Question: what will you do?

[vette61]

In the not so distant future, the majority of cars on the road will be hybrids, electric, plugins, etc. my question to you, is on a nice spring day you take your vette out,and instead of getting thumbs up from people, you will get a ration of crap about polluting the air with your dinasour. In my heart i know this is going to happen. i was raised in the '50's and just about everyone smoked, you were considered a little strange if you didn't, especially in the service, or in bars. Now it is a little strange to see someone who smokes. I have seen fights out in public, where one person tells someone to ditch the smoke, and the smoker gets back in their face, so the car thing is going to happen. since i have been reading that there is not much going on in the c1,c2 forum, maybe this will stir up some interest. what do you guys think will happen? c3,c4 guys are welcome to give their opinion also, as this will affect you. thanks.

 

[67HEAVEN]

Although I agree that the regime is changing, I don't think it's changing as quickly as imagined.

There are still many, many millions of internal combustion cars on the roads and they'll be around for years to come. And, plenty of folks will be unable to afford "green" cars and will therefore keep used gasoline-powered cars on the road.

By the time it's all over for our cars, I probably won't give a damn anymore.

P.S. Part of the blame for low activity levels around here is mine and my months-long project (link in signature below). I'll be whipping the hamster again soon.

 

[hotshotzny]

i couldnt agree with vette61 more and disagree with 67heaven just as much.... people are already trying to insult and put down owners of "non enviromentally friendly" cars ...... while its not as bad as the peta members throwing buckets of red paint on you for wearing a mink coat.....its getting there.... i literally had to throw a couple out of my bar a couple weeks back because he chimed into my conversation i was having about my hummer and when i made a joke he got down right nasty and when i say nasty i mean if i didnt own the place i probably would have swatted him! like i said peta members gather outside areas where they know that the rich and eccentric gather to protest thier choice in outer wear.... sometimes destroying it in the process..... so do i believe that in the near future the smart car/hybrid/electric car generation will protest the SUV/V8/Classic Car generation gathering at gas stations protesting and causing damage to our property...yes i do.... what will i do? depends on the severity.... i usually dont say anything to protestors even if i totally disagree with them because it is thier right..if they are disrespectful in front of my son who is with me 90% of the time in the vette.....i dont know what i might do...... if they say something to my wife in her hummer..thats thier mistake.... she might rip them limb from limb

 

[magicv8]

I'll keep driving the 66 until I can't put the clutch in anymore, then I'll sell to the highest bidder.

Incidentally, I have the 66 BB bagged in the corner of the garage, and I am currently wearing out the third mule SB in the car. What supercedes this mule could be anything from a high HP crate engine to a v6 or an electric. As long as I don't mod the car and can return the BB to service, what difference does it make what I have under the hood to drive?

 

[BADBIRDCAGE]

I arrived home yesterday afternoon after work. There was a fire truck and crew across the street checking out a fire hydrant for operation. I raised the door to the garage and started to walk in. I heard a male voice say Sir, Sir can I speak with you a moment?

One fireman approached from across the street and asked, is that what I think it is? I said; depends on what you think it is. He said, yeah, it's what I think it is. He whistled and in about 45 seconds my garage was swarmed with firemen issuing appropriate oohs and ahhs about the car. Out came the picture book and more accolades became audible. One fireman asked if he could borrow the book to show his wife what he wants to do with his Blazer.

I don't think these cars are going to be booed too loudly anytime soon.

Oh yeah, I have a standing invitation at the firehouse; which is right next to the police precinct where my youngest son is a detective.

Oh yeah, to answer the original question of what will I do? I will say I love driving this car and thank the green weenies for their environmental concern.

Rich

 

[gord holden]

what will you do

I get the mileage bit ,with the hummer all the time.but being a h3 it gets 21 m.p.g. on the hi-way it shuts them all down when they are only getting 16 m.p.g. in there pickups.the 58 vetts get lots of attention and nobody cares about pollution they just want to see them on the street.

 

[twiget]

As was mentioned eariler, I am of the opinion that there are too many internal combustion vehicles on the road today for them to be easily swept aside by new technologies. It will happen, but I think it will take decades.

IMO, hybrids are a knee-jerk reaction by manufacturers to look greener and put out high mileage automobiles. The Honda Insight was the first mass production hybrid car to go on sale in the US. Their Nickel-Hydride battery packs are good for about 150,000 miles, at which point they have to be changed. Honda charges 3k to replace the battery pack. According to Kelly Blue Book.com an Insight with 150k on it is barely worth 5.5k. How many people do you think are going to opt to replace their battery packs?

Honda is all ready replacing battery packs in Insights, and the rest of the first generation hybrids will be needing new battery packs in the next decade or so. So sure, all those hybrid owners are, in the short term, saving the enviroment beucase they are using less gas than the rest of us. But once their hybrid cars reach the end of their lifespan, those battery packs need to be disposed of. Over the next decade or so, there are going to be tens of thousands of Nickel-Hydride and Lithium-Ion battery packs that need to be disposed of. In the long run, I think the enviromental impact of a hybrid is just the same as an internal combustion powered car.

Both technologies have pros and cons, but I doubt hybrids will stick around for too long after hydrogen fuel cell vehicles make their appearance.

Anyway, back to the original question. What will I do in a couple decades when I still have the fastest, best looking, sexiesit car in the nehiborhood? The same thing I do now. I drive out of my garage every morning with a smile on my face.

Jason

 

[IH2LOSE]

Normally I would say your crazy with a comment like this but with your smoking analogy it kinda brings things into perspective

First let me say I smoke, and I live in New York

In the old days you could almost smoke anyplace you wanted, since 7/24/03 (that’s less then 62 months ago) you cant smoke anywhere indoors. most Public parks, public pools, public beaches public places are now non smoking, I mean in our own community field is NON smoking .I paid for the places in my taxes and I cant use it as I would like to ( a nice exercising walk or bike ride while I am enjoying a cigarette)

In New York we pay 2.75 in Sin tax a pack. I mean its almost becoming unaffordable to smoke, besides that it down right irks me to think that I am paying more in taxes because I chose to smoke. I get dirty looks and comments all the time pretty much almost treating me like a second class citizen. I am looking at a new vehicle I want I will have to pay a $2,200.00 gas guzzler tax

Now lets go to my DD vehicles I drive a Silverado HD 2500 I get A_ _ holes constantly complaining about how long it takes to fill up or how I am wasting our resources. God forbid you get caught leavening a vehicle running when you run in for a pack of cigarettes. In my county we have a 3 minute idle law if it’s idling for more then 3 minutes you’ll get a 175.00 fines plus court cost. I won’t even get into the comments I get when I drive my wife’s escalade (that actually gets better mileage then my pick up)

So do I think this is in the near future with our collector cars YUP?

Is it going to make me sell my cars NOPE,

The only thing I wish is that the next tree hugger or world saver that comes up and makes a comment to me is that I am allowed to bust them in the face with a right hook with out having to go to jail.

I just watched a comercial on TV explaing that if you live in a town house,condo ,or apartment one of your neighbors secound hand smoke can harm you and who to contact to complain about it. So now you wont even be able to smoke in your own home. You can shoot some one who enters it but you just cant smoke in it.

Just like with smoking , those of use using fossil fuel will also be treat badly

 

[Victory Red C6]

Well, lets see here. Electric cars will require that they be plugged into recharge the battery. Hummm, where does electricity come from??? Nuclear power plants, Coal burning power plants, gargbage burning power plants, natural gas burning power plants. Hummm, looks to me that the so call green cars pollute in their own way as well.

Anyway most electric cars can't go much more then 40 miles before needing a recharge. And most likely any hybred or electric won't has the performance of a Corvette, so you should be able to out run them also. There may also be an electric Corvette (God forbide) sitting in your garage by that point along with you gas guzzling fire breathing V8 Corvette that you are very much enjoying today and in the future.

 

[hotshotzny]

i went to an auction with a friend and i was amazed at the amount of hybrids already going through... the batteries are already taking a crap and people are finding out they are way to expensive to replace. it is absolutely amazing the price SUV's are ging through at... but 4X4 pickups are still holding pretty strong....at least the ones in decent shape

 

[JohnZ]

In the not so distant future, the majority of cars on the road will be hybrids, electric, plugins, etc.

Don't hold your breath - that will be in the VERY distant future.

 

[hotshotzny]

Normally I would say your crazy with a comment like this but with your smoking analogy it kinda brings things into perspective

First let me say I smoke, and I live in New York

In the old days you could almost smoke anyplace you wanted, since 7/24/03 (that’s less then 62 months ago) you cant smoke anywhere indoors. most Public parks, public pools, public beaches public places are now non smoking, I mean in our own community field is NON smoking .I paid for the places in my taxes and I cant use it as I would like to ( a nice exercising walk or bike ride while I am enjoying a cigarette)

In New York we pay 2.75 in Sin tax a pack. I mean its almost becoming unaffordable to smoke, besides that it down right irks me to think that I am paying more in taxes because I chose to smoke. I get dirty looks and comments all the time pretty much almost treating me like a second class citizen. I am looking at a new vehicle I want I will have to pay a $2,200.00 gas guzzler tax

Now lets go to my DD vehicles I drive a Silverado HD 2500 I get A_ _ holes constantly complaining about how long it takes to fill up or how I am wasting our resources. God forbid you get caught leavening a vehicle running when you run in for a pack of cigarettes. In my county we have a 3 minute idle law if it’s idling for more then 3 minutes you’ll get a 175.00 fines plus court cost. I won’t even get into the comments I get when I drive my wife’s escalade (that actually gets better mileage then my pick up)

So do I think this is in the near future with our collector cars YUP?

Is it going to make me sell my cars NOPE,

The only thing I wish is that the next tree hugger or world saver that comes up and makes a comment to me is that I am allowed to bust them in the face with a right hook with out having to go to jail.

I just watched a comercial on TV explaing that if you live in a town house,condo ,or apartment one of your neighbors secound hand smoke can harm you and who to contact to complain about it. So now you wont even be able to smoke in your own home. You can shoot some one who enters it but you just cant smoke in it.

Just like with smoking , those of use using fossil fuel will also be treat badly

maybe if smokers would be a little more considerate with thier filthy ass cigarette butts some of us us non smokers would support you a bit on this..... but i know first hand as a bar owner... i can put an ashtray every 2 feet, and i still find butts in the flower pots and all over the ground..... and even worse the slobs throw them over the fence into the funeral home next doors lawn and parking lot so now not only do i have to clean my patio, i gotta clean thiers to keep up friendly relations..... my wifes a smoker and she hears it from me everyday. and when i take my son to the park i have to look at cigarette butts in the sand and in the mulch....
maybe you are more considerate.... i hope so.... but i dont want anyone smoking near my son

 

[LVMYVT76]

amen

 

[sub006]

IMO, hybrids are a knee-jerk reaction by manufacturers to look greener and put out high mileage automobiles. The Honda Insight was the first mass production hybrid car to go on sale in the US. Their Nickel-Hydride battery packs are good for about 150,000 miles, at which point they have to be changed. Honda charges 3k to replace the battery pack. According to Kelly Blue Book.com an Insight with 150k on it is barely worth 5.5k. How many people do you think are going to opt to replace their battery packs?

Both technologies have pros and cons, but I doubt hybrids will stick around for too long after hydrogen fuel cell vehicles make their appearance.

Jason

$8500 for a hybrid with a new, Honda-warrantied 150K battery pack sounds like a great deal to me! Only thing to worry about is whether the original owner remembered to maintain the GAS engine!

As more of these cars get on the road and are scrapped/salvaged, battery recyclers will offer inexpensive refurbished battery packs for less, perhaps $1000. For example, I was asked to pay $850 for an OEM Jaguar catalytic converter several years ago. Found an EPA approved rebuilder who sold me one for $350 with a five year, 50,000-mile guarantee.

And remember that hybrids will need to buy gasoline, just less of it than conventional ICE cars. They'd be cutting off their noses if they domonstrated at gas stations. Don't think there'll be much antagonism. I have some high-mpg daily drivers, but I don't resent a '59 Caddy when it goes by. I give the driver a grin and thumbs up!

 

[sub006]

maybe if smokers would be a little more considerate with thier filthy ass cigarette butts some of us us non smokers would support you a bit on this..... but i know first hand as a bar owner... i can put an ashtray every 2 feet, and i still find butts in the flower pots and all over the ground..... and even worse the slobs throw them over the fence into the funeral home next doors lawn and parking lot so now not only do i have to clean my patio, i gotta clean thiers to keep up friendly relations..... my wifes a smoker and she hears it from me everyday. and when i take my son to the park i have to look at cigarette butts in the sand and in the mulch....
maybe you are more considerate.... i hope so.... but i dont want anyone smoking near my son

Nice quiet neighbor you've got! They have to keep a fleet of black cars immaculate all the time. If I was the funeral director and knew about your policing of the parking lot, I'd figure I owe you one Corvette detail job per year!

 

[2X4's 60]

I haven't had any reaction with my Corvette but the other day I was sitting at a stoplight in my Cobra. This thing is quite loud and will shake the he!! out of any car next to it. This young girl in a Prius (or whatever they are called) pulls up and gives me a look like I'm killing the environment just sitting there. I looked over and said "thank you". She says "What?". I said "Thanks". She says sacrastically "Thanks for what?" I said "Thanks for driving that little POS so I can have more gas to burn in this monster" and then showed her what rapid acceleration was.

 

[67HEAVEN]

"Thanks for driving that little POS so I can have more gas to burn in this monster" and then showed her what rapid acceleration was.

 

[`65 QQ]

Lack of GAS ??

I have a local station that carries CAM2 110 octane. If I convert the swimming pool to underground storage, I should be able to make it awhile on 28,000 gallons!!

28,000 x $7.29/gal = confused:confused better get a second job!

Dave

 

[hotshotzny]

Nice quiet neighbor you've got! They have to keep a fleet of black cars immaculate all the time. If I was the funeral director and knew about your policing of the parking lot, I'd figure I owe you one Corvette detail job per year!

thank god they are a young couple who own the place and i always make sure they see me or one of my employees out there cleaning it up..... they actually live right there above the place so they have to put up with the music and idiots arguing out in front of thier place all the time so i do what i can to make them happy........ but yea the downstairs tenants never complain either

 

[hotshotzny]

I have a local station that carries CAM2 110 octane. If I convert the swimming pool to underground storage, I should be able to make it awhile on 28,000 gallons!!

28,000 x $7.29/gal = confused:confused better get a second job!

Dave

we have one of those also right next to the local track... never owned a car worthy of it..but wish i did