Should i lpg my 124 coupe.

[Juddian]

I've taken the liberty of cutting and pasting most of this from my reply to a current thread about lpg conversion, i really would like some thoughts, and no doubt some stick too, from various members.

I'm in a quandry here boys and girls, i'd like some thoughts please.

I've got a very nice 96 E320 coupe, thats only done 72k from new, i really like the car, and the comfort and uniqueness of it in this clone car (and people) world.
Its had the usual wiring loom disintegration and its been replaced, the ecu went with it, but thats been repaired, its had new coils and it runs lovely, mind you wondering now how long before the dreaded head gasket rears its ugly head.

Following the budget tax backdating con, and the ever soaring price of fuel, i've been wondering quite what to do, i can afford to run it, but the quantity of fuel tax and the vat on it is getting to criminal levels.

I've sort of pencilled in two options, should i keep the coupe, if so should i gas it, will the admittedly fragile ignition side of these engines stand the gassing? Will gassing it destroy its value as a future possible classic?

Even if the lpg only pays for itself in the time of my ownership, i would sooner give a decent converter £2k than pay the same in tax to the footpads and highwaymen that are supposed to be running but are ruining our once wonderful country.

I will now get castigated openly as if i sell this fine car, i have been toying with getting a subaru legacy 3.0R saloon and having that gassed up, apparently subaru's take very well to lpg conversions

My reasons for looking at subaru's are two fold, one, the only newer mercs i like are the W215 cl's and i've ruled them out because of corrosion i've seen on some of them, and the W211, which as we've discussed before need to be post 04 to be galvanized, and are too new to be deteriorating anyway if this hasn't worked either.
Plus i would like full time 4WD, and people i know with subaru's tend not to have the problems that we see regularly here.

Enjoy giving me some stick, but i'd like some views to help me decide which way to go.

Thanks in advance for the positive, and even the abusive thoughts to follow.

 

[hairyg]

I gassed my SL320 3 years ago and have no regrets. However mine has the older straight six engine while I assume yours is the V6.

It is true that LPG needs a good spark to ignite but this is usually only a problem on elderly Land Rovers and the like. Your E320 would have to be very bad by MB standards for it to be a problem.

When I had mine converted I knew I would need to do 27,000 miles to get my money back on the conversion, which cost £2,000. I've had one problem with a broken wire controlling an injector and that was fixed FOC even after nearly two years.

If you do enough miles then LPG is a realistic option. Either the E320 or a Subaru. I know a number of long time Subaru drivers and they all swear by them.

 

[100%Bitch]

If it was me I would keep it as original as possible.

 

[robparker]

I have an e280 gassed which as you know is the same engine as the 320. As you will probably also know engine wiring loomes give problems on these engines, although if left un-desturbed can be ok, but to install LPG there have to be 'got at' and that was enough on mine for it to deteriorate within a few months and I had to fit a new wiring loome at a cost of £550. I have no regrets with my conversion as you still get the smoothness and power of the 6, but with very low fuel costs, just something to bear in mind

 

[Ade W124]

Have had similar thoughts with mine - £2k buys a lot of petrol though and it seems all down to cashflow for me... I've not really thought what point it gets silly as I only fill up once every 2 weeks..

My major worry is on top of all of the usual aging car issues, you then throw in LPG probs on top. If the car is 100% sorted to start with then it makes sense, but my experience so far is once you sort one thing, something else crops up...

My other issue is boot space - the spare wheel tank gives a poor range (<200 miles) and we currently need the main space for baby paraphernalia etc. as I'd rather the larger tank in the main space.

Regarding future classic status - I think the LPG installation could be removed if required, and also I would suggest that it may even make it more desirable in the long run as petrol costs keep climbing.

Ade

 

[Juddian]

Thanks for the replies so far, i really would like a few more to chew over as well.

It is the straight six, yes the one with the biodegradable loom (replaced).

I am totally undecided at the moment, who knows what the govt (and i use that word advisedly) of the day will do with pre 01 cars re VED? We all know it doesn't make a scrap of difference which of the 3 parties in a majority, they will all line their own pockets whilst screwing every decent working person in the country.

If i'm going to change to a legacy, i will probably wait until this time next year when the full implication of the backdated ved rates have sunk home to everyone, should see values of very good 2 or 3 year old vehicles plumetting.

 

[74merc]

I read somewhere recently that the current rate of duty on LPG is guaranteed until April 2009. After that, who knows?