To Lpg Or Not To Lpg That Is The Question

MAC_600 · February 10, 2012

Hi all, its been a while since I last popped in here, took me ages to find an old post so I could remember my user id!

I have a '97 GS300 Sport that I've owned for the last 10 years but don't really use as I tend to commute by motorbike and at 20-25 mpg its not exactly a cheap car to run nowadays. The main car is a Nissan Primers diesel but it has quite a heavy clutch (common with them) and my wife finds it hard to drive as she has arthritis and wants an alternative.

Now we both like the GS and as its an auto my wife finds it easy to drive, it has all the toys and is very reliable (just passed its MOT after been sat in the garage since last March) however she does all town driving and the GS will only be doing 15-18 mpg which just doesn't make sense financially.

I've been chatting to a guy who has a Mk2 with LPG and tends to get 20-22 mpg when running on it, which works out at 40-44 equivalent on petrol. However the cost of converting the car is £1,400 and at the end of the day we are talking about a 15 year old car. However its a car I can see going on an on, is great to drive, still looks good etc etc.

Alternatvely we sell the GS and buy a town car but there's a bit of me that just doesn't want to get rid of the GS, I'm only the 3rd owner, the first being the dealers who pre-registered it, so the reality is 2 owners in 15 years and I've put the majority of the 127k on the clocks of which most was motorways/fast A roads.

So does anyone have good or bad experiences of running LPG on the Mk1 GS?

tonyricha · February 10, 2012

Hi mac

if you go back on this forum and read about LPG you will see numerous problems way outweighing any savings, I tried it and killed my MK 2 GS 300, do yourself a favor and be very carefull, I did have flashlube fitted but it still blew up twice, YUK

dave1 · February 10, 2012

So if your GS sat in the garage for 12 months it would appear that you don't need two cars. If you sold the diesel car then the money from that and any other savings such as tax/insurance/servicing/MOT (by having one car instead of two) would mean that the fuel consumption figures would probably pale into insignificance and be more than offset by the savings outlined above and any cash injection from the sale of the Nissan unless your Nissan does substantial mileage.

RayKhan · February 10, 2012

I had my GS300 converted around June and have had no problems, put about 40k on it since. I think the savings are on motorways and not town driving as the MPG in town I found gets worse

MAC_600 · February 10, 2012

So if your GS sat in the garage for 12 months it would appear that you don't need two cars. If you sold the diesel car then the money from that and any other savings such as tax/insurance/servicing/MOT (by having one car instead of two) would mean that the fuel consumption figures would probably pale into insignificance and be more than offset by the savings outlined above and any cash injection from the sale of the Nissan unless your Nissan does substantial mileage.

We do a fair mileage in the Nissan, but also tow a caravan and have a dog so need a decent sized estate. We only need 2 cars when the weather is like now as I ride all year round but call it quits when the roads are icy.

A small car would mean really good mpg during the week and ease of use for my wife and the Nissan would be used at weekends and holidays with the caravan.

PJ S · February 11, 2012

Given the info, I'd say your best solution is change the GS for something more suitable for her needs - a Honda Jazz petrol with its light clutch pedal and frugality, and ease of entry/exit would make more sense than LPG'ing the GS and waiting to break even on the cost (18K miles, give or take).

Cheaper on insurance too, possibly, and easier to park.

wow300 · February 12, 2012

i have run lpg for over 14years, get a good conversion and you will be fine, i have had 3 gs300 on gas and done over 300,000 miles with them no problems, my current gs430 is lpg and its great, cheaper v8 than a poxy 2.5 mondeo st . its great, run on petrol occssionally to lubricate valves and you be fine, dont bother with flashlube, expensive waste of money that stuff.

Fred Bassett · February 12, 2012

I am perhaps coming from a different angle.

If considering a purchase of a luxury car such as a Bentley, I would never consider converting it to LPG to save money!

For me, I run two vehicles, one for those trips that require good fuel consumption and fulfilling the family needs, while the other for my own enjoyment and piece of mind.

Each to his own, but personally I enjoy a luxury car as it was made - boils, warts and all! So whenever I think of these cars, it is not how many mpg they deliver, but how they deliver that smile to my face.

Perhaps it is in these enjoyable experiences we encounter, that ensures our pleasure and sanity that we call life!