I have just bought a LandRover Discovery 3.5Ltr V8, petrol. It does about 12 miles per gallon!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am seriously looking into getting it converted now that the local Shell garage sells it.
Has anyone converted their car or do you know someone who has?
Did you look into it and decide against it, if so why?
I know it will cost around £1,500 but I should recoup that fairly quickly (a year to 18 months).
The car is NOT eligible for the 80% government grant sadly.
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A mate of mine has had his Jag gassed and swears by it.
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As pointed out in Top Gear, the government have promised to keep the tax low (zero?) for a set period that expires soon (in year or two?). So you are gambling that they will not decide to tap a new source of revenue for Greedy Gordon.
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That's exactly what they did the last time round and why LPG faded away in the UK. It would be criminal to pull the same stunt again (or should be criminal).
HJ
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The level of tax on LPG is set by the EU, Gordon 'Grabber' Brown cannot touch tax levels on LPG for a few years yet hence his inability to increase duty on it.
As for as the LR V8, this is the ex-Buick V8 and a Rover stalwart from 1967 onwards (originally it powered Buick's in the late 1950's). This engine is a legend to anyone that's owned one. It can be converted to LPG but you'll experience the customary 20% mpg reduction but at around 35p/litre you can't go wrong.
If you want more info on this engine, check these people out, what they do not know about the Rover v8 isn't worth knowing. They do LPG conversions for this engine amongst other things. ;)
www.rpiv8.com
Check out that V8 sound on the homepage ;)
Incidentally, piece of trivia, the engine plate on a LR V8 will fit a 1967 Rover P5B.
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Brown has pulled the same trick with both biodiesel and biopetrol, i.e. announced a great-sounding cut in duty which is not quite enough to make it commercially viable.
Result: Brownie points with the environmental lobby but no change in tax revenues.
Personally, I would be willing to consider a gas vehicle, but only when there is a national infrastructure of refuelling points on a par with the petrol station network.
If the Government is serious about getting us to change over, establishing that infrastructure is where their (i.e. our) money needs to be directed.
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Don't know if I would class myself as a member of the environmental lobby or not - clean, green and above all sensible, is my approach. However, if I am a member, then I'd like to state for the record that I was completely underwhelmed by the 20% cut in duty on biodiesel - no "brownie" points from me. If CO2 figures are the basis for cutting fuel duty, then biodiesel should be taxed lower than LPG because it's a virtually closed system for CO2 - biodiesel is normally derived from plants, which absorb CO2 from the air as they grow. So even though tailpipe emissions from LPG are lower than from biodiesel, net CO2 increase in the atmosphere is negligible when burning biodiesel. Yet biodiesel is only one or two pence a litre cheaper than derv. Thanks, Gordon.
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Go for it. It's a no-brainer with a gas-guzzler. I converted my jeep 4 litre a few weeks ago. No problems and I don't notice the difference, despite the supposed loss of power. I think with a big engine you rarely use anywhere near full power anyway.
I've never had a problem getting lpg, there are plenty of garages stock it now, and several more added every week. A list is available if you do a search on 'autogas'.
The tax on lpg is approx 6p per litre, even if it was doubled (unlikely) it would still be worth it. The emissions on my jeep are also much less.
The only downside is the need (on my vehicle) to change the plugs every 10k miles. Note that they also have a different gap setting.
But definitely go to an installer who is a member of the LPGA and is an approved installer under the govenmant scheme. Also consider paying extra for underfloor tanks, don't take up all your load area.
I have also anecdotal evidence, from looking at adverts and from the installer who also sells converted vehicles, that it puts about £1000 on the value of a 4x4, if the tank is an underfloor one. The place that did my jeep certainly has no trouble shifting converted vehicles at a premium price.
If you get a quality installation, do a reasonable mileage and keep your vehicle for a year or two, you can't lose.
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Two minor downsides:
a) you can't use the channel tunnel shuttle
b) you get stopped before going through some tunnels (e.g. the Tyne Tunnel I think?) as they consider you a hazardous load. However what they think a tank full of petrol is then I don't know!
mike
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Hi John,
I have a Maserati Twinturbo that i have had converted to Lpg gas go to www.go-lpg.co.uk and you will see the conversion pics under Maserati on left side.
The runs absolutely fine there is a power loss but not by very much that it'd bother you, what might bother you is that you can join the Shropshire lpg drivers club and join their Vaporiser club for a one off £10 set up fee you get a key and from then on you pay(.30p a liter) £1.36p a gallon sound nice?? As far as outlets of Lpg there are around 1200 or more around the country, i live near Bristol and there are 10 stations in Bristol alone there is absolutely no problem at all. Before this car i had a Twin turbo Jaguar that i had converted to Lpg that was fitted with a cheaper older style of Lpg system fitted as that was the current system at that time, now your Land Rover can be fitted with this system it should not cost anymore than about £500-650 . The type of system you want is an "Open Loop" type , there are various makes, another place to visit is www.lpgforum.co.uk here you can contact people who may have the same type of Land Rover that you own , perhaps find out if they have had any problems also the average cost for these type of vehicle. As for the other comment that you cannot travel through the Channel Tunnel thats correct but you can use the ferry, also i'd like to make it compulsary that all Asylum seekers are fitted with lpg tanks onto there backs in France ...maybe that will stop them!
John the only regret you may have is that yopu did not do it sooner !!
Good luck
TT
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Hi TT,
I'm not bothered by not being able to go through the Channel Tunnel, as I've never been through it anyway.
I'm definitely going to go ahead. Can you tell me a bit more about the older style system? I have been quoted £1200 + VAT which was the cheaper option by having the tank in the boot. Obviously £500 to £650 sounds very tempting.
Someone I work with worked out for every 10,000 miles I do I will save £500 compared with petrol!!
Cheers
John
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Hello John,
The "open Loop" Lpg system is a very basic one, as i said in the last post best go to the lpg Forum and ask for a few quotes from people in your area. As yours is a pretty straight forward conversion try to find someone in your region also when on the list ask for recomendations from people who have the same car as yours and who converted there's and price.
This fella knows a lot and he also has Land rovers that he has converted drop him a line at: austin@ddol-las.fsnet.co.uk ,ask his advice he is well up on the Lpg scene.
The money that you save depends on how often you use it, Price (Vaporiser club) and how many Mpg your car does, you always lose a few milesl per but the price offsets it. Mine does 17.5 mpg petrol , 16.5 Lpg hard driving and you can get it down to 11mpg thank god for LPg also oil stays cleaner for longer. One last thing before you have it converted John , renew all your HT leads(Magnecor) ,plugs, Cap & rotor Saves a lot of time if there are problems it rules out the installers favourite get out plea. HTH
TT
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I'll second the advice to overhaul the ignition system. LPG requires it to be in first class condition. Any good installer will insist that you do this anyway or will do it as part of the installation as mine did.
Find the money for an underfloor tank if you can, it's a pain losing all that space and when you come to sell on it will limit the number of buyers. Also fit the biggest tank you can squeeze in.
Best check with your insurance company. Mine was happy as long as the installer was a member of the LPGA. Some won't cover DIY installations at all, others don't ask.
Good luck, please let us know how you get on.
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LPG is fine as long as the tax regime stays as it is. Inhave converted a V8 Disco, and a V6 Freelander and some 60,000 miles later have had no problems. West Yorks is riddled with LPG stations, and I never use petrol, other than for "firing up"
Current vehicle, in retirement is a LPG Volvo S60 Auto, which returns 36mpg around town and 54mpg + on a trip, (EQUIVALENT costs, bearing in mind the relative costs!) I also use LPG stations in Norway,(it was minus 21 when I left there last week!) so the continent is wide-open. I have never been stopped at the Tyne Tunnel, either, so like somebody else said - GET CRACKING!
David Walls
The Gas Man
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I have been wondering about LPG for some time. I use my Skoda Octavia 1.416V for a long commute and am getting about 44-45mpg(better than expected!) on Shell Optimax.
I pay £3.27 gall and do 20000 miles/y @45mpg :-
20000/45 X £3.27 = £1453
LPG - lets say mpg falls to 35 and I pay £1.60/gall
20000/35 X £1.60 = £914
Saving £539 / year
Cost of conversion would be £1500-£2000 ie it would take 3-4 years to recover costs and I would a spare wheel loose in my boot (any space save available?)
Trouble is my car will have more than 100K on clock in that time. I cant make my mind up whether its would be worth it??
My current MPG is probably good due to an efficint fuel injection system which obviously would not be used when on MPG.
The throttle is also fly by wire, this should add to the conversion fun.
Any suggestions on the LPG decision...
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Simple answer is that the benefit to you is going to be marginal. If you have any debt or have to get into debt to pay it, don't do it - reduce your interest payments instead.
If the tax regime changes, or if your car is written off, you're not even going to make that saving.
I personally wouldn't bother on anything other than a real gas guzzler, and while the Tavia 1.4 might be many things (slow and basic, for instance) it's not particularly thirsty.
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