Hi there all, I'm new here, this is my first post on forum in fact. :)
I am new to the whole Magna/Verada owning thing and have just aquired my first ever Verada.
I was hoping you guys might be able to help me out with a few little questions that I've got about the car. So, I'll give you all the details (that I know so far) and hopefully that will help with the answers. Someone might even recognise the car because it strikes me it may have been owned by an enthusiast before me.

I've got the KF Verada XI.
Superficial mod:
17" Speedy rims (Spyder Gold, 17x8 w/ 235/45/17 Sava Intenzas @ 46PSI)

System mods (possibly more I don't know about):
Full extractor set and 2.5" straight through exhaust system. No resonator present (it is now), tip was a 3" by 6" oval polished stainless steel.
Lowered. Not exactly sure how much below standard but it's got red springs in it and has visibly less clearance than other identical cars. We also couldn't fit a trolley jack under the car and had to settle for *just* getting it onto one of the tow points.

Sound system mods (entirely irrelevant to my questions, but cool none the less):
Head unit: JVC KD AVX1
Rear speakers: Pioneer TSA 6991S (5-ways)
Front speakers unknown splits w/ tweeters door mounted.
AMP: Rockford Fosgate Punch P4004
There was a sub originaly but the previous owner kept it, don't know what it was.
JVC 12 stacker CD in the boot too.

I *think* that's the extent of the modifications to the car but I honestly couldn't be sure.

At the moment I'm getting between 12 and 12.4 L/100K running on premium. I got 12 driving "normally" for 200K and 12.4 pushing it really really hard through the Adelaide hills for 200K (very impressed with it) (running BP Ultimate 98 for all the measured k's so far)

So, my questions:
I know the stock engine puts out 147kW. Given the extractors and exhaust system, what is it likely to be putting out now?

Has anyone got a KF Verada on LPG and have any reasonably accurate L/100K or K's/L or K's per tank (important to actually say how big your tank is and how much you actually fit in it) for a KF (or other equivalent 3.5L on LPG?)

Any recorded values for the 3.5L on LPG in terms of power?

My housemate is good family friends with a family who run a performance car shop so hopefully we might be able to get it onto their dyno some time soon. Until then, any advise / information would be hugely appreciated.
Thanks in advance. :)

Well I know nothing about LPG, but it has been posted around here quite a bit that putting premium into these cars is just burning money. Has no effect on anything.

Well I know nothing about LPG, but it has been posted around here quite a bit that putting premium into these cars is just burning money. Has no effect on anything.

Yep. There's no knock sensor in the third gens. Premium will do nothing in your car.

Cool, thanks.
That'll save me some money on the petrol half of runnings.

I shall endeavour to get some real numbers in after I've had my LPG conversion done.

Hopefully I will be able to borrow the "friend of a friends" dyno for a while and do a dyno test on LPG, 98 octane and standard petrol. Will be interesting to see if there are significant differences, if the power lost to the LPG is as bad as many beleive (etc).

I'll also be monitoring my consumption levels fairly closely to see what sort of mileage I get so hopefully I can actually provide the information in a week or two. :)

Ok, well I'm full of information about KF's on LPG since i own one. They handle it pretty well, with sometimes i tiny loss of power, or none at all depending on the system you have installed. Driving sensibly you can get about 500-600 km's out of one tank.

Nice one.
Tis good news for me. :)

What capacity tank is it and how much do you normally fit into it when you fill it? (just trying to work out roughly how many L/100 you're getting)

Around 80 litres is the average tank size. between 65-75 litres depending on the temperature. Gas expands on hot days.

So, my questions:
I know the stock engine puts out 147kW. Given the extractors and exhaust system, what is it likely to be putting out now?




you'd get maybe 103kw atw on gas on a good day on an average dyno an maybe 108kw atw on petrol

you'd get maybe 103kw atw on gas on a good day on an average dyno an maybe 108kw atw on petrol
Awesome, thanks for the information.
It's not quite the performance hit that I was expecting to take in the changeover to gas. (I was honestly expecting more).

Thankyou also to Apollo441 for the the tank sizes and fuel consumption. :)

If we assume worst case scenario based on the information provided by Apollo of 500K's per tank and 75L fitting in the tank on a "good day". Then that's 15L/100. Given that most gas fitters stipulate "about 5.8K's per litre around town" on LPG (17.24L/100) that's really good.

Based on all information so far, running on gas one could expect a (roughly) 5% drop in power and (roughly) 25% increase in fuel consumption on LPG. Quite handy to know.

Thanks for all responses so far, much appreciated.

Another thing, if there happens to be anyone here who knows the KF's inside and out in terms of what all the standard bits and peices are and look like, and who (ideally) lives vaguely close to me (North Eastern suburbs) then I would love to meet up and perhaps go over my car to try to figure out what changes have been made to it.

I know at least a few of the things that have been done (had a mechanic friend look over it before I bought it) but given the level of modification that I have already found, I suspect there's more to it and I simply don't know what I'm looking for as I don't know how it all should look stock.

I'll be at the next northern weekly meet in preston, if you want to meet up there I'd be happy to help.

Also, i'm green with envy, i just read the fact it's an XI

Also, i'm green with envy, i just read the fact it's an XI

Me too :P

I'll be at the next northern weekly meet in preston, if you want to meet up there I'd be happy to help.

Oops, my apologies; I probably should have clarified a little further as "the North Eastern suburbs of Adelaide". While I'd love to come to the meet in Preston I think it could be a little out of my way. :)


Also, i'm green with envy, i just read the fact it's an XI
Don't turn too green, lol.
While the badge is lovely, it doesn't really get you much more.
To the best of my knowledge, I get an extra air-bag, speed-alert, an alarm (which isn't working), a leather steering wheel (which is a bit worn) and a CD stacker (which has been removed).
Mine wasn't optioned to have the sunroof and instead has sun-damage where that would be.

So in all honesty, you probably have the better car. :)

I'm only envious of the leather, I've got all that other stuff already. ;)

Don't care about the badge, I took all mine off lol

LPG fitting is getting done on the car today. They've given me a TH Magna loaner while it's in.

Shall hopefully be able to post some info about economy and perceivable effect on performance by the end of the week then (with a bit of luck) some actual dyno figures some time not too long after.

Don't turn too green, lol.
While the badge is lovely, it doesn't really get you much more.
To the best of my knowledge, I get an extra air-bag, speed-alert, an alarm (which isn't working), a leather steering wheel (which is a bit worn) and a CD stacker (which has been removed).
Mine wasn't optioned to have the sunroof and instead has sun-damage where that would be.

So in all honesty, you probably have the better car. :)

No bling leather interior? Aww, you also have traction control, woodgrain interior.

I do have a sunroof though. :P

I found out somethings from just driving my car: When you accelrate hard you get a slight lag before it kicks in, but gives you a tiny bit more power than the car has on petrol, Which doesn't really make any difference.

No bling leather interior? Aww, you also have traction control, woodgrain interior.
Oop, I do have the leather & woodgrain, but the seats are in pretty poor condition unfortunately.
...I have traction control?!?!?!



I do have a sunroof though. :P
I would quite like one of those... anyone know how much to replace my roof / fit after-market sun-roof? I've got to get the roof repainted as it is.


I found out somethings from just driving my car: When you accelrate hard you get a slight lag before it kicks in, but gives you a tiny bit more power than the car has on petrol, Which doesn't really make any difference.
Cool, I hopefully will share much the same experience. :)

I would quite like one of those... anyone know how much to replace my roof / fit after-market sun-roof? I've got to get the roof repainted as it is.

That's something I really want to do, and depending on what you want (popup, fully open with sliding glass ontop of roof, fully open with sliding glass integrated into roof) I was quoted between $600 and $2000.

....I have traction control?!?!?!

Floor it at a set of lights, if your wheels spin you don't. :P

KF has no TCL.

Floor it at a set of lights, if your wheels spin you don't. :P
LOL.
I like that test. Unfortunately getting 225/45 rubber to spin on a dry road is difficult with a (basically) stock engine and automatic. :)

I do vaguely recall reading somewhere that it had a very rudimentary traction control based on throttle position, steering angle and vehicle speed which dropped power to cylinders if it thought you were accelerating too hard through a corner and were about to come unstuck. However, I can't recall what model that was on.

LOL.
I like that test. Unfortunately getting 225/45 rubber to spin on a dry road is difficult with a (basically) stock engine and automatic. :)

I do vaguely recall reading somewhere that it had a very rudimentary traction control based on throttle position, steering angle and vehicle speed which dropped power to cylinders if it thought you were accelerating too hard through a corner and were about to come unstuck. However, I can't recall what model that was on.

KH onward.

Awesome, thanks for the information.
It's not quite the performance hit that I was expecting to take in the changeover to gas. (I was honestly expecting more).

Thankyou also to Apollo441 for the the tank sizes and fuel consumption. :)

If we assume worst case scenario based on the information provided by Apollo of 500K's per tank and 75L fitting in the tank on a "good day". Then that's 15L/100. Given that most gas fitters stipulate "about 5.8K's per litre around town" on LPG (17.24L/100) that's really good.

Based on all information so far, running on gas one could expect a (roughly) 5% drop in power and (roughly) 25% increase in fuel consumption on LPG. Quite handy to know.

Thanks for all responses so far, much appreciated.

The Performance is hit hard! I would say 20% less power and the increase in consumption would be closer to 30%. I have a Donut tank in my wagon and the most I have ever been able to get into it was 54 liters and that was running it dry. I notice the power difference when I change from LPG to Petrol at the lights, the pick up is just so much better.

I don't drive like an old lady, I work my car as she is a working girl and when I changed to LPG in July last year I went from $40 to $50 dollars a day in Petrol to $20 to $25 a day on LPG. But the power drop was noticeable and reversible with the flick of a switch!

when I changed to LPG in July last year I went from $40 to $50 dollars a day in Petrol to $20 to $25 a day on LPG.

:shock:

I would say 20% less power and the increase in consumption would be closer to 30%. !

The loss in power is almost indistinguishable in SGI system and economy is around 1~2 lt more for 100kms.



when I changed to LPG in July last year I went from $40 to $50 dollars a day in Petrol to $20 to $25 a day on LPG. But the power drop was noticeable and reversible with the flick of a switch!

True!:D Filled in around 23 litres in last week for 10 dollars lol.