The Love of the Corvette vs. The Pain In the Wallet at Fuel Up

[Patrick]

I thought this would make an interesting subject for discussion. Rather than another "I can't believe the price of gas" thread in which everyone talks about how we're being gouged by oil companies, I thought it would be interesting to hear if and how folks are changing their driving habits right now.

The national average for a gallon of gas is currently teetering around $3.00/gallon. In some parts of the US, it spiked this week to be more than $5.00.

Hurricane Katrina knocked out several refineries in the Gulf Coast, and there's no telling how long those will be out. Even with the traditional end of summer Labor Day weekend, when prices at the pump start to drop, there are rumors about that within the next two weeks, the national average for gas may climb to $4.00/gallon.

Even if entering the fall and winter of 2005 means consumption pressures ease a bit, we may be looking at elevated gas prices for quite a while.

So, here's the question: has the price of gas effected your driving habits? If so, how have they changed? I've set this up as a poll, but feel free to tell your stories and share your thoughts about what the price of gas means for how you will be driving your Corvette. And please, we already have a number of threads about how oil companies are gouging us. If you feel the need to vent, please use one of those other threads to do it.

This thread is about the practical: what we are doing as a matter of response to the cost of filling up our Corvettes. Have our driving habits changed?


-Patrick

 

[Sharondippity]

I'm driving my Explorer more than ever now, and I'm saving up for tires anyway. The Corvette gets the garage life for awhile.

My Explorer gets 23mpg and takes 87 octane.

 

[RC135_Tx]

We have 3 vehicles: GMC pickup, LS V-8, and the Vette. The Vette's the economy car from a fuel mileage point of view, including in-town mileage. I use the Vette as my daily driver, and haven't changed that. My wife loves the truck, but is driving the car more due to it's better fuel economy.

I have avoided taking the little extra fun Vette excursions recently. Not because of fuel prices, but because it bothers me to use fuel that is difficult for some to come by at any price. I keep thinking that if I avoid 'wasting' it, others will be able to get it more easily.

I also keep thinking that that thought is probably not very logical. :-}} Normal for me.

 

[jrose7004]

It hasn't changed anything for me yet! I'm glad you didn't asked what we thought about the price gouging that we're all experiencing right now though!

 

[Patrick]

Wow, Sharon and RC135, that was fast! :L

With two Corvettes as my means of transportation, I have to use them. I alternate using the '90 and the Z06 for work and essential trips. But I've curtailed a lot of un-necessary driving with the local Corvette club- a shame, really, as I enjoy running with the other Corvettes in our group.


-Patrick

 

[67HEAVEN]

I'm paying $4.61 U.S. per gallon. :gap Still got it better than those poor souls in N'awlins.

 

[Patrick]

Why, Bob, you say that with a sense of almost preternatural calm.
:L

-Patrick

 

[Eden72Vet]

I have avoided taking the little extra fun Vette excursions recently. Not because of fuel prices, but because it bothers me to use fuel that is difficult for some to come by at any price. I keep thinking that if I avoid 'wasting' it, others will be able to get it more easily.

I also keep thinking that that thought is probably not very logical. :-}} Normal for me.

I agree with your thinking, and if that was the approach the nation took, it would help drive gas prices down (In supply/demand theory anyway). I think this is one of the best thoughts I've heard on gas and gas prices recently.

 

[grapeknutz]

This crisis is like a kidney stone........ It too shall pass!

 

[reefdiver]

My Vette's getting driven more now. It gets much better mileage than my Blazer does.

 

[PLRX]

My gas card is maXed OUT!!!

 

[JonM]

And this crisis will be forgotten as the one below was forgotten...

 

[QWK C5]

I really only drive the vette on weekends and I've curtailed some of the longer cruises for now. I need new tires to replace the run flats and as I posted before my daily driver got totaled on Thurs. My trip to N.O. has been cancelled, we're only going to send carpenters. The Army Corps of Engineers have decided to handle the pumps on their own.

 

[awalla]

I'm driving my Explorer more than ever now, and I'm saving up for tires anyway. The Corvette gets the garage life for awhile.

My Explorer gets 23mpg and takes 87 octane.

What year explorer is that? The highest I ever got in my 2000 Mountaineer was 19.8mpg. I get better milage from the Vette than that around town.

 

[Ripp 73]

700r4

Would anyone happen to have an extra 700R4 sitting around that I could replace my turbo 350 3-speed automatic with? That overdrive sure would be nice for those highway cruises. As far as usage... I've actually been driving the 76 a lot more then I have all summer. My truck is currently getting 10mpg and the Vette still gets about 15mpg. I just hate running it at high rpm's for long periods of time.

 

[MsSchroder]

I filled up the bike with some 114 octane race fuel that's been sitting around, and rode it to work on Thursday and Friday. It was great... I may continue to ride it to work several days a week until the weather gets too bad. On the days that I'm stuck with the mazda, I've cut out going home at lunch.

The vette can get 27 or 28 mpg, but not around town and not the way I drive it. It sits in the garage as usual, waiting on just the right moment to go cruising.

I was talking with a guy at work on Friday. He had just come to the realization that he could make a motorcycle payment with the money he could save on gas.


Tammy

 

[Sharondippity]

It's a 98 Sport 4WD.

I put a k&n air filter on it and it helped alot

 

[KANE]

I don't have kids, smoke, gamble, or drink heavily- and still stash money in savings

So what ELSE would I waste my hard earned money on- other than gas?
My wife buys what she wants, when she wants...

 

[Bounty Hunter 6]

I have avoided taking the little extra fun Vette excursions recently. Not because of fuel prices, but because it bothers me to use fuel that is difficult for some to come by at any price. I keep thinking that if I avoid 'wasting' it, others will be able to get it more easily.

I know you disclaimered this one with your "illogical thinking line!" Sounds like something I would say!:L

Saving gas here so others will have it elsewhere falls in line with my mom's thinking that if I didn't finish my plate, some poor kid in a third world country would starve to death!:confused

We have not run out of gas in my city (yet), but I'm fairly confident that they will not suck it right back out of the ground and send it somewhere that's short! Here's MY disclaimer.....anything is possible these days!

 

[Bounty Hunter 6]

And this crisis will be forgotten as the one below was forgotten...

Your picture reminded me of this: Here's a more recent one! The gas lines in Baghdad were DAYS long...that's right: DAYS! People were often in line for two to three days and the lines were several miles long. We'd have to pull aerial security due to obvious issues (car bombers, etc). Of course, their only paying $.05 a gallon (aarrrghh)

p/s The picture doesn't need to be rotated, that's us in "survival" mode flying around!