I will be looking for a replacement vehicle in the next few months.
I want to buy a dual fuel vehicle with a factory fitted LPG system. I want to attend a few auctions and see what availability and roughly what price they fetch, ideally the vehicle will be not more than 3 years old.
I live in the Thames Valley , can anyone suggest which auctions to attend ?
Secondly, would it be worthwhile to subscribe to BCA Auction View ?
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Well there's a BCA at Camberley, which will have a lot of ex-fleet cars going through. I wouldn't bother with Auction View, because you'll end up falling in love with a car, and not bothering to have a decent look when you're at the actual sale. Go to a few sales before you bid as well, just to get used to the auction atmosphere. Set a maximum price (about the book price for a trade-in - you could buy Parkers Guide, but it's sometimes miles out), and don't go over that price, because there'll always be another car you want later in the day, or at another sale.
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Greg, cheers for that.
I intend to attend a few before considering a purchase. I'm a shift worker and get plenty of time off in midweek.
I wanted to try and get an idea of which auctions would be best to attend from the monthly list published on this site.
Which auction could I expect to find the most number of LPG's ?
Or is it a case that they are not so frequent so it means just waiting and being patient ?
Looking at Ebay it would seem only Vauxhall and Volvo actually do factory fitted..
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Toddling along to auctions tin the hope of finding an LPG car means you will be going to a lot of auctions. They are rare, so patience is called for,
Why do you want an LPG car?
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TourVanMan TM < Ex RF >
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I want an LPG to save money on fuel costs. I estimate I will do 20K Miles PA in my new job and I would like to buy a motorway cruiser, say 3ltr, and get diesel mileage costs .
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Fuel economy, diesel type costs, probably acceleration. Hmmm how about a diesel.
VX have the 3.0 diesel but many others such as VW/Audi 2.5/3.0. Once you try a diesel with lots of torque the LPG idea may vanish. True cost per mile for a decent diesel of even 2.0l capacity could be better than a poor performing petrol/LPG.
Will get shot down in flames no doubt... of course something like a Jeep Grand Cherokee V8 with LPG might be okay.
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Highway, don´t believe the hype about halving your fuel costs - bear in mind that the real saving will be nearer 20-25% with LPG.
A few questions that you might not have considered - what´s the LPG availability like in you area? what´s the gas capacity of your chosen LPG car(donut tank in the tyrewell or big tank in the boot?) If it´s the donut one, can you cope with filling it every 180 miles? Can you afford to lose the bootspace if it´s the big tank?
I am in no way anti LPG, having run one for a couple of years.
I *think* drivers of the Vauxhall factory dual-fuel cars have had some pretty major problems with that installation.
Regards,
barchettaman
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I too think you'll be hard pushed to find an LPG in the right condition/spec/make & model from an auction. A searchable site like eBay might be worth investigating.
Still, no harm in going to an auction to get an idea. Bought my last from BCA Blackbushe and am going back again soon.
I note many people ask how much a they can buy a car in a specific colour/make/model/spec/milage bla bla and auctions just aren't the place. IMO you have to go to auctions with a flexible approach - even different makes. I'll be looking at Mondeos, C5's and possibly another make that I won't mention here ;-)
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Bear in mind that LPG may only cost 50p a litre, but fuel consumption is increased dramatically when using LPG. Is still cheaper in the long-term, and that V6 roar is a much nicer sound than diesel clatter.
Quite a few Vectras about with the extra fuel-filler, but that's possibly not what you're looking for. How about buying a dirt-cheap big V6 at auction (the residuals are appaling because nobody wants them), and getting it professionally converted by a reputable place? The added bonus is you can buy what you want, and choose who does the LPG conversion. When it's converted you get a certificate which you can take to your local DVLA office, and get cheaper road tax.
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"When it's converted you get a certificate which you can take to your local DVLA office, and get cheaper road tax."
Is this the case. I have never heard of this. Which cars are eligible for this discount?
Greg
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Those first registered since 2001 which have emissions-based road-tax. "Alternative fuelled cars" get a £10 annual reduction on road-tax ...the conversion has to have been done by a proper place as far as I'm aware.
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Brother-in-law has an LPG Omega. He's had trouble both with the LPG part of the fuelling system itself (£1,700 repair, IIRC) and with valves burning out ,which his repair chap said was not uncommon with higher mileage LPG cars (£1,000 IIRC again).
Rather took the joy out of marginally cheaper fuel costs per mile...
V
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I would suggest you do get an auctionview account, only a few quid.
You can do a search on 'FUEL TYPE' ...LPG.
It will then list all LPG cars going through the auction & will save you wasted trips.
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Why not give Joe Dowd (Auction Buyer) a call and see whether he can help you?
I've never used his services myself but I do know that others in the BR speak very highly of him.
www.auctioncarbuyer.co.uk
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You might try www.woma.co.uk & check out their Police sales - BCA & Manheim also sell Police stockhem too - as quite a number of Constabulary fleet run them.
& the Protons from the North East forces were available for £400 ish - but better to find a Vauxhall Astra.
VB
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