FORD 7700 Propane Truck

[bowtieguy]

the state of florida requested a local shop here to install a jasper replacement motor in a USDA vehicle. the vehicle is a 2003 chevy blazer w/ 200k+ miles. way to go governor Scott!

[trollbait]

I'm a little confused. How does Florida get a say in what happens to a federal vehicle?

[bowtieguy]

good catch...it was an FDA(florida dept of agriculture) vehicle.

[trollbait]

While CNG/propane makes sense for a fleet vehicles, does it make sense to convert a vehicle with 200k+ miles? Does it even make sense for them to even hold onto the such a vehicle? At that mileage, upkeep can become more of a burden. Which may still work out in an individual's financial favor, but for a fleet, the salary of the technician is a factor.

Great for Florida to clean up, and reduce cost of their fleet, but why not a newer vehicle? It, presumably, will have a longer service life to defray the conversion costs.

[bowtieguy]

the governor here, like many around the nation, realizes that politics as usual(and the subsequent ill advised waste and spending) MUST come to an end.

he's also the first governor to mandate, much to the she grin of the ACLU, drug testing for welfare recipients. others are beginning that legislative process as we speak i understand. in addition(again like other governors), he's trumping the teacher's union to focus on budget and education...as in the students' best interest. imagine that!

yup, he's got a shady past. but, what better way to make us forget than to put the state in TRUE financial order. as a gassavers.org member and a responsible consumer/tax payer, i like it...tho it will cause some growing pains!

as for the "repaired vehicle," not sure the specs, but i imagine a new one would cost at least 6 times that of replacing the motor. besides remember the rule of 3...body, drivetrain, and interior. this is EXACTLY what i've been preaching...all levels of govt should budget like individuals!

[trollbait]

If it needed a new engine and they decided to fix it anyway, then fine, but it is a vehicle seeing 25,000+ miles a year. With the miles already racked up, how much longer before it needs another major repair?

Yes, new will cost more right now(and Chevy even has factory CNG/propane engines in some vehicles), but what of the fuel and maintenance savings from using the CNG over the vehicle's first 200,000+ miles?

One, old vehicle converted sounds more like political posturing.