Might have to sell my car due to fuel costs.

[LowEL2XR8]

My beloved EL XR8 might have to find a new home.
After getting my job back and consequently paying more than I earn to daycare to cover the kids I can't afford a V8 anymore.

As with almost everyone with an EL XR8 they regret selling it. I have not advertised yet but I know I'm regretting it already. They are getting harder and harder to find in good condition and when I am able to get another one it will be extremely rare to get a good one.

I'll be posting it up for sale next week when I work out the finer details.

Until she goes she will get some great attention to detail.

[OzJavelin]

Have a GOOD think about this. Will you actually be saving money after the changeover? i.e. buying another car, paying for all the transfer etc .. will the fuel savings cover this in a "reasonable" period?

Unless you plan on walking or taking a bus I'd be checking the numbers ..

[rag top]

have you claimed the child care rebate?

http://www.mychild.gov.au/childcarerebate/

[Mr Hardware]

if you can't afford to keep an EL then you best be in an excel, not just a 6.

[CODSASR]

Originally Posted by rag top

have you claimed the child care rebate?

http://www.mychild.gov.au/childcarerebate/

As far as I know you get up to $7,500 per child per year and it doesnt matter what your income is......

sugest checking it out if you havent alredy

[LowEL2XR8]

Yes we do get a rebate for childcare. Every 3 months but I've only just gone back to work so I have to wait until the end of April. The changeover should only be the transfer fee. I plan on getting the same price car or slightly cheaper.
I need a car that can take 3 baby seats in the back. I already have a BF Wagon but both my wife and I pick up the kids and drop them off to daycare so I need a large car too.
My EL XR8 has to run on Ultimate 98 for the tune its on. It can go on Premium as well if I flick the tune switch over. But its still expensive. I think I'd be saving 10-15 dollars a week going down to a 6 cylinder Falcon.

I was hoping to go to a BF Falcon. The amount of fuel saved over a year should be a fair amount. I can get 150 to 200 ks more from a 6 cylinder per tank. Maybe thats a bit generous so maybe around 100-150ks per tank.

Peryear thats a fair amount.

[Mr Hardware]

So saving $500 a year is worth changing cars over?

[CODSASR]

would converting the xr8 to gas give you much savings?

do the gov still have the gas rebate?

[LowEL2XR8]

Yes; $500 a year is a lot of money to me.

Converting to gas costs too much now. I wouldn't consider it on my XR8.

[b0son]

Originally Posted by LowEL2XR8

My EL XR8 has to run on Ultimate 98 for the tune its on. It can go on Premium as well if I flick the tune switch over. But its still expensive. I think I'd be saving 10-15 dollars a week going down to a 6 cylinder Falcon.

If your finances are so tight that $10-15pw is the difference between breaking even or going backwards, I'd go straight past the 6cyl and get a small 4cyl runabout.

You should allow for prices to go up further.

[The Yeti]

BBQ Fuel is your freind Julia will pay for the conversion and it will be cheaper to run than the 6cyl falcon and and here is the kicker

you get to keep the XL XR8

[Bushbasher]

If you're going to do it, then you'd me mad not to look at LPG. Look at it like this; How much fuel money does it cost you to drive 100km? personally, I pay less than $10 in fuel costs to go that far and that's in a Fairlane. Your XR8 will be costing more than that and any petrol powered 6 will still be more than that. And with the way it's looking like petrol prices are going to go for the next who knows how long, the gap between LPG and Petrol prices is only going to widen.

[Road_Warrior]

Damn right I'd be getting it LPG converted.

[XRGhia]

Yeap, BBQ fuel FTW!


then the saying "Gas, Grass Or ***, no-one rides for free" will work once gas is on it

[Bushbasher]

I'm not suggesting converting your XR8 but you'd be able to get a nice dual fuel late model Falcon 6 if you sold the EL privately and used the cash to buy again

[RAPID_BA]

You wouldnt want to ruin a el xr8 by adding lpg to it. Just get the 6 if you want less performance.

I have a guy who would swap you his el futura 1 owner mint cond for a el xr8 in equally good condition, might even be a cash sweetener your way

[LowEL2XR8]

Unfortunately I don't have the $3500 to convert to gas initially.
I pay about $1245 a week in day care costs. I have to wait 3 months before I can get half of that back. In the meantime our rapidly reducing savings offsetting our homelone means we are paying a lot more in interest as well.
I really have no idea how bad it is until after tax time when we see how much we have to pay back family assitance for what they paid this year to us.
Everything is huge cost. We are going backwards weekly until this childcare rebate happens.

Fuel is a major cost to us. When I wasn't working the XR8 stayed at home and was hardly used. So it didn't effect us.

I even have to think can I afford a can of coke. Every dollar counts.
In about 3 or 4 years time we will be back to normal but until the kids go to school there is massive costs when childcare, fuel and interest rates go up.

I can do something about the fuel costs but not about the other two.

[XR6_661]

Sell one of the kids mate, or the wife.

[Auslandau]

If its a $500.00 per year saving and you buy a similar car second hand ...... you know your car and what is required to keep it on the road for a year; Brakes, tyres, gear box, engine etc. If you buy something for the same price, then find the 6 is thirstier than you thought (BA yes) and you need to touch anything to keep it in RWC, that $500.00 could disappear real quick. Then you'll have something you do not like as much, cost the same if not more in poor maintenance issues and be in a worse position. Investigate gas ... it ain't that bad ....... or pocket the savings and buy a decent EB already converted or similar.

[LOCO XP]

Originally Posted by The Yeti

BBQ Fuel is your freind Julia will pay for the conversion and it will be cheaper to run than the 6cyl falcon and and here is the kicker

you get to keep the XL XR8

definitley. you MIGHT save $500/yr by going for a 6cyl... but you could easily burn $10-15 a week in trying to put a smile back on your face, drowning your sorrows, distracting youself from the regret etc etc... If you have to cut down costs, and fuel is the primary concern, gas conversion is worthwhile. If not, then as others have mentioned I'd be thinking about going for the MOST economical option for your budget. Changing cars over can be an expensive game, as good as you think the "new" car is upon a thorough inspection, there could always be something lurking around the corner.... better the devil you know....dammit now I've got Kylie stuck in my head

[EFFalcon]

6's don't use much less fuel then a properly tuned 8. if any.

[CODSASR]

dont forget if you buy a car with gas you get a $1,000 just not sure if it has to be factory or not........

or you get $2,000 rebate for converting your current car even if the converson only ends up costing $1,500 you still get the $2,000

[EgoFG]

You could consider the alternatives to Daycare.
Grandparents can be good, or you lousy unemployed brother-in-law.
You probably should NOT put the kids in the XR8 during the day - not even if you crack the windows - they might pop it out of gear and take the handbrake off (there are possibly other ethical, moral and legal reasons too)

[flappist]

Simple solution.
Sell the V8 to one of the rabid V8 lovers here as they all want to pay top dollar for them......./sarcasm.
Buy a Camry or something similar to get you through this period.
The Camry will use much less fuel, will break less, will be easier to operate for both you and your wife, will be cheaper to insure and register and will be able to be sold in a couple of years for about the same as you bought it.

Converting a really old car to run on gas will just give you a really old car that runs on gas not a cheaper to own vehicle and if you have several kids you will be doing a LOT of driving.

Kids are FAR more important than anything else especially what car you drive.
Look after them and in a few years buy yourself a nice new(ish) V8 if you are still interested.

Priorities change when you are a parent which unfortunately cannot be fully understood by anyone who is not......

[b0son]

Originally Posted by LowEL2XR8

I even have to think can I afford a can of coke. Every dollar counts.
In about 3 or 4 years time we will be back to normal but until the kids go to school there is massive costs when childcare, fuel and interest rates go up.

I figured as much, hence the advice about going a 4cyl (provided its big enough to ferry the family around).

You obviously have some major cashflow issues, and with costs going up, a $10-15pw saving will very quickly get swallowed up. I suspect you probably need at closer to $50pw saving, which you simply wont find in a falcon, lpg or no (once all costs are factored).

You'd already be aware, with that many kids, there will be inevitable doctors bills etc, for which you have to claim and wait for rebates. With cashflow hassles, you need tangible savings in your hand, NOW.

Ditch all thoughts of staying in a falcon, FOR NOW. Save as much money as you can now so that you have some sort of a safety net (sounds like your offset account wont provide one for that much longer). There will be plenty of cheap Falcons around in 3-4 years. Find something now that is significantly cheaper to run, and less than what you will get for the XR8.

[CODSASR]

Originally Posted by flappist

Simple solution.
Sell the V8 to one of the rabid V8 lovers here as they all want to pay top dollar for them......./sarcasm.
Buy a Camry or something similar to get you through this period.
The Camry will use much less fuel, will break less, will be easier to operate for both you and your wife, will be cheaper to insure and register and will be able to be sold in a couple of years for about the same as you bought it.

Converting a really old car to run on gas will just give you a really old car that runs on gas not a cheaper to own vehicle and if you have several kids you will be doing a LOT of driving.

Kids are FAR more important than anything else especially what car you drive.
Look after them and in a few years buy yourself a nice new(ish) V8 if you are still interested.

Priorities change when you are a parent which unfortunately cannot be fully understood by anyone who is not......

I was offering suggestions as in the OP he indicated he didnt really want to sell the xr8.

Currently I am looking for a AU/BA wagon and putting a extra seat in the back as our 4th child is on the way ( I dont see any people movers in our price range worth looking at and 4X4 dont have enough space for prams and shopping with extra row down).

Back to the OP I think a older focus or astra would fit 3 kids and be good on fuel if you didnt need to much space for luggage

[XBROO]

Mate with child care fees that high is it worth you working. I don't know you situation but when my missus and I had our kids we went back to one wage as it wasn't with her working. We worked out after we payed childcare fees and the rest we were fifty to one hundred dollars better off. But then there would be all the running around cost getting them there and picking them up. Plus all the stuffing around getting meals making lunches, it just wasn't worth it. I would rather my wife look after my kids then some strangers, as well as come home to a nice home cooked meal every night. And my with was a child care worker and still no discount.

[kaniSS]

I hate childcare. It always takes a chunk out of everyone's pay.

The thing I don't understand is why do they give you 50% every 3 months? Why not make childcare 50% cheaper. Stupid government.

They should change the 50% rebate to monthly instead of every 3 months.

[4bbl]

Originally Posted by XBROO

Mate with child care fees that high is it worth you working. I don't know you situation but when my missus and I had our kids we went back to one wage as it wasn't with her working. We worked out after we payed childcare fees and the rest we were fifty to one hundred dollars better off. But then there would be all the running around cost getting them there and picking them up. Plus all the stuffing around getting meals making lunches, it just wasn't worth it. I would rather my wife look after my kids then some strangers, as well as come home to a nice home cooked meal every night. And my with was a child care worker and still no discount.

Same here, I earn enough for child care but the wife doesn't so she stays home.

[OzJavelin]

Originally Posted by LowEL2XR8

Yes; $500 a year is a lot of money to me.

Sounds like things are tight. Sounds like you are having a good think about it all. Hope it works out.