand, have always been somewhat undeterred by gasoline prices. We continue to drive and modify our high-horsepower fuel inefficient cars - even if it means eating Top Ramen, or forgoing an expensive dinner date. But we suspect with 87 octane at $4 a gallon, many enthusiasts will rethink their hobby expenditures.
Even the crew at FordMuscle is feeling the pinch. Our programmer Chris Monahan recently made the painful decision to trade in his beloved 2004 Cobra for a more fuel efficient German sedan. Some of us are clearly driving our Ford muscle cars less, and racing is almost out of the question since the trailering and high-octane fuel costs can easily come out to a $300 outing.
FordMuscle wants to know if the fuel prices have affected you and your Ford project cars. Tell us, are you still racing as much as before? Have you cut back on how much you drive your car, or the modifications you intended to perform?
I’m thinking very hard about changing out my 351Cleveland V-8 for a 2.7L V-6 diesel from the UK’s mini-SUV they call the Maverick, that’s what UK Fuel prices are doing to some of us, most of the UK runs 4 cyl. 2.0L FORD-Pinto-engined HotRods(their Classic Ford Escorts,etc.), what ya think of that you US readers?
By Al P.. August 26th, 2008 at 12:21 pmWell, Yes I feel the crunch! My wallet gets thinner and my hopes and dreams of driving my project fox in Emerald green flake paint rise higher and higher from reality. I drive my Mercury Sable four out of five days a week. BUT…One day a week I cruze the fox to work and miss it the other four days. I don’t go weekend warrioring as often and just sit in the yard maintaining her rather than driving. I miss my seat time but these prices are the new reality and we will complain like when gas got to be $3.00 a Gal…Boy wouldn’t we welcome those days back. Maybe then I could drive her three days a week…..Die hard you bet…broke…You bet!
By Mathew Graham. July 2nd, 2008 at 6:36 pmI guess I’ll break out the Ford Taurus SHO next and give her some seat time but parts are so hard to find, at least she’s a FORD!
Race fuel in Colorado: $6+/gal
Methanol: $255/55 gal barrel
Diesel to tow race trailers: $4.70/gal
Fun at the track: Priceless
By mustang-susi. July 2nd, 2008 at 9:43 amMurff: One of our super gas race cars uses methanol, the other race gas. A quarter mile run costs about $15 on the methanol car (it used to be methanol cost 1/2 as much, but the car consumes twice as much). I’d rethink the conversion from gas to methanol, especially on a race car. 3 gallon fuel cell is almost empty after 1 run, even after alchohol injection system has been “tuned”. The car that uses race gas has a 5 gallon fuel cell, I can usually get 3 runs out of a full tank. (3rd run is stretching it!)
Who’d ever think it would cost more to tow the cars to the track than it is to run them?
Let’s all put a homebuilt hydrogen generators on our muscle cars and increase power,lower emissions, reduce greenhouse gases and get better mileage. Build it at home. Let the arabs keep their oil. It works on my Titan. Gonna put one on my 351w stroker with 10.6:1 comp. ratio. Good luck…..
By norman. July 2nd, 2008 at 6:44 amA friend of mine recently convinced me to join him at several Fun Ford Weekend races. I’ve won a couple dollars, so I’ve about broken even with the whole thing. But not everyone is so lucky. I’ve already towed my trailer over 5000 miles this year to race. Average mpg is 11 with my 7.3 PSD. It’s factory stock, so I may do some upgrades because I know I can make that mpg better.
By Dave. July 2nd, 2008 at 4:47 amI don’t drive the race car on the street, so that’s not really a huge issue. And at home, I drive (go easy on me) a minivan. But it’s getting mid-upper 20’s, sometimes 30 mpg on the highway. So I can’t complain too much.
Luxury .. I’m in UK .. Nuff Said !!! ..
By paxxo. July 2nd, 2008 at 3:34 amI have a couple of mustangs and cobras that we show. I would have to say the travel is down, we show the Cobra most of the time with shows 100 miles away. It gets around 25 mpg on the highway.
Boat wise our 460 spends more time floating than blasting up the lake.
If gas doesn’t come down we’ll probably pull the 850 holley and bolt on a 750….
Some oil SOB is getting rich off fleecing people and I can only hope he gets his due some day.
By Dave. July 2nd, 2008 at 12:21 amhere in france a liter is 1.6euro so mean : 4×1.6×1.5=9.6usd a gallon, i just come back from a trip in us ,i rent a 5.7 l pick up , in france is so hard to find a gas engine on this truck .
By courtonne. July 2nd, 2008 at 12:08 ami have a 289 , i change the gear box to 5 t5 , because so expensive, i collect also microcar , cheap than a ford for gas .
for every day , 60 km , i have a small tdi polo , we can’t go to job everyday with a 66 mustang , so so expensive.
french tax are so high , because we pay the baril in usd , change is 1.6 , so some peoples win so much money …
I live in southern California where gas prices are always high. I have owned many classic Ford and Mercury cars over the years, most with 429 4V engines some with 390 4V motors. When I had each one I would drive them daily and as much as I could.
I always had a new car in the garage which just gathered dust and no miles. In fact the new car I mention is still sitting and collecting dust and I have had it for years.
Currently I am driving a Torino with a 351C and again it is my daily driver and has been for the last 2 years. It uses preimum gas which is about $4.85 a gallon +/- $0.20 depending on the day. I am also building a stroker motor which will be replacing the current 351C in the near future.
Gas prices will not get any cheaper soon, and I enjoy driving my Torino too much to just let it sit and collect dust. So high gas prices or not, it is not stopping me from driving my 351C Ford Torino each and every day.
By Mike. July 1st, 2008 at 11:01 pmGas is taking the hobby away for me. Simple as that.
By Ken. May 10th, 2008 at 10:29 amLiving in Jersey hasn’t been so bad compare to the rest of the states. New York’s Governor is eliminating the 38 cent state gas tax bringing them as low or even lower. Still, I feel the pinch too. My 2002 GT is now receiving suspension upgrades and mods and forget about engine mods for now. I replaced the 4.10’s with her OEM 3.27’s. I drive her only on weekends and I’m talking getting groceries and going to the laundry mat. Once a blue moon, I’ll open here up to feel her G-Force (not the same with no 4.10’s). I put 250 miles a month on my baby. One thing for sure, I’m not selling her for now and if I do, It’ll be a sad day for me.
By Ricco. May 7th, 2008 at 7:45 amhere in Finland gasoline cost 1.45 euros / litre, it is about 6 euros (10 US dollars) per gallon!!
I drove with my galaxe perhaps 1000 miles in the summer,
By kuumakyyti.com. May 7th, 2008 at 3:32 amGasoline price do not effect little cruising´s no so much..
Long distande trips are too expensive althought.
I drive approximately 100/day in the Dallas Metroplex in my Marauder getting an average of 20.4 MPG. Gas is one of my largest expenses and unfortunately relocating closer to work is not an option right now.
I am still spending the $$ on my 94 Cobra…..but not hitting as many out of town races as it is just to expensive. We recently bought a two car trailer and had we not had that, I would not have made it down to FFW in Houston last weekend.
If it gets to $5/gal, I may consider a Focus or VW TDI to try and squeeze some more MPG out of my cash.
By Jeff. May 6th, 2008 at 10:08 amWell, gas prices are affecting many things, not just the hobby. I just sold my classic ‘63 Mercury to pick up a ‘64 Fairlane. I didn’t drive the Mercury very often, and I won’t this one either. Probably just go to the regular meets close by as always. Things were bad when I was a kid in the ’70s and they passed by. I think the same will hold true again. History always repeats itself, but the people in Washington remind me of Ostriches.
By John. May 4th, 2008 at 5:08 pmWhen I built my motor gas mileage was the last thing on my mind..I think 110 is going for 5.99 a gal here in metro Detroit..It’s a drop in the bucket compared to the fuel costs for our trucks, we spent more than $2,000.00 Last month
By Kevin. May 3rd, 2008 at 7:38 pmIf prices continue to go up, I’ve decided on a Sportster. Can’t beat 60 mpg highway, never mind city. For now, my current DD (my 03 GT) is doing me fine since I do almost exclusively highway miles driving between school and home (27 mpg ain’t bad for a 4.6 V8). However, hopefully w/ the dollar gaining some strength back, prices will at least stabilize.
By bassman97. May 3rd, 2008 at 9:19 amI drive my 85GT to work (about 12 miles each way) 2-4 times a week. My other vehicle is a 95 S-10, and actually it gets about the same mileage!!! I put a Edelbrock Performer 600 on the 175K mile 302 and it actually runs better and gets about 2mpg better in the city than when I got it. I also changed the vacuum advance from ported vacuum to full vacuum…so that may account for a little of the increase.
I alternate filling it with 91 and 93 octane…but it’s still mind boggling it can cost $50 to fill up a Stang! I remember when I thought it was bad putting in $50 to fill up my 98Expedition!!!!!!!!!! Ah, the good ole days!
By Drew. May 3rd, 2008 at 4:42 amI believe that gas prices are absolutely affecting the way I enjoy 84 mustang t-top. I used to take it to work a few times a week when there was nice weather but its to the point now that I barely drive it on the weekends. Granted that my 94 ranger daily driver is only marginally better. So now I am looking into getting a motorcycle to give me better mileage. I see it allot abound here (Connecticut). People driving the little scooters around everywhere now. Won’t be too long till the U.S. will look like a third world county with everyone riding scooters.
By Jgagnon84. May 2nd, 2008 at 10:50 amWith 93 octane at $4.03 this morning I have too think about driving the Ranchero. True, I do not think I will put on more than 1500 miles this year. I too have looked into methanol, but it just does not make a case for using it at today’s prices.
By ranchero67. May 2nd, 2008 at 9:58 amI’m not finished my car yet to know, doubt it will affect that, but my daily driving is cut huge. It’s almost to where they are driving us (no pun intended) to get out of cars completely or make it something for the rich only. It’s making it hard to buy stuff for the car, also because it is putting alot of people out of work both directly and indirectly. All I know is I’ve waited too long for this car only to be halted by stupidity in gas prices. It’s still cheap entertainment but the gap is closing. Sorry, but I’m not adapting to a more urban European lifestyle within a few years.
By 64GALAXIE514. May 2nd, 2008 at 7:46 amDown here in Australia gas prices are approx. $US 5.20/gallon. My F100 is being set up to run on straight propane. It is a daily driver and a 408ci motor, hence the necessity to find some savings. In addition, the Federal Government will subsidise the cost of installation.
By Craig. May 2nd, 2008 at 4:37 amIf anyone here is interested I could outline a propane rebuild in the tech exchange forum.
I am also currently building a 434 stroker ford motor to put in a 1979 Falcon XD. This motor will need 93 octane gas and that costs approx. $US 5.80/gallon. But being a weekend warrior reduces the need for cost cutting to some extent.
Cheers
Craig
Yes gas prices are going up, but it’s not going to hurt me driving my muscle car around. I don’t drive it on a daily basis but I’ll pay the difference if it’s $4 or more a gallon just to drive it. From 4 months ago today, I was paying $50 every 7 days to fill up the family minivan, now it’s $70 every 7 days. $80-$100 a month more isn’t going to break me. Just think how less crowded the roads will be:):)
By Spali. May 1st, 2008 at 11:58 pmOur daily drivers are fairly economic (2002 ZX2, 1988 Bronco II) so not too muc more we can do there.
But our race car is another matter. I am converting from race gas to alcohol and have been hearing runblings that methanol is rapidly approaching the cost of race gas. That’s a concern as the car will drink roughly twice as much alky as gas.
I know one thing, I will be looking to the industrial houses for my alcohol and not using VP, Torco or any other brand name of ‘race’ alcohol.
By Murff. May 1st, 2008 at 6:33 pmI am in the middle of a rebuild for the engine for my 65 Mustang daily driver. This is my only car so naturally gas mileage is a major concern. When it came time to gather parts for the build, I decided to go with performance parts on the lower end of the horsepower and rpm range, (i.e. Performer intake, mild cam, 600cfm carb) which is different from any other build I have done. I was pleasantly suprised with the money this saved me in parts as well as the promise of better mileage and driveability. To me, this is a win-win, but I have to say if this was a hobby car I wouldn’t be worrying about mileage nearly as much, even at $4/gal.
By Dusty. May 1st, 2008 at 1:51 pm