What diesel could do for us...

[HoleshotHolset]

Quote from the head of the Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality, Margo Oge, in the February 20 issue of BusinessWeek:

“The U. S. could save up to 1. 4 million barrels of oil per day—roughly the amount it imports from Saudi Arabia—if a third of U. S. vehicles ran on diesel. ”



(Taken from the latest edition of Winding Road Magazine - online)



Man - if that isn't an eye-opener... I don't know what is.



Matt

 

[Dieselnut59]

Then WHY are they not widely available? If more diesel options were available, I GUARANTEE they would sell... just look at how well the few offered DO sell! Volkswagon, Mercedes, Jeep... they sell all they make!

 

[JRD]

Unfotrunatly, the intial added cost of the diesel engine scares alot of people too. Not to mention alot of people see diesels as loud rattle boxes that puke black smoke. So why would they want to pay more money for a loud engine that smokes. People just dont realize the recent technilogical advancments in the diesel market.



And like you said, they just dont produce as many diesel powered vehicles as they should. Hopefully we will see more in the future.

 

[MDietrich]

It seems like a whole generation of people have a negative attitude toward diesel vehicles from the '80's.



I've had numerous guys around here ask me how I like my truck, and I'll tell them all the positives, and why I bought it.



Then they'll say "Yeah that's great, but diesel is more exspensive, they cost more, do you really need a diesel?, what about the 07' rules?, they suck in the winter, my dad's 80 something was a pos, blah, blah, blah! Kind of hard to overcome some mentalities.



Personally, I would love to have a VW or M-Benz diesel. If only the funds were there. Someday.



MD

 

[jwgary]

Not to mention alot of people see diesels as loud rattle boxes that puke black smoke. So why would they want to pay more money for a loud engine that smokes. People just dont realize the recent technilogical advancments in the diesel market.

I don't know how many times I have heard people complain about someone with a BOMBed truck that smokes everyone out on the freeway. I just think about all the hurt they do to the diesel industry by causing negative impressions of a much superior engine design.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

I don't know how many times I have heard people complain about someone with a BOMBed truck that smokes everyone out on the freeway. I just think about all the hurt they do to the diesel industry by causing negative impressions of a much superior engine design.

I agree. I'm a diesel horsepower junkie, but I don't totally appreciate how easily I can black out an entire freeway with my noisy BOMBed truck. Am I going to crank back on the fuel? Heck no... but I'm a LOT more careful about hitting the soot pedal in public than I used to be and I'm actually going to put an entire exhaust system on my truck.



In order for us to be better advocates of diesel technology, we have to promote it by constantly being mindful of the negative PR the smoke creates...



Matt

 

[AMink]

the intial added cost of the diesel engine scares alot of people

Scary? It's terrifying! I still don't understand why a CTD costs upward of $5K more than a gasser. That gas engine costs x to put in a truck. When we upgrade to CTD, that cost of the gasser is taken away and it still costs $5K? I can't believe, even with R & D, that a diesel would cost that much more. If I bought a Hemi and a CTD out of the box, what is the cost difference? And why?

 

[VicR]

A lot of people I talk to had/know someone that had one of those wonderful GM diesels from the mid-80's. It takes a lot to convince them that diesels of today are not the same animal. I think GM poisoned a lot of people with that little fiasco.



-Vic

 

[jgillott]

I agree. I'm a diesel horsepower junkie, but I don't totally appreciate how easily I can black out an entire freeway with my noisy BOMBed truck. Am I going to crank back on the fuel? Heck no... but I'm a LOT more careful about hitting the soot pedal in public than I used to be and I'm actually going to put an entire exhaust system on my truck.



In order for us to be better advocates of diesel technology, we have to promote it by constantly being mindful of the negative PR the smoke creates...



Matt

I couldn't have said it better Matt. There was a young kid, in our local Wal-Mart parking lot a few days ago, doing burnouts between the cars in a 6. 0L Ford... just smokin' out the joint. Not real good for the public opinion of our hobby or diesels in general. I hope to have the opportunity to run into him in person sometime... just to let him know what I think of him.

 

[HoleshotHolset]

There was a young kid, in our local Wal-Mart parking lot a few days ago, doing burnouts between the cars in a 6. 0L Ford... just smokin' out the joint.

It's always the Ford guys isn't it?! They have to show off in one way or another... I guess they have to do something with the truck before its up on the lift at the dealer again. :-laf



The other day I was at the local grocery store with my Old Lady. I noticed a guy and his wife and their son doing some shopping. His Old Lady was the poster child of 'high maintenance' - hair done, makeup spackled, boobs all high & tight and wearing painted on blue jeans. The guy gave me a look as if to say: "Yeah, that's MY Old Lady... " Out in the parking lot... what does he help load her into? A 6. 0L PSD powered crew cab. I rest my case.



Matt