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        General >> Give/Need advice to/from others >> cheap fuel
        
(Message started by: tjp_lawson on Feb 12^th, 2006, 10:15pm)

Title: cheap fuel
Post by tjp_lawson on Feb 12^th, 2006, 10:15pm

hi all don`t know if this has been mentioned already but there is a company trying to secure cheaper fuel prices for all who join, they have already in priciple made an agreement witha large supplier, :) the website address is
www.pipelinecard.org it only takes a moment to register could be valuable to any one with one of our tanks

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Baz on Feb 12^th, 2006, 11:51pm

I do like the idea, but it says in the first few pages that:

We are not 'motorists' as we have been branded. We are teachers, nurses, professional and business people, parents. We drive because we have to.

Then when you read the short biography of the guy who founded the idea; Ben Scammell it then says:

Ben has always had a keen interest in performance cars and motor racing. He is a very active member of the Mitsubishi Lancer Register (the owners club for his dream car, the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution!), and spends much of his free time organising events for the clubs member's. Ben also enjoys racing his Caterham 7 Roadsport in the Caterham Roadsport Inter championship with "varying" success! (Schumacher's safe for a few more years yet.....)

Sounds like pretty good description of a hobby to me rather than a neccessity!

This will never get going to any great degree because the fuel people don't have to reduce their prices; Ben and the gang will still have to buy it even if it goes back to a pound a litre because like them, we all have to get to work and some of us decide to drive ridiculous gas guzzling mobsters. Now don't get me wrong, I think that the price we pay is far too much but even though some progress was made during the fuel protests a few years ago, the one they tried last year was met with total apathy because while the likes of Shell continue to make £18 Billion pounds in profit, they aren't going to reduce prices because their shareholders won't let them.

Just as an aside to this, one of my customers is a company which sells fuelcards and runs the operations. They have only offices, no trucks or fuel stations. They started just before my company was formed and the guy who owns it has just paid 1.75 million for a house only to completely gut it and spend another 1 million fitting it out again. His company only makes a penny or so a litre but when you realise how much we buy and he makes out of it, he isn't going to give that up is he?

LPG is the only way forward now. Just about to fit it to mine, the equivilant of running a Cosworth for the price of a diesel!

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by derekne on Feb 13^th, 2006, 10:29am

on 02/12/06 at 23:51:13, Baz wrote:

.LPG is the only way forward now. Just about to fit it to mine, the equivilant of running a Cosworth for the price of a diesel!

I agree with that.
I bought my scorp already converted. How much this has changed pocket. Wish I had done this ages ago.
I dont think I will ever go back to anything else again. ;D

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by leftofcentre on Feb 13^th, 2006, 6:30pm

Hmmn yes... LPG

Been thinking about this one for a while.

Just a few thoughts though.
Many many many MANY miles need to be traveled before the initial outlay cost has been recuperated though. What are we talking for fitting? A grand?

Hasnt the price of LPG also risen in the last few years?

If everyone starts to use LPG wont the government start taxing that also to gain its losses or just because they are greedy things?

Is performance the same as with petrol? If not, kind of defeats ownership of a Cossie does it not.

Loss of boot space or spare wheel?

Extra Danger having a pressurised container in boot? Incidentaly how come warning signs dont have to be displayed on the rear of cars fited with LPG? I used to drive a hospital truck and it was covered in warning signs 'cos it contained bottles of Nitrogen/CO2/Oxygen etc. I know these can be rather cold/smothering/volatile but they were only the odd bottle.

Forgive nme but i dont know much about LPG in all fairness :-X

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by scorpio_man on Feb 13^th, 2006, 7:51pm

hi there

a couple of general figures....

unleaded 88.9p v LPG 39.9p (less than 1/2).
MPG 20 v 20 (same mpg).

miles per year 12,000
cost of petrol £2429
cost of LPG £1213
saving £1216

fitting about £1700 inc.
payback time about 18 months (less if more miles)

re badging. yes, all LPG conversion should have a sign (mine are on both wings). the tank are solid. at least 3 times thicker than a petrol tank. mines in the wheel well. i carry a can of 'foam', like the clio sport.

re performance. no difference. you need to check it's on gas!

regards

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by leftofcentre on Feb 13^th, 2006, 9:56pm

And dont you have to start the engine on petrol first or summat?

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by scorpio_man on Feb 13^th, 2006, 10:04pm

yes, but only for about 2 mins.

if i wanted to, i could set mine up just to run on gas.

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by leftofcentre on Feb 13^th, 2006, 10:21pm

And if its so great.....

... why dont you? Or is it not allowed?

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by scorpio_man on Feb 13^th, 2006, 10:40pm

easier to start on petrol. remember you don't have lambda control for the first 3 mins. by letting it start on petrol, the car does the hard work. the gas is in liquid state until heated. once warmed up a bit, every runs smoothly.

as i said, just makes it easier. :)

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Baz on Feb 14^th, 2006, 12:16am

I've got a full LPG system in my boot ready to fit, cost me less than 2 months worth of petrol, can fit it myself, get it certified by an approved installer for £40.00 (providing I do it properly!!) and it is the same system fitted to the car on the website owned by the webmaster himself (or it was owned then by Steve!)!!

Even if it runs a bit less better ?? on gas, if you want true "Cosworth" mode, just switch back to petrol! I have been thinking about it for ages and when this came up it was too good to miss. I went to the South of France in my Cossie last year and it cost me nigh on £600.00 in fuel alone would work out just over £250 on Gas

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by barrie on Feb 14^th, 2006, 7:12am

Baz our 24v runs on gas, we had ours done as soon as we got our car. If it is set up right there will be no difference on performance at all.

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by janspeed on Feb 14^th, 2006, 8:28am

:)
I used to have a Landrover Discovery V8 3.9.
The tanks were slung underneath, i went on a off road holiday to France on a battle field tour.
I went over rocks U.X.B`s and ther were a few scratches on the tanks but none were ruptured.
I read that they test these tanks by filling them with water, pressurising them and drop them from a helicopter at about 500 ft.

Then i had a 4.6HSE Rangy, that was great, i could start that on gas.
There was no loss of power, well none that you could notice, not in a 4.6.
That had a wheel well tank and a tank in the boot with out any big loss of space, total 160 ltrs.
Had to get rid due to the spiralling maintenance costs and another addition to the family.

Jay

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Baz on Feb 14^th, 2006, 8:46am

I can relate to the tank strength, I am not a small bloke but I struggled getting out of the old car and into my boot!!

Just got to wait till I have cleared a space in the garage to get the nose of the car in so I car start the front end. so may be a while yet, but it will be done and hopefullly off to Germany in August!

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by derekne on Feb 14^th, 2006, 2:46pm

on 02/14/06 at 07:12:30, barrie wrote:

Baz our 24v runs on gas, we had ours done as soon as we got our car. If it is set up right there will be no difference on performance at all.

Mine has the same performance as petrol I cant tell at all. I have tried this on steep hills and mile for mile its exactilly the same.

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by stafford on Feb 14^th, 2006, 5:35pm

I love having LPG..it never stops making me smile when I dont have to give that Gangster..sorry Chancellor 75% fuel duty a litre.. There are only 120 000 out of 28,000,000 cars converted so far so it's not in their interests to tax it yet..cos they ll make more mony on the conversion costs like Vat and business tax..when the numbers rise of lpg cars significantly then the gangsters in Downing street will tax the poor yet again for the 2000 th time since 1997... and of course patronise us all by blaming Putin and the cost of his gas when we all know its an offshoot of petrol production. Do what Im doing mate and get out of this dump b4 the country implodes..Canada loks very good to me esp as they ve just discovered a massive oil deposit [] [] []

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by leftofcentre on Feb 14^th, 2006, 6:06pm

on 02/14/06 at 17:35:47, stafford wrote:

Ithen the gangsters in Downing street will tax the poor yet again [] [] []

Dont you mean Kildare Street mate?

:D

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by stafford on Feb 14^th, 2006, 6:23pm

no i live here my friend and suffer along with my english friends!!!

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Highlander on Feb 14^th, 2006, 6:36pm

Did you try your pic yet Stafford?

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by stafford on Feb 14^th, 2006, 6:39pm

got the flag up ok looking nice blowing in the wind. What do i do again to get the pic of my car on the bottom of the threads.. i tried going into My Profile and do it???

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Highlander on Feb 14^th, 2006, 6:46pm

In the signature part of your profile type this

IMG]http://atlas.walagata.com/w/highlander250469/Stafford.gif[/IMG]

with a [ at the beginning before the IMG, I might need to play about with the size of it a bit if its too big

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by stafford on Feb 14^th, 2006, 6:49pm

now the cars replaced the flag!!!! lol..how do we have the flag where it was and the car on the bottom like your highlander pic??

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Highlander on Feb 14^th, 2006, 6:54pm

;D put your flag url in the "I have my own pic" box

and the picture link in the SIGNATURE box

eg

IMG]http://atlas.walagata.com/w/highlander250469/Stafford.gif[/IMG]

with a [ at the beginning before the IMG

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by leftofcentre on Feb 14^th, 2006, 7:09pm

on 02/14/06 at 18:23:29, stafford wrote:

no i live here my friend and suffer along with my english friends!!!

A hah + is the grass greener on this side of the water mate?

i lived in North Dublin and Co Kildare for two years ;)

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by stafford on Feb 14^th, 2006, 8:06pm

done what you said Highlander got the flag back..ta..it puts the link in the sig box at the bottom but not the actual car photo is that right...as for the grass is greener its 50 /50 I think.. This country is lovely in many many ways.. why do we put up with these taxes though.. I mean 95p for a litre of fuel... mind u Irelands getting bad price wise and has been for a while...I wonder how Croatia is nowadays!!!!! lol

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Highlander on Feb 14^th, 2006, 8:17pm

in the signature box put
[ img]the http link[/img] with no spaces

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by stafford on Feb 14^th, 2006, 8:24pm

yes!!!! Cheers Highlander!!!

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by tjp_lawson on Feb 15^th, 2006, 12:03am

hi all ,though i dont doubt the economy of lpg ,the costs of conversion can far outway cost of vehicle and longevity of said vehicle, as my current 24v is a m plate the cills and rear arches are getting patchy there ain`t much motorin left in the old beast. i only posted because this, with enough people behind it could work,
lets hope a lpg scheme won`t have to become a reality also :)

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by leftofcentre on Feb 15^th, 2006, 12:42am

not to mention scarcity og lpg garages. only 2 near me. one 15miles away, the other 24miles away.

Next one is then in Wick (Next stop Iceland ;D) or Perth (114miles)

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Baz on Feb 15^th, 2006, 4:31pm

12 stations within 5 miles of where I live!! Oh the choice is killing me!!

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by leftofcentre on Feb 15^th, 2006, 6:48pm

You live in Kuwait? ;D

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by invernessguy on Feb 15^th, 2006, 10:25pm

andy... you can get lpg at riverford, they do the conversions ;) and its not very far from you...

donnie

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by leftofcentre on Feb 15^th, 2006, 10:32pm

@ £1600 a pop? For that price i could replace "mi chains + mi box" mate.

;D

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Baz on Feb 15^th, 2006, 10:42pm

I only live in Warrington!!

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by DJWerkz on Feb 15^th, 2006, 10:48pm

I don't really do much mileage as I'm disabled but still I'm glad that I live in Milton Keynes where I can currently get Shell Optimax for 91.9p per litre. That's pretty good considering I drove up to Norfolk to see my parents a week back and stopped at Tesco's in St. Neots and regular unleaded there was 91.5p per litre!!!

I personally have no inclin to swap over to LPG, for one I can't afford the outlay.

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by leftofcentre on Feb 15^th, 2006, 10:56pm

89.9 up here in Nessy my friend. 87.9 @ Morrissons (or was as of last week).

yet think how much further the fuel wagons have to come to deliver!

Good job they dont charge extra for delivery to The Highlands! (Check my posting on Off Topic Subjects!!!!)

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by DJWerkz on Feb 15^th, 2006, 11:02pm

89.9 for Optimax?

I was mentioning Tesco's prices by way of comparison as I thought it was very expensive. I can get regular unleaded at Shell for 85.9p

Title: Re: cheap fuel
Post by Baz on Feb 16^th, 2006, 8:05am

I always find it is dearer near to me than most places and we only live about 20 miles from the Stanlow Oil Refinery!!