BX 14 or 16 wanted.....first car :D

Buy or sell parts etc. Please put 'Wanted' in the title if it is a request for parts.
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mat_fenwick
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Post by mat_fenwick »

I almost wish I'd never mentioned it now...

IMO, a 1.4 would be the better car for a first time driver, but I thought that the extra cost of the insurance on the 1.6 would be outweighed by the fact that (if it is still for sale) is nearer, and would be cheaper to run than a 1.4 running only on unleaded.
Even if the only reason you're running a car on LPG is that it would be prohibitively expensive on petrol (like in my case and not the case for a BX 1.6), if your regular route to work etc takes you past an LPG station then surely it makes things no less convenient, and that surely is only for the OP to decide.
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DavidRutherford
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Post by DavidRutherford »

Back on topic....


Well, it depends entirely on how many miles the OP intends driving in their car. If the mileage is high enough then the cost of fuel (and hence an LPG converted car) would make a lot of sense.

This is what happened when I started driving. I paid quite a premium for a diesel-engined car both in purchase price and in insurance, but then saved a remarkable amount in fuel costs as I was getting 50+mpg whereas all my friends were getting 30mpg. The 20k miles I did in my first year of driving meant that overall I saved quite a bit.
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Way2go
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Post by Way2go »

Susan Donym wrote: It would be a bit like me fitting a caffeta without having the training :-&
dosent bear thinking about
No, it doesn't. I like to take my caffeine orally, thanks. :wink:
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Mike E (uk)
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Post by Mike E (uk) »

My heavy 3 litre saloon with my even heavier right foot gives me a milage cost of less than 8p a mile on a long run. That's over 50mpg in cost comparison to petrol.

No reduction in power either.

but this is a modern closed loop system, and a BX will probably not achieve the 15% consumption penalty.

It is true they don't sell it everywhere, but I have not had a problem and been forced to run on petrol yet for more than a few miles.

Mike
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Post by Mickey taker »

retrodriver wrote: I once paid £3200 to insure my Rover SD1 when I was 18, maybe 19 and do you think thats because I couldnt be bothered to research anything? I think not.
If you had researched it I bet you wouldent have bought an SD1 in the first place ( Only joking ) :lol:
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Post by Mickey taker »

Oh god , I better go and hide before Timmy reads my last post :lol:
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Post by Tourist »

DavidRutherford wrote:The 20k miles I did in my first year of driving meant that overall I saved quite a bit.
It's not quite the same now with the price of diesel being the way it is, though. It must've been great before they put fuel duty up 400000000%

This reminds me, sign this please!

http://www.usedcarexpert.co.uk/page.aspx?numPage=126%20
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DavidRutherford
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Post by DavidRutherford »

In real terms the cost of fuel hasn't really gone up. In the 16 years I've been driving, fuel has slightly more than doubled in price. However, the average wage for a 17 year old has significantly more than doubled, so in actual fact it was more expensive when I started driving than it is now.

Granted, I'd like to still be paying sub-50p/litre for my fuel, but I wouldn't want to be earning what I did when I was paying that for fuel.
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Post by cavmad »

Tourist wrote:
DavidRutherford wrote:The 20k miles I did in my first year of driving meant that overall I saved quite a bit.
It's not quite the same now with the price of diesel being the way it is, though. It must've been great before they put fuel duty up 400000000%

This reminds me, sign this please!

http://www.usedcarexpert.co.uk/page.aspx?numPage=126%20
Complete and utter waste of time I'm afraid, just like all the other e-petitions I've seen. Save your enegery and computer time by ignoring it and letting it go over your head as it'll never get anywhere.

Right, back on topic:
LPG IS readily available in hundreds of garages and at 48p or so a litre I'm not complaining. My truck only runs on the stuff and as someone else said it wouldn't be too clever to run it out though!
It's a fantastic cost saving, means I can run an otherwise fairly thirsty beast (4.3) and the saving in price outweigh any other potential problem.
I've never heard of anyone having their insurance put up due to LPG so get a certificated one, shop round for the insurance and get going.

I will just add that it would appear that you haven't done your homework Tourist. It seems to be the blight of the internet in my opinion in that people ask questions, put obstacles in their own way then don't actually research fully before asking. I bet if you really wanted a cheap to run BX you could find an LPG converted one and insure it for a reasonable cost.
You've had some good avice on this thread mate and with respect if you don't follow it or start complaining about insurance costs without trying properly then you'll be beyond help. Srsly dude do your homework and take in the advice you've been given by others. These are the people with first hand knowledge and information, not speculation or lazy arsed guesses.
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Post by rangebyte »

Crikey oh riley this post has gone far. I have researched into LPG conversions and can say now, it does not effect my insurance costs in any way at all. the company merely views it as a slight modification.

Back on track...still only seen two 14's for sale lol
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DavidRutherford
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Post by DavidRutherford »

In which case, given the fairly serious reduction in fuel cost, would it make sense for you to pay the extra in insurance and road tax to run an LPG'd 16 over a petrol 14?
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rangebyte
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Post by rangebyte »

the answer to that is...yes!!!

But where to find a decent one?? that is the question!
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DavidRutherford
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Post by DavidRutherford »

The one that sparked all this discussion about LPG and insurance. Graeme (Aerodynamica) was considering selling his LPG converted MK1. It's a rather nice car, and he's done the LPG conversion very well indeed.

The thread is here. It's not cheap, but it's a very tidy car that (with an LPG kit on) won't really devalue as long as you take care of it.

Also, being a MK1, the suspension is roller-bearing, which always feels softer to me. Ideal for Dundee's cobbled roads....
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rangebyte
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Post by rangebyte »

Someone that knows Dundee :D

And yeah...the roads are pretty bad in places :P

That BX of his does look very nice indeed :P
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Post by DavidRutherford »

rangebyte wrote:Someone that knows Dundee :D
Sortof. I lived there for two years a fair while ago. I learned to appreciate the softness of a French car on those roads.

I liked Dundee a lot. A touch cold in the winter, but despite a rather poor image at the time, not unpleasant.
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