A thought I have been having a lot lately, as I am constantly looking at diesel pickups on the highway, the seemingly ever increasing number of VW TDI's. I know two ladies at work (out of 150 workers at my office) that are driving diesels and NOT because of their men, but based upon there own rationale of miles driven, longevity etc. Went to meeting in KC the other day and the presenter travels all over the state etc, what was she driving? a TDI. Class started late as we were dealing with more "important" things.

Here is the question, what if WE get what we want and more and more diesels hit the streets?
I like the exclusivity of my diesel, the special nod from W123, W124, W126's etc. WE all know WE are somehow smarter etc.

This latest article made me finally voice my "concern"...
http://www.dieselforum.org/where-is-diesel/cars-trucks-suvs/other-diesel-vehicles-coming-soon/

Will this really be as much fun if "everybody" gets into it?

Or will I have to rebuild that 1950 Chevy Deluxe Convertible my dad customized with Cadillac fins in 1950 that all the "old car club guys" keep coming by to ask about every few years, offering cash (and something about their left n#t)? It has not been out in 35 years.

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raMBow

1999 E300DT Obsydian Black Metallic, Heated Full Leather Parchment options, E2, K2, 136,000+, best 36.5 mpg - GP's 12-04 & 11-12 Zero Stuck
2010 Honda Odyssey - The BrideMobile - best 26.5
(2) 2005 Honday Accord- (1 -Corporate 1 - Personal) - 110,000 4-cyl 30mpg
2000 VW Golf GLS TDI, Upsolute Chip (sold to Brother, now 300+k on it) 48.5 mpg like clock work
1987 Honda CRX HF - Sold 87,000 always over 50 mpg Max 67 mpg

well there were a finite # of 123 and 126 MB's made, so there will always be that exclusivity. the more popular the diesel becomes, hopefully the lower the price of the fuel. perhaps the more widespread the production of lower cost bio-diesel will become.
that said, if I REALLY want to stand out, I can always freshen up a nice Model A ford and drive that...

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John HAUL AWAY, OR CRUSHED CARS!!! HELP ME keep the cars out of the crusher! A/C Thread
"as I ride with my a/c on... I have fond memories of sweaty oily saturdays and spewing R12 into the air. THANKS for all you do!

My drivers:
1987 190D 2.5Turbo
1987 560SL convertible
1987 190D 2.5-5SPEED!!!

1987 300TD
2005 Dodge Sprinter 2500 158"WB
1994GMC 2500 6.5Turbo truck... I had to put the ladder somewhere!

Diesel will always be a nitch. The general public doesn't really like them, or care. Not to mention the US and most state gov's would love to outright ban them.

With all the emissions crap the new Bluetech's have to go through, compared to the advanced direct injection gas engines...the advantages are pretty small. Mileage is slightly better, but the huge upfront premium negates any cost savings for a long time.

Maintaince and longevity are a wash. A good MB gas engine will run just as long as a MB diesel, more so these days.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Diesels will start looking better when biofuels get more volume. An ethanol car is going to get 1/2 the fuel mileage the same biodiesel car will.

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'83 240D with 617.952 and 2.88
'01 VW Beetle TDI
'05 Jeep Liberty CRD
'89 Toyota 4x4, needs 2L-T
'78 280Z with L28ET - 12.86@110
Oil Burner Kartel #35

http://i16.photobucket.com/albums/b1...oD/bioclip.jpg

I remember I've read somewhere that if 1/3rd of all the pick ups/trucks/suvs in the US were running diesel the US wouldn't need the oil produced from Iraq.

So far in the US there isn't a good enough reason to buy a diesel. Fuel over there is cheap. Once it starts getting more expensive then people will start seeing the reason of having a diesel.

From an economics point of view, with the increase in demand there will be an increase in price. Hope you're right, but I doubt it.

For the same car, with the same power, the difference is not slightly better. Also for day to day driving you don't need hp, but torque. A petrol engine needs to be pretty large to have the torque of a diesel, and still will have it at high rpms, and not at 1600-2000 rpm.

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1992 Mercedes 190D 2.5 turbo 5sp manual. EGT+boost gauges. Boost controller set to ~14.5 psi. 1 1/4 turns on full load adjustment. LPG injection. Next in the list is water injection.

Currently, we import refined gasolene from Europe, they have a surplus because of the higher diesel demand.

There is a finite percentage band that our refineries can adjust vis-vis the gas/diesel ratio for each barrel processed. And it's not a large swing.

We are just not set up supply-wise for a large jump in diesel consumption. Perhaps bio-diesel can fill in some of the shortfall, but like the electric car, bio-diesel still requires a source for the energy input.

Have you noticed the ripple effect ethonal has had on every product that uses corn? Bought milk lately?

Diesel demand up and price down? Not bloody likely.....

I'm a long time Benz diesel driver, and my truck and tractor are diesel also, but I'm not seeing the former economics for driving a diesel vs gas car that I used to. Truck and tractor, yes, but car, no.....

Jim

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14 E250 BlueTEC black. 45k miles
95 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 66k miles
94 E320 Cabriolet Emerald green 152k miles
85 300TD 4 spd man, euro bumpers and lights, 15" Pentas dark blue 274k miles

When anyone asks about my diesel MBs, I always tell them that diesel on the skin and diesel fumes cause cancer.

Then I open up the hood and let them catch a nice whiff of diesel.

Hopefully I'm depressing the local market and prices will go back down.



Ken300D

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1982 300D at 351K miles
1984 300SD at 217K miles
1987 300D at 370K miles

I ran into a guy that bought two Jetta TDI's one for him and one for his wife.

One thing mainstrem people that buy diesels forget is this...They need to be run on the highyway, not used for 5 min to work and back.

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RRGrassi


70's Southern Pacific #5608 Fairmont A-4 MOW car

13 VW JSW 2.0 TDI 193K, Tuned with DPF and EGR Delete.

99 W210 E300 Turbo Diesel, chipped, DPF/Converter Delete. Still needs EGR Delete, 232K

90 Dodge D250 5.9 Cummins/5 speed. 400K

Gone and still missed...1982 w123 300D, 1991 w124 300D

Yeah, I should've looked into that a little bit more when I bought my 240D. It doess "okay" in the city (~20 mpg) but I know it can do a lot better, if I was taking it on longer trips more than once or twice a week.

I'm figuring that I'll set up a "remote start" for the fuel line heaters once I go to a 2-Tank WVO setup, so I can switch the car onto WVO before I leave my apartment complex and not use much diesel at all. That'll at least mitigate bad fuel economy a little.

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1983 Mercedes-Benz 240D
Automatic, A/C, Power Sunroof, Power Right Side Mirror
231K Miles FOR SALE MAKE OFFER

It will be a long time if ever before diesels become as popular and widespread as gassers. Diesels are projected to increase their share of the market to about 10-15% in the next 20 years or so, and perhaps even overtake hybrids, but 15% is still a small percentage. I don't mind if more people drive diesels, in fact if more people drove smaller cars in general, gasser or diesel, I'd feel a little safer on the roads.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL

How many people you know that has a W115 turbodiesel?

That said, people here want huge cars and V engines... so they can take them and their 64oz cups to be refilled on the gas station 2 blocks down, leaving the engine on to keep the ac running. A girl I know in Belgium has a 1L turbodiesel car. She is quite happy with it.

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Your TACH may have a loose connection...I was wondering why your mechanic would be dead one minute then flopping around the next... PanzerSD

i am inspired. i will replace my windsheild... with an intercooler. swedishK

You also have to remember that some people shouldn't drive diesels period.

Take my mom for example, she drives maybe 5k-6k miles a year, mostly 5 minute or around the block trips. Talk about soot buildup! You would kill a diesel with that kind of service. She drove my SD for a bit and OMFG it built up soot, the thing never got to warm up in the winter. She probably never got it above 60C.

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2016 Corvette Stingray 2LT
1969 280SE
2023 Ram 1500
2007 Tiara 3200

Damn straight we're smarter. 30 mpg around town with basically a full size car, and 36 on the hwy? Count me in.

Get used to more diesels coming, Honda Accord has one coming out in 2010, just 3 years away, 62 mpg on the hwy.

That should make some Arabs mad!

jeff

Certainly the Accord won't get 62 miles per US gallon. Maybe imperial gallon.

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2004 VW Jetta TDI (manual)

Past MB's: '96 E300D, '83 240D, '82 300D, '87 300D, '87 420SEL