<VV> Propane (LPG) use in Corvairs

[Les]

Message: 9
Date: Sat, 12 Mar 2011 16:30:47 +1100
From: Arlette Pat<arlettecarl at hotmail.com>
Carl;

A couple reasons why LPG is not so popular in North America:
* lower taxes on gasoline means the price advantage is not as great.
* high cost of conversion means a lot of miles need to be covered to make the conversion pay - cabbies like LPG.
* Hard starting on LPG when it gets cold out... our dual fuel Dodge pickup used to start on gasoline then switch to LPG.
* big high pressure fuel tank eats up cargo space.

Les

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Subject:<VV>  Propane (LPG) use in Corvairs
To:<virtualvairs at corvair.org>
Message-ID:<COL115-W26284DB92147BA49896826ACCA0 at phx.gbl>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"


Hi everyone,

These been a lot of disscussion recently about the use of Propane or as we know it in Australia 'LPG' in Corvairs and other passenger vehicles. LPG has been very popular in Australia as an alternative fuel for almost 40 years or since the early 1970s. This has been because gasoline historically in Australia has always sold for almost double the USA price.

Hire cars and taxis in Australia without exception use LPG and have done so for three or four decades now. Very few V8 engine cars in Australia run on gasoiline, almost all off them use LPG.

The single (and in my opinion) only real disadvantage with LPG is that its installation seriously alters the cars engine bays original appearance . This is the reason that not one of my cars has been converted to LPG. I just pay the $100 plus dollars to fill the fuel tank. However many and I mean thousands of Australian motorists use LPG and have done so for 30 or years. It's simply a great fuel period.

However Duel fuel is not the way to go. Either your engine is set up for gasoline or LPG. It cannot not be tuned to suit both fuels. With LPG the egine runs slightly hotter.

I get the impression that my American friends will be forced more and more into using LPG as the cost of gasoline climbs higher and higher. The alternative is to just accept this increasing cost.

Many Australians find it hard to understand why any car owner would not run their her car on LPG.

Our 65' Corvair will stay on gasoline while it's my ownership, and I will just dig deaper into my pocket to fill its fuel tank.

Regards from Australia

Carl L. Kelsen
1965 RHD Corvair Monza convertible
Australia