The Death of Diesel (and petrol?)

[Bert]

Hello fellow Travellers, Land Cruiser owners and the like.

There’s a lot of talk lately in the news regarding the high levels of pollution being experienced in cities across the UK, Europe and some other parts of the world. While none of this is new, fingers are now being clearly focused upon the private owners of vehicles (easy targets?) with the primary focus placed upon diesels, and no doubt petrol will follow.

This puts me a little on edge and conflicts with my way of thinking, after all I love the Great Outdoors and obviously don’t want it fu*ked beyond all repair, but I am fortunate to own two vehicles, my beloved ancient and very faithful ’96 Land Cruiser, and my trusty old (2005) Ford Focus Estate. Both of them feed on diesel. Lately (currently) I am looking into spending some hard earned cash on my LC, namely new tires and new suspension, probably to the tune of around £1,200.00 give or take. Eventually I’d probably spend a couple more grand on the old Gal because I’d like for her to take the Good Woman and I on a few adventures before our roaming days are reduced to racing zimmer’s across the laminate floor cackling insanely.

My question is, is all this time, effort and expenditure worth it? And as I’m writing this, I’m starting to think that yes it bloody well is. I may be forced to scrap both of my cars by some sort of Government decree in the near future, but for now I should lavish some cash on her that ultimately with prove to be wasted. I’m getting on in life, time is short, and if I hang about too long it would’ve all past me by and I’d be left thinking “I wish I had……blah, blah”.

Anyway, I was wondering what some of you people think about all this? How is current environmental and political thinking impacting on your decisions regarding future purchases, build projects, travel plans etc? Are you secretly thinking (like I am) that at some point some clever Lab Johnny will have invented a flux capacitor type engine that will slot straight in the whole where my diesel used to be with a range of 10,000 miles or more? Have I just gone mad with the extreme levels of pollution fogging up my brain?

Let me know what you think if you can be bothered with it all. I’m off for a cup of tea.

Cheers,

Simon (aka Bert)

 

[ByronJ]

Hello fellow Travellers, Land Cruiser owners and the like.

There’s a lot of talk lately in the news regarding the high levels of pollution being experienced in cities across the UK, Europe and some other parts of the world. While none of this is new, fingers are now being clearly focused upon the private owners of vehicles (easy targets?) with the primary focus placed upon diesels, and no doubt petrol will follow.

This puts me a little on edge and conflicts with my way of thinking, after all I love the Great Outdoors and obviously don’t want it fu*ked beyond all repair, but I am fortunate to own two vehicles, my beloved ancient and very faithful ’96 Land Cruiser, and my trusty old (2005) Ford Focus Estate. Both of them feed on diesel. Lately (currently) I am looking into spending some hard earned cash on my LC, namely new tires and new suspension, probably to the tune of around £1,200.00 give or take. Eventually I’d probably spend a couple more grand on the old Gal because I’d like for her to take the Good Woman and I on a few adventures before our roaming days are reduced to racing zimmer’s across the laminate floor cackling insanely.

My question is, is all this time, effort and expenditure worth it? And as I’m writing this, I’m starting to think that yes it bloody well is. I may be forced to scrap both of my cars by some sort of Government decree in the near future, but for now I should lavish some cash on her that ultimately with prove to be wasted. I’m getting on in life, time is short, and if I hang about too long it would’ve all past me by and I’d be left thinking “I wish I had……blah, blah”.

Anyway, I was wondering what some of you people think about all this? How is current environmental and political thinking impacting on your decisions regarding future purchases, build projects, travel plans etc? Are you secretly thinking (like I am) that at some point some clever Lab Johnny will have invented a flux capacitor type engine that will slot straight in the whole where my diesel used to be with a range of 10,000 miles or more? Have I just gone mad with the extreme levels of pollution fogging up my brain?

Let me know what you think if you can be bothered with it all. I’m off for a cup of tea.

Cheers,

Simon (aka Bert)

Simon. You can go most places with a stock 1996 Cruiser. So my advice would be to do the minimum work required to your Land Cruiser and go adventuring in it as soon as you can.

 

[frank rabbets]

Legislation is rarely retrospective so I expect as a general rule we will always be able to tax and drive our old cruisers. However in the polluted cities they may be banned but I doubt the ban will be widespread. If you already live in such a city I would have thought you would be exempt, the authorities just waiting for all the old trucks to just die out.

 

[fbnss]

I was reading somewhere yesterday that the recent increase in pollution in cities like London was more due to the popularity of wood burners.

 

[Chas]

"I’m getting on in life, time is short, and if I hang about too long it would’ve all past me by and I’d be left thinking “I wish I had……blah, blah”.

Mark Twain said it all with "years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour and catch the trade winds in your sails, explore, dream and discover"

In my later years that is what I've tried to do, so no expense is spared as far as my 80 is concerned, it is my pleasure while I'm still here to enjoy it. As with money in the bank, you can't take it with you, if it was possible my 80 would be my coffin.

EDIT
I've got no children to leave my riches to Haha, to so why not spend it.

 

[Shayne]

Few laws in this regard are retrospective because they have to at least pretend they give a damn about the people who made them rich . Telling me i can't go to Paris or London is like telling me i can't go to prison so who cares .

Engines are getting smaller because they are tuned to the point of self destruction then digitally managed to prevent detonation .

Hence my quandary about getting an 80 , i do prefer my swb90 but i feel the 80's bus engine gives it a better chance of it lasting me until the end of my days .

I reckon its a bit like home insulation , they wanted everyone to have it and a bit of scare mongering proved hugely profitable , then it stopped so they brought in laws to force tenancy landlords to insulate . But they couldn't force private homeowners so instead they bribed them and offered to do it for free .

Aside from the profits from manufacture and installation less power to run each and every home must have proved hugely profitable for the powers that be because nobodies bills went down .

Ask yourself how long will it take them to rid us of diesel and petrol stations ? i won't be buying a Prius in my life time

 

[fbnss]

EDIT
I've got no children to leave my riches to Haha, to so why not spend it.

You know i've always looked up to you as a father figure Chas

 

[Chas]

You know i've always looked up to you as a father figure Chas

That wouldn't be a hint would it?

 

[Julian T]

I was reading somewhere yesterday that the recent increase in pollution in cities like London was more due to the popularity of wood burners.

I read the same thing, and the other day while sitting in the canteen the BBC news propaganda was on and there was a discussion about the fact that the air pollution was not entirely down to vehicles, it did not sit well with the presenters to all appearances.

 

[Rob Cowell]

I think this will be both retrospective, and aimed at all vehicles, private and public. The recent news is Westminster council making diesel vehicles pay 50% more than petrol for parking. London already has a Low Emissions Zone (which is most of Greater London) where pre 2001 commercial vehicles, including "commerical" variants of 4x4s are charged £100/day, or £200/day for big commercials.

But I think it'll be a while before we get punative charges on diesel because of the particulate pollution. It would have too much effect on the cost of goods in rural areas. I think it'll come, but it'll be city charges that come first.

 

[Paulpen]

I know what you are thinking as im a bit of the same while im looking to buy so do i go down the petrol or diesel route.
If you go petrol it certainly wont get made cheaper even though they claim its now the cleaner fuel so you will need lpg. Will that go up - who knows but its still some good money to convert to it !

At the end of the day like others have said they cant really do much retrospectivly as if you cant asfford to replace a diesel that you currently have what do they expect you to do ?
Much like the scrappage scheme they can encourage you as much as possible or they can increase parking etc but they cant charge you more tax on an older vehicle or its fuel source overnight or they would have a single VED band already

 

[Michael Montgomery]

There are alternative hybrid systems being introduced for cars including the landcruiser soon. These are at the experimental stage on conversions added to combustion engines including diesel or petrol. So I wouldn't be too concerned right now because humans are very inventive & creative.
This along with the electric car revolution that's here now there still plenty of years left for these older vehicles.

Enjoy

 

[frank rabbets]

I don't remember Mark Twain going on about this. Is he a member of the forum ?

 

[chapel gate]

They should make it cost prohibitive for people to leave the republic of london..

 

[flint]

Perhaps it’ll go the same way as tobacco, plain buildings with no trade marks on them and warning messages by the hidden nozzles. Interesting that Shell have been busy selling off oil fields.
There’s no way that internal combustion engines could be replaced by electric power for quite a while unless more generation is available.
It’s not the first time city pollution was a problem, then the answer was......the internal combustion engine: http://www.historic-uk.com/HistoryUK/HistoryofBritain/Great-Horse-Manure-Crisis-of-1894/

 

[Bert]

Simon. You can go most places with a stock 1996 Cruiser. So my advice would be to do the minimum work required to your Land Cruiser and go adventuring in it as soon as you can.

Hello Byron. I'm in line with that thinking. There are some engine parts that I'll be replacing, but only new for old, and maybe some mods in the back for camping gear etc. I suppose the only upgrade to speak of is replacing the original suspension with Pedders, and putting new shoes on her. Apart from that, I don't think I'll do much more than general maintenance and the the like.

 

[Bert]

Legislation is rarely retrospective so I expect as a general rule we will always be able to tax and drive our old cruisers. However in the polluted cities they may be banned but I doubt the ban will be widespread. If you already live in such a city I would have thought you would be exempt, the authorities just waiting for all the old trucks to just die out.

Thank fully I don't live in a city, and to be honest, these are not the sort of places I generally visit anyway. Too crowded and busy for my liking. As long as we can skirt around them, all is good.

 

[Bert]

I read the same thing, and the other day while sitting in the canteen the BBC news propaganda was on and there was a discussion about the fact that the air pollution was not entirely down to vehicles, it did not sit well with the presenters to all appearances.

I can't believe that you are suggesting that the BBC aren't anything but impartial! Shock, horror, cough......

 

[Bert]

There are alternative hybrid systems being introduced for cars including the landcruiser soon. These are at the experimental stage on conversions added to combustion engines including diesel or petrol. So I wouldn't be too concerned right now because humans are very inventive & creative.
This along with the electric car revolution that's here now there still plenty of years left for these older vehicles.

Enjoy

The engine bay of an electric EJ79 apparently.....

 

[ByronJ]

Hello Byron. I'm in line with that thinking. There are some engine parts that I'll be replacing, but only new for old, and maybe some mods in the back for camping gear etc. I suppose the only upgrade to speak of is replacing the original suspension with Pedders, and putting new shoes on her. Apart from that, I don't think I'll do much more than general maintenance and the the like.

Sounds a good plan to me. I have Pedders suspension on my '94 cruiser and am very happy with it. The other mod you might like to consider is a second fuel tank. It is so much better than messing about carrying extra fuel in cans. I have gravity auxiliary tanks on both my cars and am very pleased with them.

Here is a link talking about a tank I fitted recently:

/https://www.landcruiserclub.net/community/threads/simple-and-effective-auxiliary-fuel-tank.146770/

The tank is working well and my range is over now over 800 miles