Well Harry if that's the car i think it is, Blue with grey, one owner, then subject to an inspection i'd buy it.

Proper motor that, run it for a few weeks to make sure it's hunky dory then get it LPG'd, sorted.

I thought that Jamie when i had my Benz converted, however now it costs about the same to run as a manual Diesel euroborebox, so it gets used more than before, and as it was intended to be driven.

It's not a short term decision, and for me not a gamble to see if i could get the conversion to pay for itself, it meant i could keep my individual and lovely old car indefinately and use it as my daily driver. I could afford the fuel but was reluctant to use the car, if that makes sense, i suppose man maths might have featured as it does...;)....i shall do the same again if and when my old car falls apart.

edit...Jags convert well..;)

Edited by gordonbennet on 03/11/2011 at 21:21

''OP appears to be saying this car will be little more than a Sunday driver or occasional use car, a barge to go to lunch on a Sunday in or something.''

I take your points too and they make sense, LPG on a proper car is something you don't realise how good it is till you've had the conversion done. If you've got an unusual and lovely car which this particular Beemer is, then i have not the slightest doubt be a lovely car to drive. The problem being that a tankful of juice if the car is driven properly will last about 300 miles, driven like a saint to extend the fuel you might as well ditch it and get a Micra, these cars were made to be used and properly.

Once converted you find that the pleasure you once had of driving such a motor when and how and however far you want has returned, back twenty years in fuel costs, all of a sudden that 50 miles a week is 500 miles a week.

A car like the one our mate Harry is contemplating shouldn't end it's days pottering down the road at 50mph to try and coax 27mpg from it, it should be used as it was built, and used all the time, show those who think a boring hatch is the only car to own that there is another way, you don't have to drive round in a shoe to enjoy reasonably economical motoring, it can still be luxurious undividual and fun.

You should be championing such things as this, you're a petrol head..no offence, that's a compliment...it'll only be a few years till the govt (term used loosely) of the day pile tax on LPG, and indeed come up with a high tech spying system of road pricing, when that day comes you will only be able to drive at the legal limit at any time as the surveillance eqpt will automatically nick you, goodness knows what they'll do with VED for cars like this or yours by then.

Get this car Harry and enjoy it as it was meant to enjoyed, chances like this will not be there forever.

That's better Jamie, my faith is restored.

C'mon Harry we need you to buy this car and join us in motoring rebellion.

Does anyone think I should b worried. Ie that he doesn't want well says the car doesn't need a new mot .

I'd not be too bothered by that Harry it's got 5 months MOT still, i'd be more concerned that my specialist indy inspected it, if the seller is reluctant you know what to do.

It's not that you don't trust the seller, he's probably ok and should understand, it's a complicated motor it needs an expert to look at it.

Edited by gordonbennet on 04/11/2011 at 12:16

If it doesnt need one then all the seller should have to pay for is a simple re-test then no?

Yes separate tank, sometimes people have a toroidal tank in the spare wheel well, others like me don't need all the boot so i have an 80 litre cylinder tank in there which leaves enough space for all my needs and more, you can't carry 80 litres of gas though as it automatically cuts off at about 68 to allow for expanion.

The toroidal tanks are only about 60 litres, so you'll only get about 48/50 litres useable space.

Most modern cars use and need a multi point computer controlled gas injection system, mine is a straight six pot so has six gas injectors each fitted in the manifold as close as possible to the head firing the required amount of propane metered and timed by a computer straight into the head.

Most are designed to start on petrol and turn over to gas once up to a pre determined temp too soon too cold and danger of the propane freezing, mine usually turns the gas on after about 2 minutes.

Some people say there's less performance, i'm not too sure, what i do know is that my Benz run smoother on gas than it does on petrol and it's silky smooth on petrol, it still performs more than adequaltely for me but i haven't tried any stopwatch tests.

You can switch between the two fuels once up to temp, and i do make sure it runs once a month or so for 20 miles on petrol to give the petrol system some exercise.

Some cars are noted for soft valve seats, some Japanese apparently and a flashlube system is advisable for those as LPG burns hotter, i have flashlube valve seat lubricant injected into my car as a safeguard but German cars are noted for being trouble free in this resepct...belt and braces i can't help it..;)

Servicing is double edged, it's likely you'll get through spark plugs quicker, but your engine oil will last ages as the LPG burns cleaner, and once a year you should have the LPG system serviced.

You can't get direct injection cars converted, ie some Mitsubishi's, well you can but the petrol injectors will get burnt up over time.

You end up with another filler cap set into your cars bodywork too.

It's not for everyone, and the maths are better if you have off main road filling sites nearby, main road filling stations are far too expensive, around 78ppl, i pay 66ppl at a small site.

It's not as efficient as petrol so though it's halfish price you won't get the same mpg, roughly 20% less by volume.

So are you saying you couldnt start it up on LPG then? It 'takes over' as it were once the petrol has got it up to speed. It could be fair to say LPG wouldnt be that beneficial if you did a lot of short journies then i suppose.

No it will not start on LPG, but a run of even 10 minutes would see 80% completed on LPG, restart whilst still warm sees almost instantaneous changeover..

I think it's more viable now than say three years ago, the increasingly complication of Diesels with various add ons means they are not the obvious answer that they were at one time, though they are the most fuel efficient one nasty bill can wipe out all your fuel savings, and theres potetntial for many nasty bills.

With older Diesels, once a bomp proof purchase, these days you never know if some clown has been ruining it on home brewed chip fat, the number of zealots doing this has changed my car buying habits for ever...i say zealots because it's sometimes dangerous to question their gospel.

.

I think the LPG conversion of the 4x4s you mention is probably the only way you can sell those now, not as i'd give either a second thought, good motors some but not up to constant salt baths without serious anti chassis corrosion measures that few first owners bother with.

I have got a second filler cap, but it looks right and it was colour coded at the time so unless you knew what to look for you would never know, would rather have done without it obviously but the filler point has to be outside.

GB I presume your car is on the fixed pre 2001 road tax, is it now eligible for lower annual tax? And would having a conversion make any difference to an ultra modern but thirsty petrol car in terms of the annual tax bill?

That's interesting C, i'll try and find that October issue if i can, still not sure i'd convert a Di, it's nice having the choice of two fuels.

I nearly bought a lultra low mileage SWB Shogun 3.5 V6 Di auto petrol for SWM a few years ago, it had just come in at one of my regular car delivery drops, obviously not considerable unless LPG'd especially the way she drives, i found out then about the problems, pity, it was a cracking motor.

The VED sweetener, oh yes i forgot that bit, probably the excitement of deciding what to spend it on..;)

For all cars it's either a tenner or £15 off, which in the case of an aftermarket fitting to an old girl like mine means jumping through more hoops and more forms than you can shake a stick at, at the end of which according to those in the know, registered converters, they'll probably find some i not crossed and back to square one.

I haven't bothered but i suppose i should do, it's on the LPGA register anyway, obviously i'm on the pre 2001 higher capacity rate, but the tenner or fifteen discount is across the board.

Oh forgot that bit, LPGA register!. When you have a car converted you'll obviously have to inform your insurance company, most of whom will be fine so long as, and this is the important bit, that it's registered online with the LPGA (from memory) which the insurance company can check easily, this means it's been converted to a standard by an approved workshop and LPG fitting mechanic, i would think non registry could present insurance complications.

Some of those cheap converters with clever websites seem to be missing that important point out among the guff.

Nothings simple any more is it, bring back SU carbs, a set of points, starting handle and the 4s 6d gallon of four star.

PS, c'mon Harry we're keeping this thread of yours ticking over and we're gagging to know if you're cruising round in your new 7er.

Edited by gordonbennet on 05/11/2011 at 12:43