Clio on LPG

[Alx]

So, my work has moved to a location which means it is no longer realistic to commute by train. Car is my only option, it would be around 90 miles per day and it would have cost a fortune in my R26. For that reason it is now sold and I'm looking to get a commuter car. Skoda fabia vrs was the car in question but the limited edition (leather, blue) is around £4500+ so not cheap and does not stir any emotions lol.

So... because of this ive thought maybe the way forward could be to buy a clio 1*2 and have it converted to lpg, this would still work out less to purchase than the Fabia but be a car I actually have some passion for as i've run one in the past. Does anyone have any experience with this fuel type? I'm really hoping this would make financial sense and isnt a case of bad man maths lol...

Thoughts?

 

[Sargara]

The 1*2 is already economical in comparison to other cars of this nature, I really don't see what would be gained by LPG. The way I see it you have 2 options really:
- buy something that's already been LPG'd
- bangernomics where you pickup a diesel car for peanuts and run it into the ground

 

[Alx]

Ok so I don't think i can face driving a s**t heap. A 182 will do 40 mpg on a run and if it was running lpg it would be nearly half the cost of using petrol.... no?

 

[Ianboom]

How much fuel could you buy for the price of an LPG conversion?

Tough call for a 90 mile commute, if it were me I'd buy a 1*2 and leave it standard, you'll probably average 36mpg on a good run.

Banger would be a good option, but if you keep a nice car for the weekend, you'll end up with double the running costs.

 

[Ray Gin]

LPG for a big V8 jeep yes…..for a 2 litre, economical renault clio, no. Not worth it.

 

[imprezaworks]

lol. There's one on ebay, been there for sometime too.

 

[Ol’ Tarby]

LPG for a big V8 jeep yes…..for a 2 litre, economical renault clio, no. Not worth it.

This

 

[Alx]

Hold on, i dont see why people dont see it how i do. You take a clio 182 1k cheaper than the skoda fabia vrs spend the 1k saving on lpg conversion and end up with better fuel costs than the skoda and have a nice car to drive. Or am I missing something?

 

[RTSportdTi]

Hold on, i dont see why people dont see it how i do. You take a clio 182 1k cheaper than the skoda fabia vrs spend the 1k saving on lpg conversion and end up with better fuel costs than the skoda and have a nice car to drive. Or am I missing something?

or use the 1k on petrol instead?.. :S

 

[Alx]

Which would be about 3 months fuel so wouldnt last long. Its 1800 miles per month

 

[imprezaworks]

Get a diesel then

 

[sambk24]

I do about 400 miles a week a week in 172 cup and average about 36mpg, which is pretty awesome. Why dont u just get the clio 1.5 diesel?

 

[W M Autos]

LPG burns valve seats (well it used to), costs a fortune to have installed and give less mpg to the standard fuel. You'd be far better off with a diesel but I wouldn't recommend a Skoda. Yes yes I know they're VAG but doesn't mean anything to joe public. All they see is SKODA and all they remember is the bad press from years ago so you have a nightmare selling them on and they depreciate rapidly.

 

[Lozza-p]

There's 2 on autotrader with LPG conversion

 

[imprezaworks]

Just buy a diesel. Assuming the LPG tank sits in the boot?

 

[Alx]

Yes but it would be cheaper to run than a diesel while costing the same as the skoda to buy

 

[imprezaworks]

So assuming you don't need boot space? That's also assuming the tank isn't small?

 

[Haston]

Lpg only burns valve seats if they are not hardened, or if you don't fit the valve lube kit. Owned an LPG'd rover coupe turbo (best car I've owned) but considered Lpging the clio on my own.

 

[Diagro]

I am also intrested in adding LPG to my 172. Seems a perfect way to get a Diesels MPG on a Stupidly quick hatch

Can get some nice Multipoint Kits on ebay for £300.

 

[Advikaz]

LPG burns valve seats (well it used to), costs a fortune to have installed and give less mpg to the standard fuel. You'd be far better off with a diesel but I wouldn't recommend a Skoda. Yes yes I know they're VAG but doesn't mean anything to joe public. All they see is SKODA and all they remember is the bad press from years ago so you have a nightmare selling them on and they depreciate rapidly.

Friend of mine sold his evo to a bloke on the Isle Of White who converted it to LPG! idiot. It lasted less than a month.

LPG runs very hot as well which I don't imagine would be great for a high performance motor.

 

[imprezaworks]

I am also intrested in adding LPG to my 172. Seems a perfect way to get a Diesels MPG on a Stupidly quick hatch

Can get some nice Multipoint Kits on ebay for £300.

But it's not a stupidly quick hot hatch though. I really can't see the appeal of adding LPG to a Clio.

 

[mikeh]

Friend of mine sold his evo to a bloke on the Isle Of White who converted it to LPG! idiot. It lasted less than a month.

LPG runs very hot as well which I don't imagine would be great for a high performance motor.

Do you know who this was or what the Evo was?

 

[Advikaz]

Do you know who this was or what the Evo was?

I'll pm you bud.

 

[Diagro]

Friend of mine sold his evo to a bloke on the Isle Of White who converted it to LPG! idiot. It lasted less than a month.

LPG runs very hot as well which I don't imagine would be great for a high performance motor.

But with the correct cooling and lubrication shouldnt it be ok?

Have read of people who had taken a 172 from 100k miles to 200k with no issue on LPG.

 

[Ray Gin]

But it's not a stupidly quick hot hatch though. I really can't see the appeal of adding LPG to a Clio.

Me neither. If I was doing moon milage I'd rather be sat in a comfy 3/5 series derv than in a noisy, rattly, high revving tin can that has LPG, lol.

 

[Diagro]

But it's not a stupidly quick hot hatch though. I really can't see the appeal of adding LPG to a Clio.

Say you had some cash to spend, on the kit. Then save a good amount in fuel after

 

[imprezaworks]

And hate the car no doubt. I still see zero point in doing it.

 

[Diagro]

And hate the car no doubt. I still see zero point in doing it.

Why would said person who stuck LPG in the car hate it? lol

 

[imprezaworks]

On a big car yeah. Small car like a Clio no. It's all IMO mate, each to there own.

 

[105e]

Sorry but seems like a pretty good idea to me, fun of a clio with half the price of petrol (once its been converted)

 

[George182]

Although the fuel cost is cheaper - the car will do less MPGs and have reduced performance.

Then there are the impracticalities of have a boot filled with an LPG tank and the trouble of finding stations that sell LPG.

I can't see that there is much overall benefit to be honest.

 

[imprezaworks]

What George said. Anyway, good luck.

 

[Simon_16v]

Get a diesel, will run better in the long run.

 

[st3ve]

Definitely get a diesel barge over an LPG'd Clio.

 

[imprezaworks]

I know it's no true example but we hired an LPG Clio 4door thing in Turkey, it boarded on migrane level. If anyone suffers from migraines they will know how bad the comparison is, lol.

 

[Diagro]

I know it's no true example but we hired an LPG Clio 4door thing in Turkey, it boarded on migrane level. If anyone suffers from migraines they will know how bad the comparison is, lol.

Why?

I dont get whats so bad about it? If you can get a decent kit fitted for under £500 then i cant see any problems with using LPG i for one dont mind a small outlay and each week have less costs.

 

[Webby.]

Me neither. If I was doing moon milage I'd rather be sat in a comfy 3/5 series derv than in a noisy, rattly, high revving tin can that has LPG, lol.

This completely... why would you want to do a 90 mile trip every day in a clio when you could be sat a lot more comfortably in a 3/5 series... or keep the clio and buy a cheap dci?

 

[imprezaworks]

Why?

I dont get whats so bad about it? If you can get a decent kit fitted for under £500 then i cant see any problems with using LPG i for one dont mind a small outlay and each week have less costs.

Are you thinking of doing it?

 

[Diagro]

Are you thinking of doing it?

Well i was yea, But all you chaps and chapets have made me think i would be doing something mental if i did lol

 

[Darren S]

LPG burns valve seats (well it used to), costs a fortune to have installed and give less mpg to the standard fuel. You'd be far better off with a diesel but I wouldn't recommend a Skoda. Yes yes I know they're VAG but doesn't mean anything to joe public. All they see is SKODA and all they remember is the bad press from years ago so you have a nightmare selling them on and they depreciate rapidly.

Even more reason why I'd buy one. Where's TomSx??

Friend of mine sold his evo to a bloke on the Isle Of White who converted it to LPG! idiot. It lasted less than a month.

LPG runs very hot as well which I don't imagine would be great for a high performance motor.

Wasn't a purple coloured VI was it? I saw one for sale up here a few years back - actually struck me a quite a good idea on a car like that. It was switchable though - the boring commutes on LPG, then flick to Super-RON when you got on the A-road.

Although the fuel cost is cheaper - the car will do less MPGs and have reduced performance.

Then there are the impracticalities of have a boot filled with an LPG tank and the trouble of finding stations that sell LPG.

I can't see that there is much overall benefit to be honest.

^^^ - yep, I understand that there's a 25-30% drop in performance too? I don't see the point in something like a Clio myself.

Why?

I dont get whats so bad about it? If you can get a decent kit fitted for under £500 then i cant see any problems with using LPG i for one dont mind a small outlay and each week have less costs.

To have this on a Clio to me, is like having a -1% less sugar can of Pepsi. Load-luggers, cars that absolutely drink fuel and more importantly, cars with plenty of space - I understand. On a pretty sensible hot hatch that does mid-30s to the gallon to begin with, just seems a pointless exercise to me. And its not like the Clio has a particularly large boot to begin with.

Oh, and have fun trying to sell it. I personally wouldn't touch an LPG converted car. One straight from the factory is another matter entirely.

D.