Running my Vauxhall Astra on veg oil

mikey72

worried_jim wrote: »

Picking up the new wheels in 1 hours time! What have I done?

So, what's it like.
Did you knock him down?

worried_jim

He sold it to someone else last night at 10pm. So I have just been to test drive two others- Merc C180 auto and a Rover 620SLI.
I like autos but this Merc just felt wrong and the engine rattled a bit (I guess timing chain) although it did have a dvd player (deal clincher). It obviously belonged to a smoker as it stank and the beige interior was filthy.
Onto the Rover, first car I ever bought for proper money was a J plate '91 214si for £5k in the mid 90's and I loved it until, yes you are right, the head gasket went. So I was a little hesitant to go with a Rover again, but this one has the 2000cc Honda engine and was lovely to drive, very smooth and went like !!!! of a shovel when I booted it. It has plenty of toys and aircon and it all works.
The down side to it is the lacquer on the bright green paintwork has worn off on the some of the roof and boot lid so it looks patchy. There is a small burn mark on the rear seat on the drivers side and the radio is missing a button-but works (although no cd).
They have just put a years MOT on it today and I picked it up an hour ago for £495. So far I am very happy with it but wont know for sure until I get it taxed next week and take it out for a proper good thrash.

This was the advert-


· 1997 (P reg)
· Saloon
· Mileage
· Manual
· 2.0L
· Petrol

4 Doors, Manual, Saloon, Petrol, Metallic Blue, MOT-02-2013. Honda engined, ABS, Alloy wheels, Folding rear seats, Lumbar support, Immobiliser, Passenger airbag, Rear armrest, Radio/Cassette, Rear headrests, Alloy wheels, 3x3 point rear seat belts, Alarm, Body coloured bumpers, Drivers airbag, Front electric windows, Front head restraints, Height adjustable drivers seat, Remote central locking, Trip computer, Audio remote control, Electric door mirrors, Heated door mirrors, Rear electric windows, Steering wheel rake adjustment. Insurance Group:12, £495 p/x welcome

Rolandtheroadie

Excellent. Never had a 600 series one, was more 800's but always liked them.
Cant go far wrong with a years ticket on it. What you think of the new style MOT receipt?

worried_jim

scotsman4th wrote: »

Excellent. Never had a 600 series one, was more 800's but always liked them.
Cant go far wrong with a years ticket on it. What you think of the new style MOT receipt?

When I got it home I started ploughing through all the old paper work and was looking for the MOT which the salesman said he'd put in the handbook for me and I couldn't find it anywhere except for this white A4 sheet which at first I thought was an MOT receipt and I was thinking I would have to drive back to the car lot and pick it up- but a quick search on Google and this is in-fact the new MOT with the advisories on there as well. Panic over.

The car is great, a friend has just looked it over and can't believe it was £495 with 12 months MOT and he said, "that less than a tenner a week for a car with a years MOT"- a very good way of looking at it.

I've had the bonnet up and everything seems to be in order, checked the dipstick and the oil is pretty new and filled correctly, the tyres whilst not brand new have thousands of miles left in them. I think the aircon will need gassing though but that can wait for the warmer weather. Found two pens, a pencil, cigarette filers and sweet wrapper so I will also take to the Czech car wash for a £12 mini valet soon.

The advisories on the MOT are-
3x upper suspension arm ball joint dust cover deteriorated, but preventing the ingress of dirt.

Checking through the service history it had it cambelt done @ 79,000 and it has 118,000 on the clock now.

patman99

You will certainly notice the huge drain on your pocket with a 2.0Ltr petrol car over your old diesel.
The Honda-engined Rovers are nice cars. They tend to be good at resisting the rust as well.

If you have a garage nearby that sells LPG and you do 10k miles a year, have a 3 day driving holiday in Holland and whilst over there, get your motor converted. They charge 60% of what you would pay in the UK.

As for black diesel, it is very experimental as each drum of waste fluids will contain a different mix of engine oil, brake fluid and transmission oil. The secret is in adding just enough white spirit to thin it to the same consistantcy as diesel, before filtering it down to 10 microns (normal diesel is only filtered to 15 microns). A lot of garages make it and add it to the tanks of their recovery vehicles.
Never thought of using it for heating oil though.

mikey72

The 620 is the Accord isn't it?

RobinDyer

It will most definitely work if your car usually runs on diesel. A friend of mine at work used to run his diesel van on Vegetable oil and never once used proper fuel, I remember him telling me that it works providing your vehicle is a diesel.

Farzackerly

RobinDyer wrote: »

It will most definitely work if your car usually runs on diesel. A friend of mine at work used to run his diesel van on Vegetable oil and never once used proper fuel, I remember him telling me that it works providing your vehicle is a diesel.

No sheet? And here's me thinking the whole thread was about pixie dust.

colino

The 620 was a very under-rated car. Make sure you get the gunge out in the mud trap behind the back wheels and silicone spray the runners for the windows as the mechanisms bend like toffee.
Great motorway cruisers but surprisingly bad in the snow and ice.

worried_jim

patman99 wrote: »

You will certainly notice the huge drain on your pocket with a 2.0Ltr petrol car over your old diesel.
The Honda-engined Rovers are nice cars. They tend to be good at resisting the rust as well.

Fortunately for me I do about 50 miles a week so fuel cost won't be huge.