Transporting Mustang parts from our office (where products we test are received), to various shops, driveways, etc where I work on tech projects in and around Southern California, is one of the tasks that basically "comes with the job" of being Tech Editor of 5.0 Mustang and Super Fords.
Moving pieces from here to there really isn't a big deal, and I'm OK with doing it, mainly because it helps ensure that everything I need for a project is where it should be...at the time it should be there. My white, 1995 Ford F-350 (yeah, it's got a 7.3L "Powerstroke" diesel engine under the hood) serves as the our unofficial, "official truck," and it handles the hauling chores with relative ease...
I bought "Whitey" in 2004, as a replacement for my gas-powered F-350. At the time, fuel (gasoline) prices were on the rise, and I figured investing in a rig that offered better fuel mileage than a gas-powered dually, as well as more power and torque, would be a good move. Back then, diesel prices were much lower than the cost of 87-octane gasoline, too.
Fast forward to today, and the shoe has stuffed itself onto the other foot in a BIG way! Because I've got some upcoming projects that will require parts-hauling and trailer-towing, I recently had to fill Whitey's twin tanks with a total of 37 gallons of #2 diesel. One tank had about a quarter left and the other was stone-bone empty. The total cost for two full tanks of fuel almost made me pass out! A "fill-up" that once cost me about $60 when I got the truck, now totals out at...$183.00! Needless to say, that's a lot of dough, and it's very painful proof that we're currently in a bad situation, as far as our nation's economy is concerned.
The "pump shock" leads me to wonder how long we'll be able to continue paying such astronomical prices for fuel?! Diesel...premium (91- to 93-octane pump gas)...high-octane race fuel...We need to see the numbers fall, and we need to see it happen really soon. I personally would hate to live in a world where I'm no longer able to do things that I like to do, or need to do with my vehicles (especially Whitey), because I can't afford the fuel. That would be terrible.
How limited has high-fuel costs made your time behind the wheel?