Converting to propane power

Question:

I am considering converting one of my vehicles to propane but I cannot find any information on how to do it.

Are there kits available? Is it possible to convert “antique” vehicles to run on propane? By antique I am talking about cars made from the 1940s to the 1970s. There are TV commercials about how much it would benefit the planet, but I can’t seem to find anything about the availability of the parts necessary to do the conversion. Have you had an article about the conversion in your magazine? If so, I don’t remember it.

Answer:

It is possible to convert just about any engine, old or new, to run on propane and in an odd twist of circumstances it’s actually easier to convert vintage vehicles from a legal perspective. This is because it’s contrary to a long list of federal laws and regulations, as well as various local laws and regulations, to replace or modify any components that are a part of a vehicle’s emissions control systems, so converting an emissions-era vehicle in a legal manner gets very complicated.

You are better off buying a complete kit with all or nearly all of the components needed. In general, this means a kit with valves, tank, actuators, fuel controller, electronics and software.

Some companies that sell propane conversion kits and individual parts, and that have a lot of information you’ll find of interest, include Impco Automotive (http://www.impcoautomotive.com), gotpropane.com (www.gotpropane.com) and Raso Enterprises http://www.rasoenterprises.com).