Why are ReTHUGS against electric cars

[diesel driver]

400 lb max load capacity (including fuel and engine fluids).....Engine:  3 cyl, 1.0 L, 71 HP, 33 mpg hwy (which sucks for its size)

doc

I had a 1993 Geo Metro with a 1.0L, TBI, 3-cylinder engine.  I think it was rated at 60hp, but with the 5-speed manual, it got 45 MPG, and pulled hills quite nicely, rarely having to take it out of 5th on the highway.

Had to put a clutch and head gasket on it when I got it.  Little 7 inch job that cost more than the one for my diesel pickup!  Head gasket was $60 (2 for a V-8 Chevy is under $30).

Had to sell it because it was getting almost impossible to find 12 inch tires for it, and I didn't want to spend the money to upgrade to 13 inch rims.

[miskie]

I had a 1993 Geo Metro with a 1.0L, TBI, 3-cylinder engine.  I think it was rated at 60hp, but with the 5-speed manual, it got 45 MPG, and pulled hills quite nicely, rarely having to take it out of 5th on the highway.

Had to put a clutch and head gasket on it when I got it.  Little 7 inch job that cost more than the one for my diesel pickup!  Head gasket was $60 (2 for a V-8 Chevy is under $30).

Had to sell it because it was getting almost impossible to find 12 inch tires for it, and I didn't want to spend the money to upgrade to 13 inch rims.

My brother had a Geo Metro - we would often carpool to work together in it. Considering I am 6 ft tall and he is something like 6'4 it usually resembled people entering/exiting a clown car. Since we both had reputations as a pair of jokers, it was somewhat appropriate.

[diesel driver]

My brother had a Geo Metro - we would often carpool to work together in it. Considering I am 6 ft tall and he is something like 6'4 it usually resembled people entering/exiting a clown car. Since we both had reputations as a pair of jokers, it was somewhat appropriate.

I'm 6'2", but that thing had a lot of leg and head room for it's size.  We always had trouble with the driver side window coming out of the channel, and the door key wouldn't work in that door, either.  We had to unlock the passenger door, then reach thru to unlock the driver door. 

I have a '93 Buick that's the same way, but it has electric door locks.  Nicer still is the switch that unlocks the doors ONLY WORKS on the passenger side.   

[miskie]

We always had trouble with the driver side window coming out of the channel, and the door key wouldn't work in that door, either.  We had to unlock the passenger door, then reach thru to unlock the driver door. 

That was my '82 Plymouth TC3 -  it came with a VW Scirocco 4 cyl engine and matching 4 Spd manual transmission. It was a real fun little car to own. Unfortunately for me, It was done up in Rusty Jones rustproofing and the vehicle disintegrated. One day, the spare tire was on the ground because it fell through the storage well in the trunk.

[TVDOC]

I had a 1993 Geo Metro with a 1.0L, TBI, 3-cylinder engine.  I think it was rated at 60hp, but with the 5-speed manual, it got 45 MPG, and pulled hills quite nicely, rarely having to take it out of 5th on the highway.

Had to put a clutch and head gasket on it when I got it.  Little 7 inch job that cost more than the one for my diesel pickup!  Head gasket was $60 (2 for a V-8 Chevy is under $30).

Had to sell it because it was getting almost impossible to find 12 inch tires for it, and I didn't want to spend the money to upgrade to 13 inch rims.

We bought one of those in '85 for our daughter's college graduation gift (it was called the Chevrolet Sprint then, manufactured by Isuzu).  Driven at 65 on the highway, it would routinely deliver 50 mpg, and she drove it for ten years before passing it down to our youngest son. 

We had to replace the clutch (twice) and transmission (50 bucks from a junkyard), but it had over 120,000 on it when it finally rusted to the point where I determined that it wasn't safe.  My son gave it to his girlfriend's father who welded scab plates over the rust, and drove it some more........

Since I only paid $5k for it new, and the kids drove it 15 years total, it wasn't a bad investment.......

doc

[Kyle Ricky]

They should give those smart cars the title of rollscanhardley. Yeah, it rolls down one hill and can hardly make it up the next.  

[JohnnyReb]

They should give those smart cars the title of rollscanhardley. Yeah, it rolls down one hill and can hardly make it up the next.  

They probably go up hill OK.....truck driver hardly even knows he's pushing it. Unless he's driving a cabover, he won't even see it.

[diesel driver]

We bought one of those in '85 for our daughter's college graduation gift (it was called the Chevrolet Sprint then, manufactured by Isuzu).  Driven at 65 on the highway, it would routinely deliver 50 mpg, and she drove it for ten years before passing it down to our youngest son. 

We had to replace the clutch (twice) and transmission (50 bucks from a junkyard), but it had over 120,000 on it when it finally rusted to the point where I determined that it wasn't safe.  My son gave it to his girlfriend's father who welded scab plates over the rust, and drove it some more........

Since I only paid $5k for it new, and the kids drove it 15 years total, it wasn't a bad investment.......

doc

Suzuki made the Metro.  This one we bought for my step-son in 2002.  It had 130,000 when we bought it.  The guy wanted $1,400 for it, but it needed a clutch.  I got it for $800.

Believe it or not, they made a turbo-charged version of it.  Now THAT'S what I would have wanted!   

[JohnnyReb]

Back in the 80's, I met a fellow from Chicago camping in the Keys. He had towed a diesel powered Chevette down there for his kids to drive while they were there. He owned a dry cleaning business and had a fleet of 13 of those things...he loved them. He said they all had over 300,000 miles on them and had given very few problems. GM had quit making them and he was worried about what he was going to replace them with.

I think they had castiron 4 cylinder engines made by Isuzu.

[BlueStateSaint]

Back in the 80's, I met a fellow from Chicago camping in the Keys. He had towed a diesel powered Chevette down there for his kids to drive while they were there. He owned a dry cleaning business and had a fleet of 13 of those things...he loved them. He said they all had over 300,000 miles on them and had given very few problems. GM had quit making them and he was worried about what he was going to replace them with.

I think they had castiron 4 cylinder engines made by Isuzu.

IIRC, they got some ridiculously-high mileage numbers--around 50 mpg.