thorne

awsome speed there 188kph !

Never happened with out pics

Did you mean my p6 coupe? Here, I let the air out of the bags

 
If you meant the p5, I'll have a play with it later and see where I end up.

I was always taught when running a converted car on LPG - even if the engine is tuned for it - because LPG burns hotter and drier, run the engine on unleaded from time to time to re-lubricate it. Plus, you should avoid starting a cold engine on LPG: flick the fuel selector to petrol and flick it back to LPG once you're on the way. That and always leave a little fuel in the fuel tank regardless, as converted cars won't know to stop the fuel pump when you switch to LPG, and having to replace a seized fuel pump due to an empty tank can be quite an expensive lesson.
 
Granted, I learned these tricks while learning to drive in my old man's converted XB-XE work-horse station wagons, and again when I owned my XF with a carby engine. My current Ford has an OHC engine in it now, but I still stick to these habits because, in all honesty, no one has taught me otherwise and I thought it was better for the engine to run on the fuel it was originally made more every now and then to keep it running sweeter. Yes, taxis run all day on LPG, but I also thought they had hardened valves and hoses to better tolerate it, and these days you can get dedicated LPG-only cars (the EcoLPI systems) which can only run LPG, which is why I differentiate between dedicated and converted engines when it comes to LPG.
 
I've no idea how tolerant an OHC engine is, but I learned you could run a carby engine ragged on LPG and it would still continue to go as long as you took care of it while on LPG (including switching back to petrol occasionally). It's these tricks and habits I have in mind when I consider running the panelvan on E10, but it sounds with my driving habits, it appears better to stick to plain 91 unleaded and not bother with E10 unless I plan to empty out the fuel tank quickly.

I was always taught when running a converted car on LPG - even if the engine is tuned for it - because LPG burns hotter and drier, run the engine on unleaded from time to time to re-lubricate it. Plus, you should avoid starting a cold engine on LPG: flick the fuel selector to petrol and flick it back to LPG once you're on the way. That and always leave a little fuel in the fuel tank regardless, as converted cars won't know to stop the fuel pump when you switch to LPG, and having to replace a seized fuel pump due to an empty tank can be quite an expensive lesson.
 
Granted, I learned these tricks while learning to drive in my old man's converted XB-XE work-horse station wagons, and again when I owned my XF with a carby engine. My current Ford has an OHC engine in it now, but I still stick to these habits because, in all honesty, no one has taught me otherwise and I thought it was better for the engine to run on the fuel it was originally made more every now and then to keep it running sweeter. Yes, taxis run all day on LPG, but I also thought they had hardened valves and hoses to better tolerate it, and these days you can get dedicated LPG-only cars (the EcoLPI systems) which can only run LPG, which is why I differentiate between dedicated and converted engines when it comes to LPG.
 
I've no idea how tolerant an OHC engine is, but I learned you could run a carby engine ragged on LPG and it would still continue to go as long as you took care of it while on LPG (including switching back to petrol occasionally). It's these tricks and habits I have in mind when I consider running the panelvan on E10, but it sounds with my driving habits, it appears better to stick to plain 91 unleaded and not bother with E10 unless I plan to empty out the fuel tank quickly.

Fair enough. I tend to use petrol more and at a quicker rate if I'm doing long-distance or interstate runs, as LPG tends be be more costly - and more scarce - outside of SE Australia. If I was to fill with a tank of E10 and use it all in one drive (so to speak), it wouldn't remain in the tank long enough to damage it too much, I expect? Otherwise, if it's going to sit in my tank for a few weeks (like city driving while on LPG), I'd probably be better off with ethanol-free fuel, I guess....? I've never experimented with 95 RON unleaded as I usually can't afford the extra cost.
 
 
 
Yeah, I figured as much. I was too slack and missed the end of the Melbourne fuel cycle, where E10 was down to 97.5cpl and unleaded was 102.9cpl (oddly enough LPG has its own fuel cycle that only occasionally corresponds with petrol), and now everything's +20cpl more expensive again. Grrr.
 
As money is a little tight - why else would I run on LPG as often as I do? - I was wondering if I can start to afford petrol over LPG, if there were other drawbacks using E10 over standard 91 or 95 RON unleaded. I've had the panelvan for nearly 1.5 years, but I've never had a full run and gone through en entire tank of petrol in one go; it's always a 100km run here with a $10 fill there, usually between empty tanks of LPG. I usually tend to keep about a 1/3- to 1/2-tank of petrol in the car anyway for "emergencies", but as mentioned before it doesn't tend to get used much unless it's a long-distance run.

Just to bring the thread to an end, I had to book her into the garage for a front-end re-alignment earlier this week, so I asked the resident auto-sparky about it, and he took care of it for me. He suggested it was better a professional did it (ie: him) as he had the experience and also the tools to ensure ABS would trigger correctly once it was all fixed (which I guess I didn't initially consider, I figured as long as the console didn't say "CHECK ABS" all would be fine).
 
He even drove an XG ute. 
 
Best to leave it in the hands of professionals I guess!

Just to bring the thread to an end, I had to book her into the garage for a front-end re-alignment earlier this week, so I asked the resident auto-sparky about it, and he took care of it for me. He suggested it was better a professional did it (ie: him) as he had the experience and also the tools to ensure ABS would trigger correctly once it was all fixed (which I guess I didn't initially consider, I figured as long as the console didn't say "CHECK ABS" all would be fine).
 
He even drove an XG ute. 
 
Best to leave it in the hands of professionals I guess!

Aha. As it's the weekend and I've got some to myself, I took SPArKy_Dave's advice and investigated this further. Without any real idea what I was doing I was able to get the driver's door-card off - well, nearly.....the door-snib didn't want to come out of its socket, and that seemed firmly anchored into the door-card, and I didn't know how to gently prise it out - and past the plastic dust cover, to the internals of the driver's door.
 
It appears the scissor mechanism and door-winder gear still works perfectly, but the upper rail that's usually bolted onto the bottom of the window had fallen off; it was resting on the bottom of the door. I suspect when I forced my arm in when I locked my keys inside, the pressure popped the plastic pins holding the window to the rail. The rollers that usually slide within this rail were now resting directly against the bottom of the window, now the only things holding it up and into place within the window-frame. With broken pins and odd washers everywhere, I wasn't entirely too sure how to put it back together.
 
So, I spent most of this afternoon at the local Dandenong U-Pull-It wrecker yards, cordless drill and tool-box in hand, where I was lucky enough to find some XGs and XHs (nothing earlier, not even any XFs!) with manual winders. Once I saw how it was put together internally in other cards, the pieces fell together; I took many pictures on the camera-phone to add my memory. Once the temperature drops and the car cools down, I'll have another go at getting it working again.
 
It sounds stupid, but finally drumming up the courage to take things apart to find out what was wrong was the hardest part. I'm not really good with my hands to be honest - I'm in IT, it's my mind that's the sharpest - but I take pride in my car and if something is wrong with it I don't mind learning how to fix it myself. I didn't want to damage things further trying to take apart something without any previous knowledge....but then how else do you learn?
 
Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it.

Aha. As it's the weekend and I've got some to myself, I took SPArKy_Dave's advice and investigated this further. Without any real idea what I was doing I was able to get the driver's door-card off - well, nearly.....the door-snib didn't want to come out of its socket, and that seemed firmly anchored into the door-card, and I didn't know how to gently prise it out - and past the plastic dust cover, to the internals of the driver's door.
 
It appears the scissor mechanism and door-winder gear still works perfectly, but the upper rail that's usually bolted onto the bottom of the window had fallen off; it was resting on the bottom of the door. I suspect when I forced my arm in when I locked my keys inside, the pressure popped the plastic pins holding the window to the rail. The rollers that usually slide within this rail were now resting directly against the bottom of the window, now the only things holding it up and into place within the window-frame. With broken pins and odd washers everywhere, I wasn't entirely too sure how to put it back together.
 
So, I spent most of this afternoon at the local Dandenong U-Pull-It wrecker yards, cordless drill and tool-box in hand, where I was lucky enough to find some XGs and XHs (nothing earlier, not even any XFs!) with manual winders. Once I saw how it was put together internally in other cards, the pieces fell together; I took many pictures on the camera-phone to add my memory. Once the temperature drops and the car cools down, I'll have another go at getting it working again.
 
It sounds stupid, but finally drumming up the courage to take things apart to find out what was wrong was the hardest part. I'm not really good with my hands to be honest - I'm in IT, it's my mind that's the sharpest - but I take pride in my car and if something is wrong with it I don't mind learning how to fix it myself. I didn't want to damage things further trying to take apart something without any previous knowledge....but then how else do you learn?
 
Thanks for the advice guys, I really appreciate it.

Three-and-a-half grand? Srsly?
 
 
(....sometimes I'm glad I drive a simple grandpa-spec car....)

If I remember correctly, seatbelts became law in Victoria in 1971, and in the rest of Australia in 1972. That puts it squarely in the roll-out of the XY. So I suspect the two seat-belts might have been factory-fitted, but as the XW was released before seat-belts officially became legal in Australia, there was no legal requirement to fit any more at the time it was released.

There's no real model I out-and-out hate to be honest: it's a subjective thing, I guess. Styling-wise, I may like the front-end of a model but dislike the way the rear-end is shaped.
 
Everyone seems to dislike the AU.....and yes, I'm one of them, especially the first series. The grill was awful, and I never really liked the rear-end design, even though the overall shape was appealing. The XR was the same for me, but I don't mind the XY, probably because the design had matured and sequential minor changes I found a little more appealing; I have the same reaction with the XA and the XC.
 
The NF/DF rear-end I don't like either, which is a shame because I quite like the design of the NF/DF/EF front-end (my XH has one after all!). Conversely, not a big fan of the EL front-end (reminds me too much of a distended nostril).
 
The XM I'm a big fan of. The P6 is so glitzy and chunky I can't help but like it. The clean-cut lines of a ZL also turns my head every time I see one. The FGX is also one, but I'm unsure it's because it's brand-new and quite different or another reason.
 
Just my 2 cents.

Three-and-a-half grand? Srsly?
 
 
(....sometimes I'm glad I drive a simple grandpa-spec car....)

Three-and-a-half grand? Srsly?
 
 
(....sometimes I'm glad I drive a simple grandpa-spec car....)

Three-and-a-half grand? Srsly?
 
 
(....sometimes I'm glad I drive a simple grandpa-spec car....)

285 17's on my red ghia:

Yeah, was both surprised and impressed, considering it's not a specialised conversion. Maybe the previous owner got it specifically tuned on LPG, unsure (he never mentioned it), but then running it on petrol isn't too shabby either.
 
A decent engine, I guess.....!

I've always been a louvre fan: adds a touch of retro class to a vehicle and is far better cooling it down. Only problem is it acts as a leaf-catcher: you have to take it off from time to time to clean the bastard out.

I've always been a louvre fan: adds a touch of retro class to a vehicle and is far better cooling it down. Only problem is it acts as a leaf-catcher: you have to take it off from time to time to clean the bastard out.

Louvre for sure. It's just cooler.
 
Blinds belong in a house.

This document outlines the legal requirements about marking your vehicle to signify installation of an alternative fuel (such as LPG and CNG) in Australian and New Zealand vehicles (originally from the earlier http://www.ozfalcon.com.au/index.php?/topic/4407-lpg-numberplate-stickers/ (LPG numberplate stickers) thread.
 
If the vehicle was converted after 1 February 1993, an approved AS1425 LPG compliance plate must be fitted to the vehicle at the time of the conversion/installation. Vehicles fitted with LPG systems are required to have red LPG stickers attached to the vehicle's number plates; red metal plates riveted to the number plates have been required since 1999 in Australia. 

Quoting AS1425:2007 (similar)

7.4.3 Vehicle identification   In Australia, to indicate that a vehicle is equipped to use LPG as a fuel, it shall carry permanently attached to the front and rear registration plates, an approved, external metal plate not less than 1mm thick affixed with a label complying at least with the following requirements:
1) The plate and label size shall be not less than 25mm square mounted as a diamond.
2) The label colour shall be retro-reflective red, complying with AS/NZS 1906.1, Class 2.
3) The label shall have only the letters 'LPG' in white at least 10mm in height.
Where a vehicle is fitted with more than one container, the vehicle shall carry an additional plate and label as above.
In New Zealand, to indicate that a vehicle is equipped to use LPG as a fuel, it shall have affixed as close as possible to the registration/number a plate and label complying at least with the following requirements:
1) The plate and label size shall be 80mm square, mounted on a diamond.
2) The label colour shall be retro-reflective red, complying with AS/NZS 1906.1, Class 2.
3) The label shall have only the letters 'LPG' in white at least 20mm in height.   This is an Australian-wide standard for cars running LPG (also for cars running CNG - and legislation was updated in 2007 to include hybrid vehicles). Previously all vehicles with an LPG system installed before 1999 must have had a red retro-reflective sticker affixed to the numberplate, as below:

As of 1999, the sticker advertising running on LPG must now be mounted on a diamond metal plate, and then this must be pop-riveted onto the number plate itself.

This is due to the dangers of fire damage: if the fire melts the sticker, the presence of the pop-riveted plate will still alert emergency services to an alternate fuel (or electrical dangers, concerning a hybrid) within the vehicle. Vehicles with multiple tanks need one tag per tank (plates need 2 LPG tags for 2 tanks, etc).
The result should look like this: notice the raised edges of the plate behind the newer-style LPG sticker:

This also means that anyone in Australia with personalised plates and on LPG/CNG will end up needing to deface their plate to conform to standards, as attaching them to the car body, as opposed to the numberplate instead, is a no-no: oddly enough, this appears to be fine in New Zealand. Absence of LPG tags is a offence in Australia and in Victoria can lead to a fine starting from $150, if the cops are in a good mood. Tags must also be affixed to bike rack number plates, if applicable.
It appears however not a lot of people appear to know of this updated standard (including myself before I started further investigating): my XH recently passed RWC before I bought it in February 2015 - ironically, my LPG tank didn't pass muster and I needed another tank installed and restamped by an APA representative - and not a word was said about my plates with the old square/black LPG stickers on them, either by the APA rep or the RWC tester.
Admins: with your permission, could this post please be pinned for future reference, as there are a lot of converted (and E-gas) Fords out there who should be aware of government standards regarding the labelling of their vehicles. If anything, it may prevent over-zealous cops looking for more excuses to fix a canary sticker to the car.