Even as an adult the preponderance of full-sized pick-up trucks driven by people who just want to have them - I assume there are financial incentives - is preposterous. And, most drivers of them think they must back into parking spaces at grocery and retail parking lots. It’s dangerous. I see this with lots of drivers, as if it takes too much time to leave a lot when they’re ready to leave.
I had a 1990 Buick LeSabre (used) that got 30 mpg at no more than 60 mph highway. Not only could its trunk hold as much as a lot of pick-up beds, but the emissions were zilch. And power? Oh baby.
My incandescent bulbs where they are used frequently last a year and a half. That is with two lamps. I have incandescent bulbs in lamps that are used regularly, but for briefer periods that were installed over 10 years ago.
Yep, my first “car” was a thoroughly worn out '54 Ford half ton pickup truck. No radio, no AC, 223 cubic inch inline six and three-on-the-tree gear shift. Vinyl upholstered bench seat and and vacuum windshield wipers. If it were any more bare bones, you’d have to start it with a crank.
In those days, pickups weren’t the monstrosities they have become today, internet research indicates this truck had a curb weight of 3240 lb. Probably no heavier than most of the cars of that era and because trucks had heavy duty suspension, they didn’t lean and roll every time you took a corner like the cars of that era did.
Like I said, I’ve got 12 dozen 60 watt and 100 watt in storage gathering dust. Plus some used bulbs. I’ve spent over $1000 on LEDs and more to go. I like them but the gov jumped the gun and forced people into those terrible CFLs. If you want to know why no one in DC responds to you read the book “What Washington Gets Wrong”. Its about how the unelected folks in these agencies really think of the common citizen. We are morons and they know best.
I learned to drive in a '53 GMC pickup @B.L.E. and the heater was a dealer added option. The first car that I owned was a 1960 Falcon wagon with 3 on the tree that had a factory designed governor. The valves ‘floated’ at about 35 mph in second and 70 mph in 3d. My second car was a '65 Valiant that would eventually reach 85 mph, occasionally 90. But the Valiant never left me stranded and I drove it well over 100,000 miles often with my foot pressed strongly against the accelerator. I drove to New Orleans once and passed every car on the road except a Cobra that passed me like I was standing still. Those were the good ole days… for me anyway.
The “problem” with the minivan was it couldn’t replace the station wagon, with it’s full frame. Most minivan couldn’t do what a station wagon could do, pull a trailer, load plywood, etc. A job that most station wagons could do easily. And while most SUV didn’t have seats that could be easily removed they could pull a trailer, could have 4 wheel drive, it could seat 6+ people. Then add in cheaper fuel and it easy to see why the SUV became popular. Add in the greater profit for an SUV, and you have the perfect storm. High profit, less regulation, didn’t count against CAFE, could be built using existing parts, so R&D was minimal. And don’t forget how BAD minivan were, the build quality wasn’t great, they were generally under powered and UGLY in my opinion. So the minivan wasn’t a replacement for the station wagon, but with CAFE the big 3 dumped them, (small profit, and counted against CAFE) but people needed what the old station wagon could do, tow, carry more than 4-5 people, and with the SUV they found that and more.
Were you around in the 80s??? The mini-van DID REPLACE THE STATION WAGON. It’s a very well documented FACT.
The station wagon was the preferred family vehicle until the minivan. Very few station wagon owners used it for anything else then the family bus. It was the first soccer mom vehicle. And only the large station wagons could haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood. The minivan could easily haul several.
Just a few years after the Caravan was introduced they started outselling station wagons. There were very few SUVs at the time. Minivans outsold station wagons, sedans and the SUVs that were available.
By the 90s there were a lot more SUVs. They no longer drive like a truck. And again only the very large SUVs could haul a 4x8 sheet of plywood. My Pathfinders or 4Runner couldn’t. Nor any other mid size SUV that I know of. By the mid 90s they were outselling the minivan.
To sum it up. The minivan replaced the station wagon, then the SUV replaced the minivan as the preferred family vehicle.
CFLs were never mandated. But the feds did ban the manufacture of incandescent bulbs in common household wattages in the U.S.
So, what was the result? They’re all made offshore now and the price is $6.50 for a package of four instead of $1.50. Oh, and Osram closed the plant in Manchester where they made incandescent bulbs and laid off most of the employees. The site is up for “sale or lease” now.
Anyone else like the daylight colored bulbs? Bluer than standard, I like them some places and others not, have not hit the led bulbs yet except for xmas lights, still standard bulbs in my car.
The daylight LED bulbs (3400 or something) are more like florescent bulbs for the color of the light. I’ve got those in the garage but I really prefer the warmer 2400 (I think) color which is more like a standard bulb. Just couldn’t get a garage light in them. Otherwise the can lights, 60’s, and 100’s that I’ve replaced with LEDs can’t be told from the standard bulb.
I have recently seen “sample rooms” in a local big-box store that demonstrated LED bulbs with different color temperatures. Apparently they can mass produce those now. I still prefer incandescent, but I respect the preference of those who prefer LEDs. I wish the self-anointed savers-of-the-earth would show the same respect for my preferences. I suspect that if one were to dig deeply enough into the law banning the manufacture of incandescent bulbs, one would discover lobbyists at the place where the ban originated. Purchasable politicians would be there with them, only one step higher on the ethical scale. I’m just guessing, you understand.
I hear they even have LED bulbs that contain red, green, and blue LED’s in them and you can mix the three colors to make them be any color of the rainbow as well as any shade of white. Mostly these are used for decorative displays though.
Another way LED bulbs differ from incandescent is that when you dim an incandescent, the light naturally gets warmer, more reddish, like candle light. LED’s dimmed just stay the same color so when you dim one of them, it’s more like moonlight than candlelight.
Unless of course, you have one of those programmable tricolor bulbs.
