Non-SE-R: GM OHV engines

Brian Cembor bcembor@fastenal.com
Wed, 4 Dec 2002 08:27:58 -0600


A coupla things here,
Methanol is a pipe dream. It is so subsidized by the Federal Imperial
Government that any cost advantage is erroneous. It also costs more per
gallon to make methanol than it does to make one gallon of gas, which also
yields other chemicals we depend on. I don't know how many different
chemicals are produced from crude oil, but it is a lot. Methanol has not
conclusively proven to be a reliable alternative to gasoline, despite what
is in the press. If you really dig into the whole methanol issue you soon
realize how much taxpayer's money is being wasted, worse than many other
programs.

Second, SUVs came about because of the EPA and NHTSB. SUVs are trucks,
station wagons are passenger cars. SUVs do not have to follow the same
regulations as station wagons in terms of safety and fuel economy, therefore
they are cheaper to make and sell at a higher profit. The automakers
realized this in the 70s, think how many station wagons you see today. So it
is up to you to figure out who to blame for that situation... manufacturer,
consumer, marketer, govt' officials?

Just my opinion... I usually am wrong

Brian M. Cembor

Please elaborate on the harm automobiles are doing to the world.  Cows emit
more hydrocarbons than automobiles today.  As for being socially conscious,
the buying public couldn't give a rat's ass about it.  The auto makers
answer to a greater power than tree huggers.  They answer to the
marketplace.  It's goofy to expect them to do otherwise.

When the oil's gone, cars will likely be powered by methanol.  I guess we
can complain about the price of corn on the cob when that happens. :-P

>It's hard to get mad at the true source of the problem, which is the
>people who buy those pigmobiles.

So we should be mad at the auto makers?  Be real.

>A lot of them are really nice people.

Gee, you think?