Reply to: Oil/Petrol Prices

[wim121]

Fingers crossed petrol prices dont go any crazier, otherwise I'll have to LPG it.

You're too late for LPG.

A few years back it was just under half the price of petrol and a good option. LPG systems get a lower mpg than petrol, how much lower depends on whether it is a carb, single point injection or multi point.

The reason why it is a less appealing option is that every year LPG is sold, as well as the standard duty raise each year, 1p more is added in duty to LPG making the gap between LPG and petrol less each year.

You may get your money back on the conversion in coming years depending on the vehicle, but it is a less profitable option than years past.

[Paddy]

Yes. If you look after the engine these days it's easy to get 150k out of a petrol engine. Saabs regularly make over 200k
on their petrol engines.

We picked up a v8 petrol discovery 3 a few years ago it's now done 120k (had 80 on the clock when we got it) drives like new and if you get a 1000k bill occasionally then it's no problem because you aren't paying 600 a month on a car loan.

At the moment I'd go for a xf s with the supcharged engine. there's 1 year old cars on the market with 20k off the starting price...

If you refer to the engine being the cylinder block and head, then they are reliable for a good 200k however if you refer to the engine as a whole and include the injection system and sensors; then the engines are less reliable than pre year 2000 cars. There are many 01 to 05 cars sent to the scrap heap at less than 80k miles due to sensor failures and the cost of repairs. The so called greener engines are not really green when a car has to be dumped prematurely because some CO2 sensor malfunctions

[bless 'em all]

I thought it was because its crap, and expensive.

Don't forget unreliable and run for the benefit of the shareholders.

[Freamon]

Nows definitely the time to buy a gas guzzler... Just picked up a 2005 83k mileage Jaguar S-Type R, 400bhp 4.2 supercharged for less than 6k - was a 50k car new (without any options).

Fingers crossed petrol prices dont go any crazier, otherwise I'll have to LPG it.

I used to have an LPG car and found it very good for cheap long distance motorway driving. But LPG was 30p/litre in those days.

[lilelvis2000]

This is the main reason public transport is not popular outside of London. It is class or social status.

They may try to indoctrinate us that we are all the same now days, but being thrown together on a cattle cart clearly shows we are not.

I thought it was because its crap, and expensive.

[escapeUK]

The idea is a good one but you don't get the same quality of people as you do in say Sweden, finland or germany using the public transport

This is the main reason public transport is not popular outside of London. It is class or social status.

They may try to indoctrinate us that we are all the same now days, but being thrown together on a cattle cart clearly shows we are not.

[bobspud]

And petrol engine will run just fine after 83k miles?

Yes. If you look after the engine these days it's easy to get 150k out of a petrol engine. Saabs regularly make over 200k
on their petrol engines.

We picked up a v8 petrol discovery 3 a few years ago it's now done 120k (had 80 on the clock when we got it) drives like new and if you get a 1000k bill occasionally then it's no problem because you aren't paying 600 a month on a car loan.

At the moment I'd go for a xf s with the supcharged engine. there's 1 year old cars on the market with 20k off the starting price...

[d000hg]

And petrol engine will run just fine after 83k miles?

A modern one should do double that just fine.

[wim121]

I am starting to fly more often to London, cos I am so close to airport I can't see the point in paying the same amount for a train which makes me feel sick when I am on it.

How much does it cost one way from mancs to lets say gatwick please?

I might need to at some point in the future, get from gatwick back up to the NW. Train is going to be £95 pp, ouch!

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

In my area a bit north of you, it is drunk scots urinating in the carriages here ..... God I hate the putrid smell of festering special brew left behind by the twunts ....

Next time Im using public transport I think is when I go down to london next, but that's not for months, as it's cheaper on an advanced saver fare and easier as well.

I am starting to fly more often to London, cos I am so close to airport I can't see the point in paying the same amount for a train which makes me feel sick when I am on it.

[wim121]

They are expanding the metro link in Manchester to chorlton and onwards through wythenshawe and to the airport. The fact it goes through those areas is likely to put me off as the last few times I used the tram I was not best pleased to see drunks and fare dodgers. The idea is a good one but you don't get the same quality of people as you do in say Sweden, finland or germany using the public transport

In my area a bit north of you, it is drunk scots urinating in the carriages here ..... God I hate the putrid smell of festering special brew left behind by the twunts ....

Next time Im using public transport I think is when I go down to london next, but that's not for months, as it's cheaper on an advanced saver fare and easier as well.

[NorthWestPerm2Contr]

They are expanding the metro link in Manchester to chorlton and onwards through wythenshawe and to the airport. The fact it goes through those areas is likely to put me off as the last few times I used the tram I was not best pleased to see drunks and fare dodgers. The idea is a good one but you don't get the same quality of people as you do in say Sweden, finland or germany using the public transport

[wim121]

I think the roads are gridlocked because there is no decent alternative so people will drive almost regardless of the cost.

Exactly. Lets be realistic everyone, our infrastructure is complete and utterly tulip.

Look at other countries like France or Germany with high speed rail links or Eastern countries like Japan with the bullet train, engineered by us!

Yet we have a shrinking instead of expanding rail infrastructure that hasnt had much major rejuvenation since the victorians supplied it. Sure we try a project like the west coast mainline, but spend billions fluffing it up.

If public transport was far cheaper and feasible, people would use it more. But it isnt.

I would love to get public transport to gigs, but rarely have.
Buses are disgusting, slow smelly things, my local train service is good, but there isn't sufficient parking at/near the station, and cycling/walking are only for those lucky enough to gig really near home.

I have to agree that fuel isn't that expensive really. My last gig was 35 miles each way.
My car does 35mpg (not that great) so at £6.30 each way, not really a big deal. If you own the car anyway, most of the other costs are covered.

Some gigs, I don't have an option as I need a car/van to carry my tools/equipment.

But yes, for most gigs, I would be fine with public transport. But my public transport doesnt start in the mornings until 7:30am and takes 1hr 40mins to do a 30 min rush hour car trip. That means if I have to be on client co site by 9am, I am already late. Some gigs, I need to start at 8am or perhaps a touch earlier. Public transport isnt even an option for me.

It has got worse since free bus passes. One of my friends, used to be a bus driver and when the free bus passes came in, they nearly forced a large local operator out of business. The only way they managed to save the business is by axing routes and decreasing frequency of buses making it less appealing for any commuters. The main problem they had was the operator would submit claims for the amount of free passes used and in some cases, it took the council over two years to pay the bill. That is unacceptable when an operator needs to pay wages, fuel and maintenance. They cant survive on broken promises.

This could be seen before the passes came in and I was fiercely against them and still am.

There's no cheaper way I can get to work, and it's not like I can not work.

Indeed, as top gear said, we arent all on the roads at 8am just to be awkward! Whatever happened to government promises for incentives for companies to promote telecommuting?

Don't public transport vehicles get an exemption or something, the way boats and farm vehicles do? If not, they damn well should.

I'm not sure they do get red diesel. Farm vehicles definitely do. Every time fuel gets hiked up due to duty, bus and train fares go up.

If you can think of another way to drive traffic levels back to the 90s then Im all for it. People managed then, with the bus or they walked.

Our town and city layout simply does not accommodate public transport over driving with the exception of London.

However that is the failing of our MP's. They are such cretins that they jump on the tube and think "this is great, why would anyone want to drive?" but they fail to acknowledge that isnt how the rest of the UK works.

Also I wish to ask, why the hell should traffic levels go back down?

The UK has grown in population size significantly since the 90's. Labour tried to say we were driving more to mask the fact they let so many immigrants in to the country. Why shouldn't we drive? Unless you live in a major city, it is the only way to get around.

What is so wrong with driving? All we need is better roads. Why shouldnt we drive? Roads have been around since the dawn of time. They are not evil or a nuisance but make life far more convenient. Nowadays, it is a necessity. My grocery shopping for instance takes one and a half hours to do by car. By public transport, it takes five hours and I cannot carry as much either.

Back in the early half of last century, when a homemaker stayed home with the kids and popped down the road to the butchers in the daytime, the husband working at the local factory, one could argue they didnt need a car at all and many coped without.

However nowadays our town centres resemble Bosnia, dirty hovels boarded up and people have to travel further for work. A job for life is a long distant dream. A car is necessary for most.

We pay on average over £120 per year in road taxes. That amount of money is enough to pay for wages and materials for a council to resurface 24sq/m of road surface (look at planing cost) for each driver. According to the DepOfTransport there are over 31m cars in the UK, so enough money to resurface 744m sq/m or simplified or 462,300 square miles of road. Considering the entire size of the UK is 94,060 square miles and the roads far less in size than that, then one has to wonder if roads arent being resurfaced, built, expanded or even gritted properly in winter where all our tax money is going?

[AtW]

Alas sas only got up to ecomonics 27. And he has forgotten all of those.

sas can't even buy a laptop without asking IT forum to help him out ...

[BrilloPad]

Economics 101 - demand for petrol is not elastic.

That's why Govts love to tax it because it gives very predictable revenues which makes them look smart as predicting what will happen.

Alas sas only got up to ecomonics 27. And he has forgotten all of those.