70MACH1OWNER

Hi Guys,
We all are paying about twice as much for gas as a year ago. And it hurts everyone. And since I am one of the old guys on this forum and lived thru the oil embargo of the early 1970's I have to wonder. What will happen our beloved "FUTURE" stangs. Back in the early 70's I watch the Mustang go from a midsize car with 351, 390, 428, and 429 engines with lots of get up and go turn into small "limp dick" 4 bangers. Heck the wife and I bought a 1974 Mustang II. I could run faster than that car. So I just have to wonder what is in store for all of us car guys in the next few years. I know technology has improved gas mileage and the amount of HP a car has greatly since back than. But this crap has to kill Mustang, Challenger, Camaro, Vette, and Viper sales. Personally, my vision of 2010 isn't very good right now. And I also don't believe today's gas prices will ever go backwards again like they did in 1975. I wish I had a crystal ball.
Scott

karman

IMO
Mustang will live, but don't expect bigger engines.
Camaro and Challenger will die or turn into turbo 4 cyl.
Vette will continue on just like Ferrari will always exist.
Viper depends on the life of Chrysler.

WaltM

Yup. It also depends upon public acceptance of gas prices. If the consumer shows that they're willing to pay the oil company's price, then there won't be much of a shake-up. But, they're still CAFE compliance to worry about, so I see small, FI motors in our future. I don't see that being all bad though.

Instead of a V8 rumble, you'll hear more of an F1 whine.

70MACH1OWNER

GM announced today that they will be closing 4 plants in the next year or so that builds trucks and SUV's. One is in my backyard...Moraine Ohio. I believe we will all accept gas prices as they are because we have no choice. But it is hard for me to believe that any of us will continue to buy $4..$5..$6 or more dollar gas and put it in any car that gets less than 20 mpg as an average. I don't care what brand it is. And I mean as a daily driver that you put 20K miles on a year not a car that sits in the garage and gets 1500 miles put on it a year. I have a 70 Mach I that I have a tough time putting 2 tanks a year thru. I'm talking about a car you drive to work everyday.

WaltM

We did it in the '70s. After all, If you need to drive 100 miles per day, you'll do it. If you can't afford to, then an alternative would be in order (like mass transit, or even relocation).

However, If you make enough money, then the means justify the end and you'll pay what you have to.

70MACH1OWNER

You are probably right Walt. We did do it back than and we will most likely suck it up and do what we have to now.. But what will the future offerings of the big 3 turn into in the next few months or years? I look to see cars already on the drawing boards and ready for production soon to get scraped. I won't mention brands at this time!!!
Scott

karman

Years ago (1985) I made the choice to take a job that paid much less in order to have a short commute.
I lived through the '70s and understood that gas was not a god given right.
A couple of years later, I found a house in a nice neighborhood that is within walking distance to all shopping,doctors, restaurants,parks,bike trails,rivers, movie theaters etc. (even Starbucks now).
The 6000mi. a year I put on my daily driver is meaningless even at $5 a gallon ($120 a month).
My Mustang I bought as a toy and average even fewer miles, driving all I want.
My parents were born before the Great Depression and I was taught to expect the worst.
Maybe I had a negative attitude about the future, but it is paying off big time now.

70MACH1OWNER

Sounds like we have lived thru similar time Karman. I am sure you will make it thru and I know I will also. But what will the millions of people that live on less than you and I do that commute a hundred miles a day do???

tom281

They will file bankruptcy and wait for the government to bail them out. That is what most of today's generation expects.... believe me, I'm in that age group and I see people my age doing it all the time. Look at the mortgage crisis- people talk about high fuel prices because that does indeed affect everyone but also (although getting less attention now) there is a big, big number of people/families having foreclosures and losing their homes, possessions, and credit rating. Remember how powerful the credit rating is today for someone in their upper 20s/lower 30s- with out, you can't get crap unless you save up cash, which is something that my generation just DOES NOT seem to understand. You old timers know the value of a dollar not just because you worked hard to earn it, but because you knew to save it- today's generation spends it as soon as they get it, or sometimes even before they have it.

Back to topic, I'm afraid that the fuel prices will kill our beloved performance vehicles. Heck, last year I was afraid that they wouldn't even build the Camaro in '09..... Maybe that's what GM and Chrysler are hoping- their Camaros and Challengers will be a shot in the arm for them like the '05 Mustang was for Ford. But even if, tomorrow's fuel prices are going to hurt them.

2005mach1

Im 45, i own a fence buisness, i drive 100-150 miles a day. I have no choice, you go where the work is. I have 3 acres to which run a buisness on. I cant move, i cant make a profit on the house, what choice do i have...?
If i buy another [ yes i already have 1 ] truck that gets 15-20 mpg, it cant haul the trailer. I could buy another car that get 30 MPG, but it wont go to work. The main truck gets 10 MPG loaded or unloaded. It hauls 4 guys [ crew cab HD] and lunch and tools and trailer. My bid truck gets 15-20, what do you do?
Steel has gone up 100% on pipe in 11 months, and fencing has gone up an average of 50% in 2 months.
I know gas aint going down, so what is in store? Am i the only one seeing the writing on the wall or worrying too much?
By the way, the stang get 24 MMPG on the hwy, and 18 in town. 05 GT. we drive it most every day, and we live 9 Miles from town. We just go to town when we have to, severly changed our habits. How about yall?

Rob O

I think the Mustang will survive but not in its present form--I think its going to have to be lighter & work with less motor (a v-6 turbo--bring back the SVO!) if its going to make it. Big trucks are going out because of their gas mpg so they are going to have to adjust also. I plan to keep my V6 and be thankful I didn't have enough $ saved up to get the GT version I really wanted--its slower and not as flashy but goes further and still looks great.

karman

Those people will be (are) hurting and the next few years will not be easy.
That was partly what I had already learned in 1985.
I went to a job that paid HALF what I was earning. The gas savings did not justify that.
I made my goal to be able to live on minimum wage or a little more.
Yes I earn a lot more than that, but I could go down the street and work at the grocery store tomorrow and still be okay.
It is not how much you earn, but how much you keep.
IMO too many people have tried to live BEYOND their means for way too long.
The government and the banks have encouraged this behavior and not every person can think outside the box.
The people that should know better, I have little sympathy for.
The people who trusted the government and big business my heart goes out to them.

Martimus

Personally I think that these increases in fuel prices are going to help spur new technologies in vehicle propulsion systems. I suspect the writing is finally on the wall for oil and the internal combustion engine. Unless our government relents on ANWR (Arctic National Wildlife Refuge), I'm guessing that oil prices will continue to spiral as available supplies begin to decrease. Its sad to think that the days my parents used to pay 36-cents per gallon for fuel are now a distant memory.

GRAYPNY

I remember when gas was $ .25 a gallon.

70MACH1OWNER

Ohh yeah I also remember $.25/ gal gas you guys. Lordy we are getting old. How much HP will a hydrogen fueled car support? That is where I think our cars will be running on in 10 years or so.
Scott

GrnT

How many fuel shortages has this country had in history, Prices sky rocketing, Gas lines for miles. Isn't this just a repeat in history? Scare tactics to spend more on a new car that saves fuel? I know things are never going to get better and I have a good under standing of this. Save money,Spend money or go with out. War, Gas crisis, Recession, All a repeat in history.

Martimus

The trouble is that oil has always been a finite resource. We've been pumping it out of the ground for more than 100 years now. Since it forms in relatively small pockets its difficult to say exactly how much oil is left in the ground. We could have enough left for 50 years or 50,000 years.

For all any of us knows this could all be a plot by Arab Sheiks and Oil companies who hold patents to new technology motors.

dmhines

From another post ...

Mustang sales have really tanked,
May 08: 9,633
May 07: 17,478
change -44.9%
08 YTD: -31.6%

watchdevil

Ford would be absolutely stupid to kill the Stang. If necessary Ford will do what it takes to make the legend survive. It may mean a smaller lighter size with fuel efficient engines. It won't be like the 1974-78 Mustangs that were slow plodding around on antiquated structures and old technology. I feel confident if Ford must go to the extreme of smaller and more efficient they will find a way to make it look good and be a blast to drive.

Poco

We changed our habits as well.We stop at the store on the way home get what we need and stay home.We only drive our GT on the weekends and park our main cars for the weekend.Trying to find things to do at home like gardening and watching more movies are getting to be the routine now.We hardly eat out any more,maybe once every two weeks.My Stang is averaging 28-29mpg on the hiway and it is our econo car.My 06'Freestyle LTD and the wifes 04' Tuarus are getting around 25MPG hiway.I only drive posted speed limits in the GT and have slowed way down.I'm not giving up my GT though,just old driving habits.