So if you just came across a nice pile of cash... *Warning Long Post*

[BurningDinosaurBones]

I'm heading out west to work and get a piece of the oil sands pie. Here on the East coast of Canada that's what you do lately when you're not tied to anything and tired of your home town. A typical job for a good man in a trade pays $10/h+ higher than your highest paying job back home, plus 2x or 2.5x overtime rates and immediate full benefits, and paid living expenses, paid relocation packages, etc.

I haven't even been working in my trade since there are no jobs in my area. I've been detailing cars for the past two years to feed myself since my last job.

So if you were suddenly making approximately 20 times what you were used to making, what car would you go out and buy? I don't think I can fly my current car out there? It's not that good?

I would never buy a new car again. I bought two new cars when I first got work out of college and after I had to sell them once the money stopped I realized that buying brand new vehicles is one of the biggest wastes of money out there. I sold each for almost half of what I paid for them. I also bought a used truck in that same time period, and I got more for that than what I paid, so there it is.

I was thinking of getting a used modern version of my diesel golf, or a diesel Volvo S60, or something, but I would like like to stay away from diesel for a couple of reasons:

1. Diesel is more expensive than regular gas. I mean congrats to me if I can get 53MPG in my diesel, but a gas car at 40mpg would have a similar fuel bill/cost per km... (warning: these numbers are fudged)

2. Diesels have turbos (at least any diesel I would buy) and you shouldn't EOC a turbo vehicle. Suddenly stopping the flow of cooling lubricating oil to the turbo bearing is going to lead to failure, especially if you like to push at 97% load (diesel remember), then glide with your engine off.

I get inspired by the good folks on here that get 60+ MPG in cars like the 1992 Civic (I used to have a 93), and the Geo Metros. I've looked around my area for those civics and nearly every one of them is rusted to death, never to be revived. I've decided to avoid rust like the plague so long as I have a means to avoid it. I don't think I could bring myself to drive something like a Geo Metro, I'm just too far removed. Plus my girlfriend would think I lost it for buying an old beater when we are no longer forced to drive in an old beater.

I was looking at the used Honda CRZs. They go for 20,000-24,000 as certified pre-owned from Honda, with 120,000km power train warranties, etc. I know that they get a lot of negative criticism because they don't have as much power as an S2000 and they don't get as good an EPA mileage figure as an insight. They are stuck somewhere in between. However I have seen reports of drivers (hypermilers) reaching 60MPG in these new CRZs, and in my opinion, these little cars have a hell of a lot more street appeal/better looks than most other economy cars available today. I've always liked Hondas, and I've owned a few of their classic and new cars and bikes over the years and liked them all. So it is my natural tendancy to look at this CRZ.

Now, tell me what you would buy if you wanted to maximize your fuel economy in a somewhat modern kind of way? What if you were looking for 60+MPG? Do I really have to get a Prius? Or a Metro?

Sorry for the gigantic post folks, I was just going to ask a simple question.. honest...

[jakobnev]

If you guys get four seat CRZs go for it.

[HydroJim]

Honda CRZ for sure. I can't think of a better mix between MPG, looks, and performance.

[FXSTi]

Get a diesel. Assuming you will be working on the rigs you will want a diesel truck. The lease roads are usually a mess, so getting in and out often requires a 4X4.

Why diesel? Everything on a oil rig is run off diesel (off road diesel) and it is not uncommon for rig hands to borrow a bit for personal use. Just don't get caught running down the road on untaxed fuel. Unless Canada is much more strict, you are not likely to get your fuel tested in a personal vehicle.

Whatever you buy, make it somewhat disposable. The roads are hell on the cars or trucks, and the industry is boom and bust.

Kirk

[drmiller100]

I'd build a trike with a honda power plant which weighed 1000 pounds and was half the size of a civic, but looked cool.........

oh wait.

that is what I'm doing!!!!!

[Ladogaboy]

Originally Posted by BurningDinosaurBones

So if you were suddenly making approximately 20 times what you were used to making, what car would you go out and buy? I don't think I can fly my current car out there? It's not that good?

I would fly my current car out there. Why would I have it if I didn't want it?

Originally Posted by BurningDinosaurBones

2. Diesels have turbos (at least any diesel I would buy) and you shouldn't EOC a turbo vehicle. Suddenly stopping the flow of cooling lubricating oil to the turbo bearing is going to lead to failure, especially if you like to push at 97% load (diesel remember), then glide with your engine off.

This is a myth. It used to be that turbos were cooled only by oil flow, so when the engine was shut off, the turbo would stop receiving coolant. That is why so many aftermarket companies sold turbotimers. The timer would keep the car running at low load to cycle oil and cool the turbo before engine shutdown.

As I understand it, current turbos are cooled by both the engine oil and the regular coolant system, so they will continue to cool even after engine shutdown. As one person so aptly put it, "These cars come from factory with this turbo.The manufacturers know that morons will not continue to let their cars idle prior to shutdown, even if instructed to do so. So, if these cars actually required a turbotimer, wouldn't they come with one from the factory?"

[MetroMPG]

Congrats on the new job!

If you don't buy a brand new 4x4 pickup -- whether you need one or not -- then jack it up and slap giant aftermarket Tonka wheels on it, you won't fit in around Fort McMoney!

Originally Posted by BurningDinosaurBones

I've looked around my area for those civics and nearly every one of them is rusted to death, never to be revived. I've decided to avoid rust like the plague so long as I have a means to avoid it.

Keep in mind that western vehicles are exposed to a lot less salt (or none at all), so the used market is a lot more solid (pardon the pun). I saw some real gems in BC and across the praries on a recent trans-Canada road trip (got back last week).

Now, tell me what you would buy if you wanted to maximize your fuel economy in a somewhat modern kind of way? What if you were looking for 60+MPG? Do I really have to get a Prius?

So why not just get a newer (but used) Golf TDI? A Prius is definitely a lot of fun to drive too (in that nerdy way).

Glad to hear you're planning to go used, anyway. So many people blow their new, higher incomes on even more debt. You've got a golden chance to bank a pile of money while you're still used to living a certain (modest) lifestyle. By all means, treat yourself a little, but keep living below your means and bank as much as you can (or pay off debt)! Squirrel it away for things that really matter.

[BurningDinosaurBones]

Originally Posted by Ladogaboy

I would fly my current car out there. Why would I have it if I didn't want it?



This is a myth. It used to be that turbos were cooled only by oil flow, so when the engine was shut off, the turbo would stop receiving coolant. That is why so many aftermarket companies sold turbotimers. The timer would keep the car running at low load to cycle oil and cool the turbo before engine shutdown.

As I understand it, current turbos are cooled by both the engine oil and the regular coolant system, so they will continue to cool even after engine shutdown. As one person so aptly put it, "These cars come from factory with this turbo.The manufacturers know that morons will not continue to let their cars idle prior to shutdown, even if instructed to do so. So, if these cars actually required a turbotimer, wouldn't they come with one from the factory?"

My current car is one of those rust nightmares that I spoke of. It can stay back home for when I return for vacations .

Interesting! This is the first that I've heard that turbos on newer vehicles are cooled by engine coolant as well as engine oil, but it does not change my opinion of P&G with the turbo. When you turn the engine off, the engine coolant stops, and the engine oil stops. Therefore there is still no coolant from either source when you shut it down. Normal drivers will calmly reach their destination and shut of their turbo car, 2-4 times per day. Nothing wrong with that. Myself on the other hand will push the car at pretty much wide open throttle (note the BSFC maps for TDi Engines) for 3 seconds, shut the engine off, coast for 10-20, then restart and repeat. I might do this 200 times during a commute. This would cook the oil into the bearing and cause "coking". The coking results in a blockage in the bearing race/oil line leading to reduced and eventually stopped oil flow to the bearing, causing a complete failure of the turbo. Not worth the saved fuel cost. Now all that being said, there may very well be people out there driving in this way with turbos/turbo diesels that haven't killed their turbos, just out of luck I suppose. (I don't shut my engine down in my diesel, I just let it idle during the glide stage, it's 20 years old after all and barely road worthy).

One exception that I know of is with a ball bearing turbo, that requires no oil or cooling. These are much more expensive than oil bearing turbos and therefore not installed oem on any vehicles with turbochargers, AFAIK. This would be worry free P&G territory, unfortunately not financially feasible.

As a note on turbo timers, my understanding was that these are designed for people who take something like a Honda Civic with a tiny B18C engine and install a monsterized aftermarket turbo system and max out their engine tuning to get 300+ HP out of them. In this case there has been no multi-million dollar company engineering them to run properly with day to day operation, and they DO need to idle for a minute or two to cool the turbo down, especially in the drag racing/track environment in which they are used. Now take that baby through town and have to stop and sit in your car and idle for 1.5 minutes every time you get gas, smokes, take out, etc and you will be glad to spend some cash on a turbo timer to do the waiting for you.

If there was a theoretical electric oil/coolant pump that would remain on when I switched the engine off, that could be a blessing.

Still none of this addresses the fact that diesel costs 10 cents/Liter more in my area. Which is causing me to lean strongly in the gas engine direction, even though I have a soft spot for diesels.

[BurningDinosaurBones]

Originally Posted by FXSTi

Get a diesel. Assuming you will be working on the rigs you will want a diesel truck. The lease roads are usually a mess, so getting in and out often requires a 4X4.

Why diesel? Everything on a oil rig is run off diesel (off road diesel) and it is not uncommon for rig hands to borrow a bit for personal use. Just don't get caught running down the road on untaxed fuel. Unless Canada is much more strict, you are not likely to get your fuel tested in a personal vehicle.

Whatever you buy, make it somewhat disposable. The roads are hell on the cars or trucks, and the industry is boom and bust.

Kirk

This is an interesting suggestion and I will have to look into this. I was under the impression that the ride to my workplace would be a highway, and then to a big parking lot outside a gas plant/refinery. I will take a closer look at google maps to inspect the area.

[BurningDinosaurBones]

Originally Posted by drmiller100

I'd build a trike with a honda power plant which weighed 1000 pounds and was half the size of a civic, but looked cool.........

oh wait.

that is what I'm doing!!!!!

Sounds like a sweet project! Do you have a thread on it?

How many survival suits would I have to wear to drive one around in -50 winters?