thedriver

Manual.. yes. I couldn't drive anything else. And after having it for a week, i have realised how little of a compromise it is... the only thing I compromised was not having a sunroof , which I really wanted. I test drove a Liberty GT with it's auto box and hated it. And the box on the Stagea feels great. I'm really considering a short throw shift kit too, or maybe a 6 speed box from a R34 GTR (if it fits). It was advertised for $30k - had a very minor scratch and dent on the rear bumper, which was repaired for purchase. Obviously I didn't settle for the sale price and negotiated a little. It also came with the Xanavi TV/ climate control touch screen system. It's mostly in Japanese so I haven't figured it all out yet, but I'm hoping to flash the ROM to make it English. I need to contact Xanavi first, anyone got their email address??? I can't find it on their website. Also, I leased my vehicle through CBFC - Russel Stroud. Awesome to deal with, so easy and basicly the only company that will lease an import, even a 7 year old one. And they have some of the best rates around!

Thought I'd pipe up and show you a pic of my new car... 98 Stagea RS Four S with Dayz kit, 45000 original kms. I picked it up last week and have alreay taken it for a coast trip. Amazing handling, even at 160+kmph with a couple of hundred kilos of dive gear in the back. . . I LOVE IT! Anyhow, here's a pic... I got it from the lads at Northshore Prestige Motors (http://northshoreprestige.com.au) at Balgowlah. What a great team, they went to every effort to ensure I was looked after. Thanks especially to Ben and Adam. Couldn't recommend them highly enough.

Max is his name, he's a bit hard of hearing so make sure you talk clearly. Towbars of Woden Namatjira Drive CHAPMAN ACT 2611 ph: 02 6288 5199 Are you in Canberra? Maybe, we both get ours done and see what he can do for us. I'm ready anytime after this week and need to get it done before xmas.

hahahaha.... doesn't seem like there is much interest in this. I'm going to organise with a tow bar manufacturer here in Canberra to get one made and ensure it meets engineering approvals. I'll also talk to him at the time about the possibility of having the design engineer certified so that other stagea owners can get it installed without having to get their own engineers certificate (about $500). Hopefully this will be in the next couple of weeks. I'll let you all know how it goes. T

Does that mean there are no more rears available either? I think you mentioned some problems with the rear of your car when you only had the fronts installed.

May well be, however, I would imagine all states are much the same with regards to engineering. I too can have a towbar custom made and fitted in the ACT, but it doesn't mean that it is legal. Most towbars come as a kit designed for a specific vehicle and have already been certified. This is from an NSW RTA brochure: TOW BAR A properly designed and fitted towbar is essential for towing. The rated capacity of the towbar and coupling should not be exceeded. The towbar should be clearly and permanently marked with its: Maximum rated capacity. Make and model of the vehicle it is intended for or the manufacturer’s part number. Manufacturer’s name or trade mark. This is compulsory for vehicles built after 1 January 1992. The exception is where the towbar is a permanent part of the vehicle. Towbars must not protrude dangerously when there is no trailer connected. This is from another RTA brochure on Engineering: Chassis or body subframe structures • Avoid welding or bolting to the flange areas of chassis and subframe rails but in anycase, do not weld across the flanges of chassis rails. Just spoke with NSW RTA - thier requirements are such: Any towbar must meet ADR 62 - Mechanical connection between vehicles And the towbar needs to contain a plate with the following information: Manufacturers name Maximum rating Vehicle it was designed for Gerry at Rego.ACT says: Manufacturing a towbar for a vehicle does not require an engineer's certificate if fitted with a plate (same as NSW). But the addition of this plate means the towbar manufacturer is responsible if something goes wrong, hence they normally require it be approved by an engineer. It has certainly cleared things up for me.

It looks as if this thread kinda died in the arse. I'm picking up my Stagea next week and have been investigating towbars. There's a guy that does great customs bars here in Canberra, about $300 - $350 for a removable ball. Then it's another $350 or so for an engineer's certificate for roadworthy compliance. However, if we have the people perhaps we can organise for a standard bar, one off engineers certificate which will make it cheaper and accessible to others in the future. I'm happy to chase this up but need interested parties... I'll post more info as it comes to hand.

And SK comes through with the goods yet again. BIG THANKS!!! I'm probably looking at 235/40 R18 which should fit I hope... although, I just found out today I can get a set of 17" used Volks for $300 with rubber in near new condition. 18s are sooooo tempting though.

I'm looking at a set of 18" wheels (haven't bought the Stagea yet) and need to know the standard wheel dimensions. It's a Series 2 if it makes any difference. Anyone able to tell me what the Diameter, Width, Offset, PCD and standard tyre size are? Cheers! Edit... It appears to come standard with 215/50 R17 tyres

S T I C K Y I'm heading up the big city to have a look at one this weekend. I'm going to print this page out and take it with me. Thanks all.

Some of the systems I have seen use water cooling around the supply lines to keep the LPG from boiling. Wonder if you could plumb it through a small intercooler???

I also found this interesting read, which would almost make anyone cringe at the thought of wanting to do an injected LPG conversion: Basic Propane (LPG) facts. There have been several posts recently (summer 2005) about using LPG, mostly by persons with no engineering background who appear to be hobbyists. Most of the posters do not appear to have a basic understanding of LPG properties, so I thought I would throw a few items on the table: Propane is a hydrocarbon fuel, chemical description C3H8. Its boiling point is -44°F (-42°C) Its octane rating is 104 Latent heat of vaporization = 183 BTU’s / lb (426 kJ/kg) 91,500 BTU’s per gallon (25300 kJ/L) Autoignition temperature 855°F (457°C) Stoichiometric by weight = 15.5:1 Molecular weight = 44.09 Carbon % by weight = 89% Hydrogen % by weight = 18% Flammability limits = 2.1 – 9.6% Viscosity at 68°F = 0.592 BTU/lb °F (2.48 KJ/Kg °K) Expansion rate = 270:1 (expands in volume 270 times from liquid to ambient pressure vapor) LPG is auto-refrigerating, when pressure is reduced, it boils by absorbing heat Propane’s vapor pressure (the amount of pressure required to keep LPG liquid at ambient temperatures) is zero at -44°F (-42°C), about 120 psig at 70°F, about 250 psig at 125°F, and close to 400 psig at 160°F. Questions arise where these temperatures may be reached, but simply said, anytime the engine is running, underhood temps can quickly reach 175°F, making LPG boil at any pressure under 450 psig. For example: Considering a liquid LPG injection engine: If the ambient temperature is 100°F, the internal tank pressure will be about 175 psig. If LPG is taken directly out of the tank in liquid form and plumbed to a fuel injector, it would work just fine. Now, add in underhood temperatures and the relative pressure must be increased to at least the vapor pressure plus enough pressure to retain liquid state. This is usually about 3 BAR (about 50 psig) plus tank vapor pressure. The LPG in any proximity to the underhood temperatures will begin to percolate, causing a constantly varying mixed-property fuel at the injector, something that is impossible to meter or calculate. To prevent this from happening, fuel is typically circulated through the fuel rail, at pressures 50 psig above vapor pressure. This flushes the vapor slurry and returns it to the fuel tank, where the added heat is absorbed by the tank and storage fuel. This allows the fuel to return to liquid state, but the side effect is that the fuel tank temperature is slowly increasing, causing the entire fuel system to increase in pressure. I have seen fuel injector pressures at 400 psig on a very hot day on a vehicle operating in mixed mode service. Common gasoline injectors cannot withstand these pressures, nor can they meter LPG efficiently. LPG has no lubricating qualities, so operating a gasoline injector on vapor LPG will quickly wear the internal components. Also, operating a gasoline fuel system is at a relatively constant pressure, whereas LPG may vary considerably. Since LPG vapor is 270 times less dense than liquid LPG, a single fuel injector cannot meter both fuels. Vapor will require a large orifice with high volumes and good injector control. The weight of the internal injector components could be considerable, and moving these components quickly enough to properly meter fuel may be challenging. In liquid mode, the injector must be precisely matched to the engine, with tiny orifices capable of opening at high pressures. This also requires internal injector components to be strong enough to pull against the higher pressures, plus the injector must be capable of response time 270 times more precise than vapor phase. Also, the injector programming tables must be able to operate much more precisely (reduced MS response time) than either gasoline or vapor phase. On the fuel systems that use the gasoline PCM, the injectors are sized for liquid flow, frequently without any intercept modules, plus the fuel systems use staged flow recirculation for the fuel rails. I have not seen any vapor service systems using a straight gasoline PCM with no intercepts to change the injector profile.

Thanks bradkazz! I haven't had any luck so far and would be very keen to give your system a shot. Is this your website: http://members.iinet.net.au/~mikejh/ ??? I'll see if I can find an installer to install your system for me over here. Cheers, Tee

I know you might not be inclined to answer this, but any that you can specifically recommend??? They're probably not really direct competitors anyway given the expanse between customer bases. Cheers bradkazz

This is truly a beautiful piece of art. I'm so happy it has only taken a few design cues from the original 2001 concept (which I really didn't like). Looking forward to that countdown hitting zero!!!

Cost isn't an issue for me... but geography is! I'm in Canberra but, am happy to see anyone as far as Sydney or maybe even a little further for my gas needs. Any ideas on who can help me out? Cheers!

That's just beautiful... have you got contact details?

Nice input. bradkazz, Any chance you can help me out with installing LPG on the Stagea (Series 2, RB25DET Neo engine)? I'm hoping to pick it up next week.

Any particular clunks or noises I should whatch out for?

Anyone able to tell me the difference between a series two RS Four and an RS Four S? Is the only difference the manual gearbox? Cheers T

I'd like the same! Just about to buy my first and probably second Stagea at the same time. Wouldn't mind a few pointers.

I have also seen a couple of Series 2 with a double din height LCD Display for SatNav and climate control... it looks pretty sweet.

I'm wondering whether it is appropriate for me to haggle the price a little, especially seeing as the car is still available after some time... All the cars I've bought I've always haggled the price, i even got a 25% ($5000) reduction on my last one! Has anyone found a vehicle in stock with an importer and managed to bargain the price down at all? If so, how much did you get off the listed price?

Maybe that could be my numberplate.... SACRLDGE PS... it's not oing to be a GTR as such.. either a Stagea RS4 or 260RS. Maybe I'm nitpicking. Not Yet... it's been a week... I'm hoping for a reply though. More research tonight...

Seems this is a bit of a rollercoaster. I do over 25,000km per year, so the economics of it are in my favour. But that's not why I want to do it... SK - You have some valid points, but some of your arguments are flawed. There are now available 3rd Gen LPG injectors that are far more advanced than a simple and bulky mixer. There are even injectors available that do not require remapping of ECU. Who cares about depreciation when you own the car of your drems... and infact, gas powered cars are now being more and more sought after BECAUSE of the rising price in petrol. If you are frequently running your car so close to the empty wallet end of the gauge, you run the risk of drawing larger contaminants through the fuel line. An excise is being introduced for all Low, Mid and High energy fuels that currently do not incur any excise. The 12.5c excise for LPG is being introduced at 2.5c per year from July 2011 - 2015 and is capped at 12.5c. The full 12.5c excise will not come into effect immediately come 2011. Even at 12.5c, it is still less than 1/3 the excise imposed on petrol. NickR33 - Fuel prices will never stabilise!!! I'm sorry, that's a rediculous statement. I remember 20 years ago when fuel was about 15c/l and it has continued to rise ever since!!! Where do you think it will go from here??? China and India/Pakistan will only add pressure to the dwindling pot and the requriements for refined oil will increase. Australians are buying more SUVs and 4WDs than ever before... only now are the sales of these vehicles in the US starting to slow. thommo - the real sacrilidge is if you're the one inhaling the fumes of the gas powered gtr / stagea... cant keep up??? well suck on this rotten egg Anyway, all said and done, I'm going to give it a shot... hoefully before the year is out. When it is done, I'll be sure to let you all know how it goes. In the meantime, I'll have to have a chat to some of those Vl lads and see what i can find out.