Group's Advice for Dedicated LPG Falcon Owners

[Ford17]

As we know, LPG is becoming less available in some states.

For longer term owners, is it best to sell up now, or press on?

Will the future resale value be aided by the stronger engine internals?
Can these cars be easily converted to petrol?

All useful thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

[Blue Dog]

Originally Posted by Ford17

As we know, LPG is becoming less available in some states.

For longer term owners, is it best to sell up now, or press on?

Will the future resale value be aided by the stronger engine internals?
Can these cars be easily converted to petrol?

All useful thoughts and ideas are appreciated.

What exactly are the "stronger engine internals"?

[Dr Smith]

[eb2fairmont]

They have thicker rods and hi comp pistons

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Dr Smith

Does the ecoLPI have the green rocker cover or just the eGas?

Because of they're just comparing the eGas banger that's not overly accurate for 'LPG' given there's two FG LPG engines.

[Rallye Sport]

I've loved my gas vehicles over the years but if I still had one I'd be thinking about bailing. Its not going to get any better. My local servo was the last one selling gas in the area until recently. Felt sorry for a guy in a dedicated gas Falcon the other day as he circled the station in the hope they'd just moved the pump. The next stop for gas from there is 20km's away.

[Franco Cozzo]

For Melbourne and surrounds I reckon LPG is sill viable, new servos that just went up in Campbellfield have LPG pumps in them.

Its getting harder and harder to get, but should be sweet for the next decade or so I reckon.

[FairmontGS]

Originally Posted by Ford17

Will the future resale value be aided by the stronger engine internals?

There wouldn't be many green-tops with less than 200k nowadays and you can't build a performance motor on that mileage so it's almost a pointless discussion.

[ozpacman]

I looked at a dedicated gas AU2 sedan a couple of months back that was for sale. It was a pretty clean car and the price was right. I thought about it but the LPG situation in regional Queensland is just too patchy for my liking. No problems in the south east corner of the state, but once you get away from there it gets pretty scarce.

One outlet each in Cairns, Townsville and Mackay by the looks of things, so if you were travelling the Bruce, you wouldn't want to pull up at any one of them and find they were waiting for a gas delivery.

[Ford17]

Originally Posted by FairmontGS

There wouldn't be many green-tops with less than 200k nowadays and you can't build a performance motor on that mileage so it's almost a pointless discussion.

It's not a pointless discussion for me, and I did mention I was looking for useful answers.

The vehicle in question is a family member's with relatively low kns.
They are getting on in years and are experiencing difficulty in reliably sourcing LPG.

Basically, there are 3 options as I now see them:

1. Convert the existing vehicle to petrol (cost A)
2 Trade in or sell the vehicle, and acquire a petrol equivalent (cost B)
=> Then choose the cheapest cost option (A vs B)

3. Stick it out and see if availability increases/don't second-guess the future

Was thinking other forum members would have been in or come across a similar situation, and have had to make or have been involved in a similar decision.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Ford17

It's not a pointless discussion for me, and I did mention I was looking for useful answers.

The vehicle in question is a family member's with relatively low kns.
They are getting on in years and are experiencing difficulty in reliably sourcing LPG.

Basically, there are 3 options as I now see them:

1. Convert the existing vehicle to petrol (cost A)
2 Trade in or sell the vehicle, and acquire a petrol equivalent (cost B)
=> Then choose the cheapest cost option (A vs B)

3. Stick it out and see if availability increases/don't second-guess the future

Was thinking other forum members would have been in or come across a similar situation, and have had to make or have been involved in a similar decision.

Dedicated LPG vehicles have higher resale value in Melbourne and Sydney metropolitan areas, do you have any family members down here who they could sell the car for them?

I reckon sell it in Melbourne/Sydney where the dedicated LPG car values are higher and then buy something else.

[Citroënbender]

I would convert the car. Plenty of donors still around.

You’d have to add in the cost of a mod plate and check the insurer isn’t going to penalise you.

[prktkljokr]

Converting mine as soon as I can get it on the hoist (Son is hogging it at the moment).

There has been times where I have needed to do a country trip and cant use it because no one stocks LPG in the bush.

[Ford17]

Originally Posted by prktkljokr

Converting mine as soon as I can get it on the hoist (Son is hogging it at the moment).

There has been times where I have needed to do a country trip and cant use it because no one stocks LPG in the bush.

What do you reckon will make up the new parts list required?

Fuel tank, pump, lines, filter, sender unit; inlet manifold, injectors, ECU re-map?
Other parts as well?

[prktkljokr]

no use doing a remap as from what I have been told the LPG ECU is missing pins for fuel injection, so you will need a petrol ECU, you will need the engine harness from the ECU too, also a auto electrician to make the fuel pump work.
As long as you have fuel and spark it should run.

[au2000]

Tbh depending on what model it is and the Kos it’s done and at best, the car would be 12 years old? I’d drive the wheels off it till it falls apart or u can’t get gas anymore. I’d also be looking in the mean time for the cleanest petrol version that suits u and then move onto it.

[ozpacman]

Originally Posted by Citroënbender

I would convert the car. Plenty of donors still around.

You’d have to add in the cost of a mod plate and check the insurer isn’t going to penalise you.

This was something I considered for the LPG AU I looked at. One thing I particularly noticed was the difference in the boot floor compared to the conventional petrol powered model. They're a completely different shape, obviously in order to accommodate a large LPG tank on the underside. I did wonder about how much extra work it would be to mount a petrol tank in there.

Probably worth it if the car was immaculate, but whilst this one was pretty straight, it wasn't in that category.

[janddbone]

Sell it in Victoria. Easy. We still use two LPG cars every day. Save thousands a year. Cheers.

[Jastel]

Ive gone from 6 LPG taxi cars to none in the last 2 years...the savings just aren't there anymore with LPG at $1.50 at the one pump and petrol at $1.70.

The way the muppets in charge are going you wont be able to get a petrol/diesel car in five years either...

If you remove the LPG you will need a LPG inspection to certify you have no LPG when you go to sell it. I run dual fuel cars and aftermarket LPG so my rego's usually say Petrol only, the last car somehow got changed to petrol/LPG so I needed a certificate to say I didnt have something....

[ford71V8]

Duel fuel AU daily, cant remember it hitting $1.50.
Been paying 93c-$1.05 consistently last 18 months in Adelaide, very noticeably cheaper than when I use UL91....just no longer at every servo

[ozpacman]

Originally Posted by ford71V8

Duel fuel AU daily, cant remember it hitting $1.50.
Been paying 93c-$1.05 consistently last 18 months in Adelaide, very noticeably cheaper than when I use UL91....just no longer at every servo

Presently $149.9 in Cairns.

[FPV414]

Driving a FGX EcoLPI in outer-eastern suburbs of Vic. Had it about a year and my weekly fuel cost has gone down 60%. LPG is available everywhere around here, and haven't had trouble on country trips.

Seems pretty dire in other parts of Aus but maybe just offload the cars now and be done with it. Petrol conversions be more than the car is worth. Major differences in wiring and PCM, PCMs requiring coding and then that can lead to other calibration faults. Boot floor is different etc. BA BF Falcon base models petrol and LPG in reasonable condition are $2.5-4k. If it is a concern, just switch over to the petrol model and if you've lost the residual value on the LPG car you've probably more than accounted for it in years of savings.

[Jastel]

Originally Posted by ozpacman

Presently $149.9 in Cairns.

And has been for years...only one pump so price never changes.

I dont think I've seen $1 LPG here since 2010 ish...
Now I've given it away that pump will probably go as well...when I switched to this servo a few years back they would run out every few days "because I bought too much".

Next pump is 80km away...same company.
Maybe there is some law that a town over X size must have an LPG bowser??
But they sure wont be making much from it now.

Im not anti gas, I've used it for 30 years and done millions of kms in taxis but govco has abandoned it as have the public. As said here it's dead except for the big cities where prices are still sensible.

[Franco Cozzo]

Originally Posted by Jastel

And has been for years...only one pump so price never changes.

I dont think I've seen $1 LPG here since 2010 ish...
Now I've given it away that pump will probably go as well...when I switched to this servo a few years back they would run out every few days "because I bought too much".

Next pump is 80km away...same company.
Maybe there is some law that a town over X size must have an LPG bowser??
But they sure wont be making much from it now.

Im not anti gas, I've used it for 30 years and done millions of kms in taxis but govco has abandoned it as have the public. As said here it's dead except for the big cities where prices are still sensible.

Makes me laugh that in a time that unleaded has been the most expensive it's ever been we've turned our back on a clean fuel that's 40% of the cost that we can produce locally.

[ford71V8]

Crazy isnt it?
Another example of being forced in a direction you dont want to go.
93.5c/L this morning....empty to full for $58.62

[b0son]

Who even makes RHD LPG cars anymore?