Discussion
If there was any way round the gas tank I would have done mine ages ago. If you used the common 90 degree 70L tank it would not leave much boot space even in the Chim boot and you can forget about getting the roof in - shame.
On the plus side the ones I have driven have all run better on the gas than petrol. Can't comment too much of the economics of it, never run one myself.
On the plus side the ones I have driven have all run better on the gas than petrol. Can't comment too much of the economics of it, never run one myself.
There have been discussions about this before. I run a Vauxhall dual fuel as everyday transport and this is a factory built car, not an aftermarket conversion. The issue to solve is siting and securing the gas tank. In the Vauxhall the gas tank is surrounded with angle iron to provide protection in case of an accident. Not sure how this would be achieved in a TVR - and the size of the average aftermarket tank is about the same as a standard 15 ins car wheel which MAY not leave room for the roof.
Generally speaking you should expect a performance and economy drop when running on gas as it's a less efficient fuel than petrol. My Vauxhall does 44mpg on petrol and 33mpg on gas. As LPG is still half the price of unleaded this equates to a petrol car doing 66mpg. Also my car runs less smoothly on gas than it does on petrol, but I have no idea if this is a mechanical fault. I have noticed that the quality of LPG varies depending on how fresh it is - in other words a motorway filling station is always a better bet to fill from than a village forecourt.
Hope this helps but if I were you I'd consult a specialist.
Generally speaking you should expect a performance and economy drop when running on gas as it's a less efficient fuel than petrol. My Vauxhall does 44mpg on petrol and 33mpg on gas. As LPG is still half the price of unleaded this equates to a petrol car doing 66mpg. Also my car runs less smoothly on gas than it does on petrol, but I have no idea if this is a mechanical fault. I have noticed that the quality of LPG varies depending on how fresh it is - in other words a motorway filling station is always a better bet to fill from than a village forecourt.
Hope this helps but if I were you I'd consult a specialist.
fenderbender said:
In the Vauxhall the gas tank is surrounded with angle iron to provide protection in case of an accident. Not sure how this would be achieved in a TVR - and the size of the average aftermarket tank is about the same as a standard 15 ins car wheel which MAY not leave room for the roof.
Generally speaking you should expect a performance and economy drop when running on gas as it's a less efficient fuel than petrol.
I have no answer to the safety side of things but let's just say it would be in keeping with the TVR thing.Generally speaking you should expect a performance and economy drop when running on gas as it's a less efficient fuel than petrol.
The tank we fitted in my mates car the other day is much bigger than the size of a wheel but then his was a 70L tank because he has a 4.0 litre car. On that same car it runs noticeably smoother/better on gas than petrol as it did on another mate's car, although that one has a more sophisticated gas setup on it.
Can't comment on the overall MPG, not run one, but can't see there being a lot in it.
I've had 2 Range Rovers on LPG and generally I love it.
In short, my verdict
:
On my 4.6 V8 Range Rover HSE: Absolutely
On my Chim 500, no thank you.
All IMHO obviously!
Andy
PS
Dunno what kind of system you're looking at, but personally I wouldn't even go near a single point system (one injector in the air intake before the plenum)
- Economy (not a word I use very often) about 10 or 15% less MPG
- About 40 to 50% of the cost of unleaded means overall a great saving. It's just gone up with the tax increase but still about 46p locally and probably cheaper if you shop around.
- (it's also supposed to be greener but I won't mention that here)
- Gas is no less "safe" that petrol. The tanks are stronger, there are safety valves in case of leaks and in the case of a tank rupture it dissipates much faster than petrol as petrol vapourises and the then vapour burns violently, LPG is a gas at RT&P and is at at the correct fuel air mixture for a much shorted time as it dissipates quicker. Petrol vapour in a 1/2 full tank will go with one hell of a bang.
- You can remove the existing petrol tank and fit a smaller one (just for starting and emergencies)
- The tanks are strong, but physically heavier than petrol tanks.
- You can only fill a gas tank to about 80% (I can use 73ish in a 95ltr - room for expansion)
- Tanks only come in cylinder, torpedo (thin cylinder) or toroidal (doughnut). Not a handy shape to fit anywhere and I can't imagine where you'd put the roof panel.
- You'll probably have a smaller gas tank than petrol and do less mpg so your range is restricted. (I get 200 miles from a 95ltr tank)
- Gas burns slower than petrol. It actually has a higher octane rating and gives good torque, but it burns slower and has a lower calorific value you need to get more of it into the piston. thus LPG engines suffer at higher RPM. I've heard of fitters even putting a changeover switch back to petrol on the kick down for added grunt. Probably not ideal characteristics for a performance car.
- Decent kit will cost around £2 - 2.5K fitted (closed loop multi point injection)
In short, my verdict
:On my 4.6 V8 Range Rover HSE: Absolutely
On my Chim 500, no thank you.
All IMHO obviously!
Andy
PS
Dunno what kind of system you're looking at, but personally I wouldn't even go near a single point system (one injector in the air intake before the plenum)
Edited by Noogly on Thursday 11th October 00:04
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