[V8] The market

[Roger M. Woodbury]

Well, now that the current crop of V8s on the "great market equalizer", also
known as eBay have failed to sell, it could well be very depressing to note
the sad state of the V8 market.

I think it is a situation that is driven by a couple of things, and the
biggie is probably gasoline prices.  Who in their right minds would buy a V8
engined sedan with premium fuel prices moving into the $3.30 range?  

I have also been following the pickup truck ads on eBay.  I may try to
change plow trucks since "The Runt"...my 1992 Ford 4X4 shorty will need a
transmission this fall.  I have thought about a 3/4 Ton GMC or Chevvie.

There are two things that I have noticed on eBay.  First, there are really a
LOT of these trucks with extended cabs, and a LOT of them have big
engines...gasoline engines, I mean.  (Not interested in a diesel).  AND
there are a LOT of these trucks with extended cabs, and relatively few with
regular cabs that are any good.  

I am looking for a regular cab truck, and when there is a pretty good one,
it doesn't bring a lot of money.  For that matter, the longer cab trucks
don't really bring the money either.  

My conclusion is that gasoline prices are starting to take a real bite at
the large engine vehicles of all types, and the V8 Quattro is yet another
example.

BUT.  It is irrational.  If a fool like you or me bought a V8 Quattro for
six grand, say.  And the car had real mileage below, say 125,000.  AND it
cost another five grand, say, to make it nearly perfect.  AND say, the car
was driven 25000 miles annually.  AND say the car averaged 20 miles per
gallon of premium fuel at $3.30 per gallon.

When would the cost of buying and running the car equal a Toyota Prius which
cost $25,000, and averaged 35 miles per gallon of pump regular at $3.05 per
gallon.

When and if I buy this new(er) truck, I will buy the best truck that I can
find, and if it has a 7.4 or 8.1 litre V8, it will not really matter.  The
truck will be driven less than 10,000 miles per year, and after next year,
probably less.  The big V8 may well reduce the cost to me by $1000 over a
smaller engined truck, and by nearly $3000 over the cost of a similar truck
with diesel engine.  The truck will be around for ten years or more, and the
difference in operational cost will never be felt.

As far as the V8 Quattro is concerned, it is important to remember that the
Prius will likely need a new battery pack about five miles after the
warranty is out.  THAT will make the maintenance costs on a V8 seem like
chump change.  

It was interesting to read Jeremy Clarkson's review of the Lexus Hybrid SUV
yesterday.  His take is that the same vehicle without the added weight of
the batteries and electric motors would probably have had the same mileage
figures at the hybrid.  

Me?  I'll stick with the "old" technology, and support efforts at developing
true mass transit systems here in this country.  In the meantime, the energy
that would have been used to build a new hybrid thing for me, can be saved.

I am comforted in knowing that nice V8s are getting cheaper and cheaper and
cheaper...

Roger