Sales Of Gas-Guzzling V-8 Cars, Trucks Decline

With gas prices at record levels, many people are looking to get rid of the V-8 gas guzzling car, truck or SUV.

Problem is, some dealers either don't want them at all or will pay you next to nothing in a trade.

Some people may continue to insist on a V-8 truck or car, depending on how they use them, but consumers should not expect to get much money for their V-8 trade because of the decrease in demand.

Lash has been buying and selling cars for years, and $4 per gallon gas is changing the landscape.

"We probably at least had 40 to 50 percent trucks and SUVs, but now everyone's looking for gas mileage," Lash said.

Lash said he's heard that some places are not taking in V-8s because they can't take them in if they can't resell them.

"When I go to the auction, when a V-8 hits the floor nobody even bids on it," Lash said.

At the Holler group, they're still taking V-8s on trade, but not at prices consumers would've expected a few months back.

"Holler is still selling the V8s, just more of the smaller cars. Nationwide, the trade-in value has gone down, but we are still accepting them as trade-ins," Jill Frederiksen of Holler Automotive said.

She said people still want the larger more powerful vehicles to pull boats and travel trailers.

Several trucks will be going to auction so they can be shipped overseas.

Officials said there seems to be a market there for the more powerful trucks.
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Heavy equipment parts maker doubles plant size

Dura-Tuff Wear Products LLC, a local manufacturer of grouser bars and finishing edges for heavy equipment used in construction and mining, has almost doubled the size of its manufacturing plant.

Formerly located at 5079 W. 2100 S., West Valley City, the firm has taken occupancy of roughly 15,300 square feet at 3005 S. 1030 W., South Salt Lake.

Approximately 20 years old, Dura-Tuff was formed by West Valley City-based Wheeler Machinery and acquired roughly five years ago by Sandy-based GH Peterson Holdings.

Dura-Tuff manufactures grouser bars and a product for backhoes called the SwitchBlade.

Grouser bars, an undercarnage part found on crawlerdozers, are used to replace treads on tracked vehicles when, they have become worn, said Carey Van Orden, chief marketing officer at GH Peterson Holdings.

"We get the steel in bars and then heat-treat it at our facility, then straighten the bar and cut it to length and ship it to dealerships worldwide," she said. Dura-Tuff carries grouser bars that fit tracked machinery manufactured by the likes of Case, Caterpillar, John Deere, Kobelco, Komatsu, Sumitomo and Volvo.

The finishing edge product for backhoes that is manufactured by Dura-Tuff is known in the industry as SwitchBlade. The bucket attachment is designed for those who want to create a clean trench floor or a straight edge finish.

"Normally what they do is weld on a bar, but that takes two hours and then you have to cut it off when it's done," Van Orden said. "Ours is a bolt-on edge so you can interchange it with the teeth very easily. It's good for finishing a construction floor or trenching."

Van Orden said Dura-Tuff presently employs a total of about 15 people at its South Salt Lake manufacturing plant and Sandy sales office, but hopes to increase staff as it begins manufacturing additional products.

Dura-Tuff ships its products to heavy equipment dealerships in the United States, Canada, Mexico, Chile, Russia, Africa, China, Australia, Singapore and Indonesia. The firm leased its new manufacturing space with the assistance of Tom Dischmann and Andy Blunt of CB Richard Ellis.

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