New Discovery Owner

[Ross]

I am new to the Land Rover scene having just bought a 1993 V8i auto. seems pretty good at the moment, i haven't had time to give it a proper offroad testing yet, that is lined up for this weekend, a friend has just upgraded to a 4.5 80 series cruiser at the same time so it will be interesting to see which does a better job.
A few things i am weighing up at the moment are a LPG conversion, quotes range from about $2100 to $4000 depending on what is done. I would prefer a larger capacity, most places quote a 60 or 80 litre tank in the boot, 63 litre manifold tanks in the boot or 80 litre tanks under the floor (very expensive, plus I am worried about damaging them).
Has anyone had a recent conversion done in Perth and got any recommendations?
also I have heard some good things about this Hiclone unit, someone I spoke to says they get 200 kms more from a tank in a diesel 80 series (seems very far fetched) has anyone fitted on to a V8 and got a review of it?

Also what size tyres can be fitted to a Discovery?

Thanks

[one_iota]

Welcome to the madness Ross style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif

In no order:

Tyre sizes is a frequent question and courtesy of one of the topic sections your question may be answered here:

http://www.aulro.com/modules.php?name=Foru...viewtopic&t=189 (http://www.aulro.com/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=189)

LPG conversions topic may be discovered by a search but it is a worthy topic anyway.

Hicyclone = snake oil :evil:

Toyotas = Land Rover not :wink: :evil:

[LandyAndy]

Hi Ross
My brother has a good mate who does gas conversions,he is really good.
The guys name is Spencer,and trades as "Drivesafe auto repairs,or Autogas",he is in the Rockingham industrial area,sorry I cant give you a phone no as my bro is overseas at the moment.
Look him up via directories,tell him Andy and Matt the "Landy Brothers" put you on to him,he is a great guy to deal with.
Andrew

[RichardK]

Hi Ross,
I just had the 94 RR fitted 2 weeks ago, excellent job done by Meadow Springs Motors in Mandurah.
Had the tank put in the rear where the spare was (as my other Rangie) and parted with $1540 which included the $1500 rebate.

[Bradtot]

U got a $1500 rebate?
Me thinks no!

I will be getting my gas tanks swapped over this weekend (under the car)
and then getting AAA autogas to check it all and fit under the bonnett all the bits that I cannot transfer from my 82 so hopefully I will have a RUNNING Rangie to take to Broome next month
Underfloor tanks are great and in 13 yeas of having them this way I have never damaged anything and I do use it OFF road

Best thing I ever did
Brad

[DirtyDawg]

Hi Ross,
First welcome and good to have another Perth member,Nice choice in Vehicle, I have owned both a Discovery(current) and a 95 FJZ80 GXL Toyota and I can say with confidence I'm glad your going 4wding with your mate.....as he will need someone with a LR to recover him .. style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

[RichardK]

Originally posted by Bradtot
U got a $1500 rebate?
Me thinks no!

I will be getting my gas tanks swapped over this weekend (under the car)
and then getting AAA autogas to check it all and fit under the bonnett all the bits that I cannot transfer from my 82 so hopefully I will have a RUNNING Rangie to take to Broome next month
Underfloor tanks are great and in 13 yeas of having them this way I have never damaged anything and I do use it OFF road

Best thing I ever did
Brad

Typo Error, should be $500 :oops: :oops: :oops:

[maggsie]

Welcome Ross,
I agree with RichardK, John at Meadow Springs Motors is a guru on LPG. My County is also booked for gas work next month with them.

[101RRS]

Originally posted by RichardK
[Typo Error, should be $500 :oops: :oops: :oops:

Can you tell me more about this rebate? Who provides it and what are the eligibility requirements?

Thanks

Gazz

[Quiggers]

G'day Ross, I too have a 93 V8 auto D1, which apart from being a bit slow is a fine piece of work, even after 270,000 ks. I run 15w/40 in the dear old donk which keeps the early morning rocker rattles at bay and having just completed a long holiday run with a full load of family and gear returned 20.5 mpg!

LPG? I hear a story that over the next five to seven years the Federal Government will progressively introduce tax on LPG and by about 2010 it will cost as much as unlead. Factor this in to your overall running cost projection if you're going to hang on to it for a while.

Have yet to hear a good word about the hiclone, there are other ways of getting good fuel efficiency, like being light on the go pedal, staying tuned, clean plugs a decent 2 1/2 inch exhaust (but not extractors, unnecessary, from what I've learnt). And my (less rolling resistance) skinny Bridgestone MS rubber goes anywhere I want to go.

Cheers, GQ

[discowhite]

welcome mate!
thank god you guys are against the hiclone!
they arnt worth a pinch of sh%t!
the only way they might do what they claim is if they were fitted directly
before the inlets on the head!!!


snake oil!!! :twisted:

phil

[Quiggers]

Hello discowhite, that pic of yours is a hiclone exploding, maybe?

or was that water injection.....lol.

Cheers mate, GQ

[101RRS]

Originally posted by Quiggers

LPG? I hear a story that over the next five to seven years the Federal Government will progressively introduce tax on LPG and by about 2010 it will cost as much as unlead. Factor this in to your overall running cost projection if you're going to hang on to it for a while.
Cheers, GQ

Hi Quiggs - only half right - the amount of excise etc in % terms of the basic cost of the fuel will be same as it is for petrol. This will mean that the cost of LPG will increase but will still only be about half the cost of unleaded.

gazz

[matbor]

Made up a excel speadsheet a little while back to work out if converting the disco to GAS was worth it !!

http://www.bordignons.net/disco/misc/Gas%2...0Conversion.xls (http://www.bordignons.net/disco/misc/Gas%20Conversion.xls)

Matt.

[disconut]

Interesting spreadsheet. In terms of "bang for your buck" based on your vehicle and fuel figures, Diesel is also very economical. Not too much there to convince a Diesel owner to change over. BUT!
The big difference in all of this for me is "Security of supply".
The Govt will ratchet up the price of all fuels, no doubt in my mind about that!.
LPG is a rescource that Australia has plenty of, and as such it is independent of the Middle East supplies. A factor that needs to be considered in this crazy world.
I can see fuel going to $3.00 litre in the next 5 years. This is going to be the killer for my "Grey Nomad Years", but I will continue to plan anyway.
There is still the hope of a Lotto win! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/biggrin.gif
Trev.

[hiline]

Originally posted by matbor
Made up a excel speadsheet a little while back to work out if converting the disco to GAS was worth it !!

http://www.bordignons.net/disco/misc/Gas%2...0Conversion.xls (http://www.bordignons.net/disco/misc/Gas%20Conversion.xls)

Matt.

nice work there matt style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

you have way to much time on your hands 8O 8O :wink:

[RichardK]

Originally posted by garrycol+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(garrycol)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-RichardK
[Typo Error, should be $500 :oops: :oops: :oops:

Can you tell me more about this rebate? Who provides it and what are the eligibility requirements?

Thanks

Gazz[/b][/quote]

Provided you are a resident of WA and the vehicle has not had LPG previously fitted, the installer (Meadow Springs Motors did) deducts $500 off the price which he then gets back as a rebate from the WA government.

This is a government incentive to get more people on gas as a "green'" policy

[101RRS]

Thanks Richard,

Not much use to me on the east coast.

Gazzz

[matbor]

Originally posted by hiline+--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(hiline)</div><div class='quotemain'><!--QuoteBegin-matbor
Made up a excel speadsheet a little while back to work out if converting the disco to GAS was worth it !!

http://www.bordignons.net/disco/misc/Gas%2...0Conversion.xls (http://www.bordignons.net/disco/misc/Gas%20Conversion.xls)

Matt.

nice work there matt style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/laugh.gif

you have way to much time on your hands 8O 8O :wink:[/b][/quote]

Yep, got bored at work one day, so tried to work out if it was cheaper to convert the disco to GAS or sell it and get a diesel, in the end all of it sounded like to much work !!! style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/smile.gif

[hiline]

its really hard to imagine the fuel cost per year of running the car


but when its right in front of you it all adds up :evil: :evil: :evil:

[Ross]

thanks for the info. can any one tell me the better mods to the discovery that are worthwile doing, at the moment i have 31 10.5R15 tyres (tread is like new) it looks to have standard suspension but a body lift of approx. 2". bull bar & that is pretty much it otherwise. i have it booked in for gas in 3 weeks so that should improve the economy (its not quite as bad as i thought it would be (6kms per litre). i am thinking suspension work, larger mud terrains (if i can fit them without cutting arches etc.) possibly a rear diff lock etc.etc. i have also heard good reports of snorkels being fitted (i thought this was only necessary on diesels for going under water??). any feedback will be appreciated.

[timbo]

woah ross, slow down a little. You've only just purchased this vehicle right? I'd drive it for a few months first and make sure it is worthy of an LPG investment. That's a lot of money to spend if the car turns out to be not what you expected. Also, read about hiclone and other fuel saving devices here:

http://www.fuelsaving.info/debunk.htm

[igould]

According to the Cars Guide in Melb Herald Sun 29/07, it will be some time before we need to stress too much about increases in excise.
I quote:
"The cost-saving picture will change from 2011 when the Federal Government will begin to phase in an excise on LPG. The excise will start at 2.5 cents a litre and increase by 2.5 cents a litre for the following four years until it reaches a total of 12.5 cents a litre, where the Government has said it will be fixed.
That compares with the 38 cents the Government adds to the price of a litre of petrol.
To offset the introduction of the excise, the Government will offer owners a rebate of $1000 for new vehicles converted in the next three years."
I'm not sure if you can access the whole article on the web (I can't find it) but I can scan it and email it if you like. It talks about cost savings and choosing an installer, among other things.
Given that they are predicting ULP prices will hit $2.00/litre by Christmas, a total of 12.5c/litre still sounds cheap.
My only beef with the conversion is that my range (97 Disco) is 300-320km with the LPG scuba tanks (approx 70 litres), and maybe 150km if I'm lucky on the piddly little tank of ULP that I've got.
The twin scuba tanks are between the chassis rails, with a sheet metal screen over (under?) them, so they are well protected from damage.
All things considered, an LPG conversion should pay for itself fairly quickly.

Cheers,
Ian

[matbor]

This is what the back of the disco looks like with tanks in the boot !!

http://disco.bordignons.net/images/aulro/disco%20on%20gas%20backF.jpg


and this is how the American's do it !!

http://i.pbase.com/v3/99/343999/2/47201147.IMG_7621.jpg

Matt.

[MacMan]

Talk about walking around with a bomb in your pocket!