Need some purchase advice

[Bluntman]

I'm new to the forum and just wanted some advice from anyone that has a shorty on gas.

I'm looking to buy something between 88 and 92 but not sure if I should go diesel or petrol/gas. Is there anyone on here that has one but wished they had the other? Obviously the petrol/gas would be cheaper to run but is having the diesel worth the extra expense off road?
I'm told the diesels get about 600kms from an 80L tank, any idea what the petrol/gas ones range is?

Any help would be greatly appreciated. I plan on keeping the car a fair while and using it as a daily driver but also as a capable 4WD with regular off road use, and I love the look of the shorties.

[Bigrig]

Hey mate - mines not a shorty, but last one was Diesel, and my current patrol is dual fuel (petrol/LPG) - depending where you live and where you go would be the reason to go for one or the other. Personally, having had both, I'd now stick with the dual fuel setup. But if you are travelling outback etc a fair bit (or live out there), then LPG is a bit hit and miss to find, and as said, diesel is not only available pretty much everywhere, but economical to run. There are power benefits to petrol over diesel, but most never find this an issue (i.e. immediate power upon throttle when 4wd'ing etc). Others on the forum will come back to you with more also I'm sure ... you might want to let eveyone know where you are and what you intend to do with the vehicle and that'll make the decision a bit easier to diagnose ...

All the best

[Bluntman]

Thanks for the advice mate, you're the sort of person I wanted to hear from. So why do you prefer the petrol/gas over the diesel? And how much mileage to get on gas?

The car will be a daily driver but I also want it as a serious 4WD. It'll be used for days out bush but also camping trips away but no longer than a days drive to the destination and a few days of 4WDing while there.

[Bigrig]

Thanks for the advice mate, you're the sort of person I wanted to hear from. So why do you prefer the petrol/gas over the diesel? And how much mileage to get on gas?

The car will be a daily driver but I also want it as a serious 4WD. It'll be used for days out bush but also camping trips away but no longer than a days drive to the destination and a few days of 4WDing while there.

Thanks mate - plenty like me on here, I was just the lucky one to answer first ...
The 'fuel debate' is a pretty personal one - my preference for the petrol is only because I know (a little) my way around a petrol engine and hence can usually get things going if it goes to poo out in the middle of nowhere - can't say the same for a diesel for myself. The compromise was the LPG, and depending on the box you get, the fuel performance will vary - the funny thing is that the EFI engine performs better on fuel from a strict consumption point of view than the carby, but the carby performs better on LPG!!! Even though you get may crap mileage from LPG (around 400 open highway driving on a 90 litre tank on mine, but it is 18 years old and that's the sort of age bracket you are talking), the fact is, LPG costs on average 2.3 times less than unleaded and/or diesel which makes the economics of the discussion a mute point (financially speaking, not consumption figures) - example - Car A gets 800klms from a 90 litre tank at $1.39 per litre ($125.10 to fill - 8.22 klms per $1.00 spent - 11.25 litres per 100 which is bloody good) and Car B (mine using the numbers above) on LPG gets 400klms from a 90 litre tank at 58.9cents per litre ($53.01 to fill - 7.55klms per $1.00 spent - 22.5 litres per 100 which is bloody ordinary) - using those numbers, any man is his right mind would go for Car A thinking of the costs, but for that age of engine to be getting those figures, you are probably talking a 2.8 or 3.0 TD which are (without work, yes I know everyone on the forum is ready to give me a blasting!!! lol) slugs at best. Car B might be crap on mileage due to the fact it's a 4.2ltre, 6 cylinder engine, but when you compare the prices of the fuel used, the figures aren't that much out - i.e. you can have the bigger engine, more power, dual fuel etc setup and at the end of the day, are only getting 600-800 metres less distance per $1 spent - a compromise I was more than willing to make ... all that said, that is ONLY whilst LPG prices are the way they are (fuel price will pretty much always increase incrementally if not worse with LPG pricing anyway). Being that you are only looking at day tripping, LPG makes sense - if you were outback touring, I would definitely be suggesting diesel as LPG is harder to find than a straight bloke at the Sydney Mardi Gras ... I guess, if having the bigger engine is that much of an issue to you, then you are sweet either way - concentrate on finding the right rig (limited or no rust, mechanically sound, maybe some mods already done, serviced regularly, etc, etc - they are definitely out there) moreso than what engine and the decision may be made for you ... i.e. you might find the perfect setup that doesn't have LPG but is below your budget so you can install it later ... not knowing how much off roading you have done, if not much and you are starting into it, then I reckon you should definitely concentrate on getting the right rig primarily as once you get into it, you run the risk of being addicted forever and in the future there would be more chance of Hitler being voted 'International Jewish Community Man of The Year" than there would be of your missus letting you go back to the toy store (local 4WD outlet)!!!! lololol

Enough from me ... and before anyone cans me for all the information above ... no, actually ... start canning me ... I have no excuse!!! lololol

[Bigrig]

I meant to say towards the bottom "I guess, if having the bigger engine is NOT that much of an issue to you, then you are sweet either way" ... sorry

[Bigrig]

I meant to say towards the bottom there, that if having a bigger engine is NOT that much of an issue to you, then you are sweet either way ...

[Bluntman]

Thanks mate, that's really helpful. The petrol one I'm looking at is the 4.2l and running on gas. It's a tough decision. This will be my second 4WD. I'm currently in a Challenger that is pretty decked out for what it is but I want something more capable so I don't have to do chicken runs when things get tricky, and I want something that I won't care about as much if I get a few scratches or panel damage. Basicly something I can have some real fun with.

I'm lucky though, my missus is really cool. I've got a 69 Mustang that I'm rebuilding (and almost finished) and a XR5 Focus and she doesn't bust my balls about spending cash on any of my toys. In fact she is keen for me to do it and always asks lots of questions about what I'm doing and how i'm doing it.
Sorry to rub it in fellas but there are some cool chicks out there.

Thanks again for the advice Bigrig, I appreciate the time you have put in explaining yourself.

[sweet_gq]

I have an LWB dual fuel. I have put an aftermarket petrol tank in so i have 92l usable lpg and 75 usable petrol. I keep thinking i wish i had the TD42T for touring but keep reminding myself that I there isn't anywhere I haven't gone becuase of my range.

We did Cape York this year, have done Stradbroke, Fraser, Cameron Corner etc so far without an issue. Am doing Simpson next year and between Port Augusta (SA) to Uluru and Alice there is LPG everywhere.

On a recent trip to Straddie, a mate has a 2yr old Defender (110) with the 4cyc turbo diesel and we matched fuel cost on the way up - me on lpg and him on diesel. Each time we filled up we were withing a couple of $$$ even though i used way more lpg than his diesel - exactly what Bigrig was saying.

That said, i have geared mine for running LPG - colder sparkplugs with a wider gap (1.1), advanced timing to max and that has made a huge difference to LPG economy. I am now looking at plumbing in a second LPG tank to increase range for simpson. I have been told it is easy to do so just trying to source a tank to sit behind my cargo barrier.

Look, everyone has an opinion, everyone in my club say's diesel, diesel diesel and they are probably right for extreame outback touring - Canning Stockroute, Hay River. But I have done about 100,000k in mine in the past two years and the worst I have had is to run a couple of jerry's on the roof as backup.

Haven't run dry yet and been plently of places. One benefit of LPG is when we play out in litgow, if you go up or down steep inclines, you don't get fuel starve that petrol or diesel can get. Because the LPG is under pressure and gas, it just keeps flowing...

Hope it helps in some way.

B

[Bluntman]

Thanks Sweet_GQ that does help a lot. I think seeing the car will also be used daily, so the majority of use, that the petrol/gas is the way to go. It'll save me heaps on fuel using the gas around the city.

One other question, provided that both engines have been maintained properly how many km's can you expect to get out of a diesel engine and also the petrol engines?
Both the diesel and petrol/gas ones I've been looking at are around the 250-300k and am wondering if I should have a few grand put aside for a rebuild or if they go for a while longer.

[Bigrig]

Thanks Sweet_GQ that does help a lot. I think seeing the car will also be used daily, so the majority of use, that the petrol/gas is the way to go. It'll save me heaps on fuel using the gas around the city.

One other question, provided that both engines have been maintained properly how many km's can you expect to get out of a diesel engine and also the petrol engines?
Both the diesel and petrol/gas ones I've been looking at are around the 250-300k and am wondering if I should have a few grand put aside for a rebuild or if they go for a while longer.

Hey mate - properly maintained, you should be seeing mid to late 300's easy on the bigger diesel and petrol engines. You never know when you are going to get a 'lemon' as it were and no matter how well maintained, things can still go wrong, but generally speaking the $4000 or so for a full rebuild can be put aside for another 100-150 thousand klms if you pick it up around the 250 mark. Not sure about the amount you do per year, but for me, that equates to 4-5 years (easily) of driving and by then, I'll probably be in something different - you might find the same (or the full rebuild if you have enough mods and love for the truck to keep it!!).

[Bluntman]

Awesome, thanks Bigrig. I've just spent 8k getting one of my engines rebuilt and really don't want to have to go through that process again in a hurry.

[sweet_gq]

mine has done about 315k, the last 100k with gas and is due for the head/values to be done...

one of my exhaust valves is leaking

B

[mzed]

Great info

[oilpond]

RoundTown Petrol.Nearest Town=100Ks go Diesel!

Im in the latter? of that and love the idea that my car will run on baby oil if need be...

[Clunk]

Mines not a duel fuel, just petty only........ the other thing to look at is the difference in purchase price, the td4.2 are more desirable and usually command a far higher price tag, I just offset the amount I saved by buying a petrol to by fuel and other bits n pieces instead.

[93patrol]

i have the td 42 diesel now and my next rig will be a petrol, the only reason i can give is that i want one had diesel for over 10 years time to upgrade and up the hp

[timbar]

I find the petrol / gas patrols vary in consumption my diesel i had I used to get 650km to the tank and my gas i would get 200 - 320 to a 70lt tank more found very expensive to run