Hybrids, On-Star, and Carburetors

Everyone wants a new car, the soccer moms are tired of the old minivan, and they want this year's model. They want 40mpg+ hybrids with fancy satellite radio and factory installed GPS.  The 100,000+ mile warranty sounds nice, but what happens when you hit 150,000+ miles? You better trade it for a newer one, because you got to be a NASA engineer to work on a hybrid automobile. During my junior year of high school I managed to save $2,000 and I wanted a classic car. I didn't want a Nova or Mustang, instead I wanted a 60s model Ford Thunderbird or Fairlane 500. I wasn't picky, and I decided on a 1963 Ford Falcon with a factory 170cid straight six. I had spotted it on Craigslist, and dad and me went and picked it up. I paid $1,800 for it, and dad let me drive it home. The body needed a paint job and it burnt a little oil, but other than that it was a reliable old car. The 3 speed manual transmission was on the column (3 on the tree) and the little one barrel Holley carburetor would flood like an S.O.B. but that didn't stop me from driving it every day. Some people loved my old car, but others hated it. To my surprise, the majority of people who hated it were girls. Who could hate an old car? On one particular afternoon before school let out, my English teacher asked me how many miles per gallon my old Falcon got. I told him 28mpg-32mpg, and I could tell he thought I was lying. Why would I lie about something like that? My little sedan would top out at about 50mph, and if the fuel air mixture was right I could easily get 30+mpg. Major auto makers create junk that is over complicated and lack fuel efficiency for a reason. Just another way to line some pockets, waste some fuel, and charge hard working Americans in the process. About 6 months ago I started having some brake and motor problems out of my little car. The previous owner told me the car had around 265,000 miles, and I drove it nearly 50 miles a day, so I figured it had close to 300,000 miles. At that time my mind started to become set on a motorcycle. I thought about it for almost two weeks, and I decided to list my car for sale on Craigslist. A car collector from Knoxville, TN seen the ad and offered my $2,500 for it. I took the offer, and within a week I had my sights on a Kawasaki vn800 street bike. I gave $1,500 for the bike, and I am still very happy with it. I get roughly 40+ mpg, and the thrill of the open road is amazing.

Sincerely, Homestead Hermit… signing off….