Newer fuels just no good

Dear editor,

Ted Cruz' Iowa victory hit a "bonus chord" with me as well. As a classic car collector, stopping ethanol subsidies would be just fine, since it is not only detrimental to performance and fuel economy, but has been proven to cause corrosion in fuel tanks, fuel lines and carburetor components. Some boat owners have really found ethanol to be costly.

Made partly from corn, it has also lessened remaining supplies each year for food use, which has most likely added some cost at the supermarkets. I've always believed ethanol is just one more attempt to force old cars off the road to further promote this green, "cookie-cutter" agenda.

Not content with dropping lead & octane in the mid 70's, forcing Detroit to radically change engine building from performance to economy, in recent years we've had ethanol pushed upon us as well. Newer cars, which have gotten smaller and cheaper (except in price) have been made specifically to run on today's unleaded, low octane ethanol gas. (Who really cares about "throw-away cars" anyway, eh?)

Not everybody today is into overpriced computerized plastic on 4 wheels. Some of us out here still drive real iron that was built to last. In I969, I ran my '57 Chevy on 106 octane straight from Richfield pumps (now ARCO). 38 cents per gallon all day long. TODAY, whenever I top-off my '56 Oldsmobile, I'm paying 7 to 8 times as much for only 91 octane, PLUS, a bottle of octane boost if I want it to run right, lead substitute to protect those large 50's valves & valve seats, and an anti-ethanol additive to fight fuel system corrosion.

My old VW's, which are known for economy, do not get the gas mileage on today's gasoline that they are normally capable of, and I keep those little suckers tuned up. When you get less gas mileage, you're obviously burning more OF it. So where are you saving anything? Plus it's corrosive to fuel systems without additives to fight it.

Why should our tax dollars be SUBSIDIZING this stuff? That idiot IOWA governor specifically attacked Cruz for wanting to STOP that tax waste. The more I know about Ted, the better I like him.

The added costs will never stop me from driving what I choose to drive. Obama wants us all in "electric" cars, although he and his two jumbo jets are steadily flying around the world on vacations, and the last time I saw HIS limo, it didn't appear to be a "hybrid." Also, do a little research of what sort of carbon footprint Al "climate change' Gore puts out.

Of course, there really ARE two sets of "standards" in this country, aren't there?

-- Mike Bradbury, Mountain Home