I saw your thread right after you put it up and started pecking away on my little Amazon Fire tablet that I use when I am reading in bed when I first get up. By the time I posted I saw there were like 60 other posts ahead of mine. So I said to my wife I wished that I hadn't bothered you. But you are very gracious getting back to me.
My wife has spent the last fifteen years or so setting up displays honoring our military at various types of events so we use vans and covered utility trailers for that. We also have been working on fixing up a couple of houses in a fairly heavy duty way, so they come in very handy for that as well. The Astro replaced an aging Ford Aerostar which replaced an aging Dodge 3/4 ton van with a 318 v8.
The Astro despite being an Auction vehicle from the state is very deluxe and quite comfortable. Surprisingly, the Dodge was just about as fuel efficient. It was a 1978 and had no air pollution control equipment and the 318 was an exceptionally fuel efficient engine.
None of this is a fair comparison to you Prius cars. We have a 2006 Dodge Stratus with a V6 which gets crappy mileage not even quite as good as your 25mpg comparison vehicle, and it costs a small fortune to insure because it goes like a bat out of hell when you hit the gas. So part of the problem is the way that I drive it. But we only paid $2000 for it at another state auction and it is a very good looking car. Actually every vehicle we have owned for the last 30 years has come from an auction. So it limits our choices a bit.
We had the same fuel filter issue as your friend with our Astro. It started running like crap going up hills and getting even worse fuel economy than normal. I do secretly envy you guys who are getting by on less than half the fuel as most of the rest of us.
Astro Van! A fine choice!
HO,HO,HO!!!
I GOT IT!
For some reason, my friends old Astro van was stuck in my head! I had to know what year it was that he showed me the worn-out plugs???
I used to have an exceptional memory, but somewhere between retirement, being run over on my bike and being a septuagenarian...??? Gone.
I could recall the conversation, who was there but not the timeframe??? I would roll over at night and think of it.
Early this AM it hit!!!
We also discussed the ‘Brown’s Chicken Murders’, a victim lived in the immediate area.
1993!
I believe it is good to work out memories.
Now if only I can remember if I fed the dogs this morning?
Every time I ask them they always say no!!!
And we are running out of dog food?
Thanks for the help.