0% Finance for LPG - genius or stupid idea?
Discussion
I took leave of my senses last month and swapped my MGTF (pleasant 40mpg convertible) for an XKR:
![](http://thumbsnap.com/sc/4L8Im4o4.jpg[/img]</a> <a href="http://thumbsnap.com/w6A737rp" Target="_blank">[img]http://thumbsnap.com/sc/w6A737rp.jpg)
I drive 40 miles round-trip on motorway and rural lanes to work each day (10,000 miles a year), plus another 5k on social and some business use - the MG was consistently at 15,000 miles a year for the last three years. Suddenly my LandRover looks like the economical choice!
Seems to me I have two options:
15,000 miles @ 26mpg @ 135ppl = £3500 per year, £300 a month.
Or, LPG it:
£2500 on a 0% credit card over 2 years (balance transfer in between times) = £100 a month
plus
15,000 miles @ 22mpg @ 78ppl = £2400 per year, £200 a month.
So same cost for two years, then cheaper after that (should be better than this, since the MPG isn't likely to take such a hit). Risk is rising price of LPG, but petrol will probably increase more and shorten the payback.
Is there anyone who's less of a financial numpty than me who'd like to shoot my plan down in flames?
I drive 40 miles round-trip on motorway and rural lanes to work each day (10,000 miles a year), plus another 5k on social and some business use - the MG was consistently at 15,000 miles a year for the last three years. Suddenly my LandRover looks like the economical choice!
Seems to me I have two options:
15,000 miles @ 26mpg @ 135ppl = £3500 per year, £300 a month.
Or, LPG it:
£2500 on a 0% credit card over 2 years (balance transfer in between times) = £100 a month
plus
15,000 miles @ 22mpg @ 78ppl = £2400 per year, £200 a month.
So same cost for two years, then cheaper after that (should be better than this, since the MPG isn't likely to take such a hit). Risk is rising price of LPG, but petrol will probably increase more and shorten the payback.
Is there anyone who's less of a financial numpty than me who'd like to shoot my plan down in flames?
I have an 2003 XJ8 with a BRC LPG sytem, works a treat and is cheaper to run than my Wife's diesel 306 ! Previously I had an older XJ6 which was converted at 80k, and I ran to 325k .. still going strong with its' new owner as far as I know.
I have see a few XJR/S Type R & XKR's done .. I would suggest getting it done by someone who has done the Jag before, you don't want to be the test bed for someone to work out how to fit it ! There are a few specialist around !
There is an excellent Jaguar Forum (www.jaguarforum.co.uk), on which LPG has been discussed quite a lot. LPG isn't as cheap as it was however, around 77p a litre near me .. was 26p when I got my first Jag.
Great looking car BTW
I have see a few XJR/S Type R & XKR's done .. I would suggest getting it done by someone who has done the Jag before, you don't want to be the test bed for someone to work out how to fit it ! There are a few specialist around !
There is an excellent Jaguar Forum (www.jaguarforum.co.uk), on which LPG has been discussed quite a lot. LPG isn't as cheap as it was however, around 77p a litre near me .. was 26p when I got my first Jag.
Great looking car BTW
A chance to spam the board with pics? I think so...
It drove beautifully for two days, now it's having a head gasket (under warranty - I think we can see why the PO traded it in). If all's well, I'll look harder at LPG'ing it (and for a cheaper price, though £2.5k was an estimate from someone who's done them before and knows that they're a pain, because the supercharger has to come off). The sums for gas certainly seem to stack up.
It drove beautifully for two days, now it's having a head gasket (under warranty - I think we can see why the PO traded it in). If all's well, I'll look harder at LPG'ing it (and for a cheaper price, though £2.5k was an estimate from someone who's done them before and knows that they're a pain, because the supercharger has to come off). The sums for gas certainly seem to stack up.
Gas it, you can always take it out and put it on the next car you get.
Reckon that even the very best kit should be around £2k, not much more, if any.
You will have read that you must have a car that is on the top of it's game before doing the conversion. Ignition especially, as it needs a good strong spark to avoid trouble later on. Better still, have a chat with a few installers see what they have to say. Have they done conversions on your model before, can you visit their garage, can you speak to an owner who's car has been converted? There are ones out there that will do all of this for you, if they won't, walk. For every good conversion story there are lots of bad. And bad means a car off the road and you well out of pocket.
Good luck
BB
PS Anyone saying that they do it in the day, run away like your hair is on fire. Better take time now than spend days in the garage with a knackered install/car later.
PPS Am on the verge of pushing the button on converting my own at the moment and have spent bloomin' ages pontificating over it. Had I done it 12 months ago I'd be 1/2 way into the payback by now!
Reckon that even the very best kit should be around £2k, not much more, if any.
You will have read that you must have a car that is on the top of it's game before doing the conversion. Ignition especially, as it needs a good strong spark to avoid trouble later on. Better still, have a chat with a few installers see what they have to say. Have they done conversions on your model before, can you visit their garage, can you speak to an owner who's car has been converted? There are ones out there that will do all of this for you, if they won't, walk. For every good conversion story there are lots of bad. And bad means a car off the road and you well out of pocket.
Good luck
BB
PS Anyone saying that they do it in the day, run away like your hair is on fire. Better take time now than spend days in the garage with a knackered install/car later.
PPS Am on the verge of pushing the button on converting my own at the moment and have spent bloomin' ages pontificating over it. Had I done it 12 months ago I'd be 1/2 way into the payback by now!
I always seem to be going on about LPG but converting to LPG was the best thing I've done to my car, it's saving me loads. My MPG is about 1 lower than on petrol and the power is a bit lower but I'm paying around 70p a litre.
Depending on how many miles you do the quicker the payback will be. I'm doing on average 250 miles a week so LPG is making running my impreza a lot more viable. For example today I've done 440 miles and used 87 litres of LPG, so thats cost me £61.
To have done that on petrol I would have done it on less fuel maybe 75 litres, the average unleaded price around here according to www.petrolprices.com is 133 so it would have cost £100. So I've saved myself £39 today alone.
I still use petrol though as the LPG doesn't kick in until the car has warmed up a bit but thats only 10 mins or so. I've only put petrol in once so far this year though and I get about 2000 miles per tank of petrol.
My conversion cost £1600 and I don't think I'm that far away from a break even point but I am planning on keeping the car for a couple of years at least so it's definitely worth while for me.
As for the fuel duty going up I believe the government have to give three years notice of any large increases but I'm not sure to be honest, it's a lot greener fuel and its been around 50p a litre cheaper than petrol since I've been using it, admittedly thats only since last june.
Depending on how many miles you do the quicker the payback will be. I'm doing on average 250 miles a week so LPG is making running my impreza a lot more viable. For example today I've done 440 miles and used 87 litres of LPG, so thats cost me £61.
To have done that on petrol I would have done it on less fuel maybe 75 litres, the average unleaded price around here according to www.petrolprices.com is 133 so it would have cost £100. So I've saved myself £39 today alone.
I still use petrol though as the LPG doesn't kick in until the car has warmed up a bit but thats only 10 mins or so. I've only put petrol in once so far this year though and I get about 2000 miles per tank of petrol.
My conversion cost £1600 and I don't think I'm that far away from a break even point but I am planning on keeping the car for a couple of years at least so it's definitely worth while for me.
As for the fuel duty going up I believe the government have to give three years notice of any large increases but I'm not sure to be honest, it's a lot greener fuel and its been around 50p a litre cheaper than petrol since I've been using it, admittedly thats only since last june.
Turbocharger said:
A chance to spam the board with pics? I think so...
It drove beautifully for two days, now it's having a head gasket (under warranty - I think we can see why the PO traded it in). If all's well, I'll look harder at LPG'ing it (and for a cheaper price, though £2.5k was an estimate from someone who's done them before and knows that they're a pain, because the supercharger has to come off). The sums for gas certainly seem to stack up.
"Spam' is unwanted rubbish.It drove beautifully for two days, now it's having a head gasket (under warranty - I think we can see why the PO traded it in). If all's well, I'll look harder at LPG'ing it (and for a cheaper price, though £2.5k was an estimate from someone who's done them before and knows that they're a pain, because the supercharger has to come off). The sums for gas certainly seem to stack up.
XKRs are delightful to see.
Therefore your pics are not spam
I just got my Range Rover Supercharged converted. It's the same engine isn't it?
There are many horror stories about converting the Supercharged 4.2 Jaguar engine, particularly in the L322 application, however I think that it's just because some early ones were done badly, possibly without flashlube, or without a fuel return line. I don't know if there are any horror stories about XKR conversions.
I'm very happy with mine, not that long since I had it done, and a couple of issues, main one will hopefully be cured by another trip to the installers to get the trim sorted, it's just 'choking' a little under very hard acceleration. Economy wise it's been fantastic, I'm getting 220 miles per tank (£50 @ 68.9 per litre). Some S/C owners are getting 200 miles from a tank of unleaded! So I'm saving over half! Most of my mileage is cross country/ motorway, but I don't hang around, I reckon I could get more like 250-300 miles per tank if I didn't enjoy the howl of the supercharger so much!
I woud say go for it. Just make sure you do your research, and be aware of any potential issues. Talk to somebody who's had it done!
P.S. Mine was only about £2k to get converted, Romano kit.
P.P.S. Sorry just realised your car has the earlier engine!
There are many horror stories about converting the Supercharged 4.2 Jaguar engine, particularly in the L322 application, however I think that it's just because some early ones were done badly, possibly without flashlube, or without a fuel return line. I don't know if there are any horror stories about XKR conversions.
I'm very happy with mine, not that long since I had it done, and a couple of issues, main one will hopefully be cured by another trip to the installers to get the trim sorted, it's just 'choking' a little under very hard acceleration. Economy wise it's been fantastic, I'm getting 220 miles per tank (£50 @ 68.9 per litre). Some S/C owners are getting 200 miles from a tank of unleaded! So I'm saving over half! Most of my mileage is cross country/ motorway, but I don't hang around, I reckon I could get more like 250-300 miles per tank if I didn't enjoy the howl of the supercharger so much!
I woud say go for it. Just make sure you do your research, and be aware of any potential issues. Talk to somebody who's had it done!
P.S. Mine was only about £2k to get converted, Romano kit.
P.P.S. Sorry just realised your car has the earlier engine!
Edited by bozmandb9 on Tuesday 5th April 21:02
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