Oldsmobile/Buick: General Car Question, propane conversions, lpg conversions


Question
Hello, and thank you for taking the time to answer questions.  My question is of a more general matter.  I was thinking of purchasing a V6 94-96 Oldmobile, but was rather hesitant due to increasing gas costs.  I was wondering how much it would cost on average to add a propane tank to the car, and whether you think this would be wise practice.  I have heard that propane tanks actually provide a greater engine life, but i am not literate in this subject.  Thank you in advance for your assistance.

Answer
Hi Fillip,
LPG conversions are availaible for most every automobile engine. Quite popular with many fleet companies like taxi cabs. Many advancements have been made with the systems. 25 gallons of propane will take you much farther that 25 gallons of gasoline. The only drawbacks to propane conversions is the cost of the kit and the labor to have it installed. Many of the older sysyems will not pass EPA regulations and are considered illegal today. Then there is the installation, which mandates that the conversion be done by a certified shop and technician. It would be difficult to say exactly how much it would be for the Olds V6, because these systems vari due to specific accessories that are needed. Keep in mind that if the Oldsmobile you are looking to buy has high mileage, you do run the risk of having to replace existing emission components for the coversion to operate correctly and pass saftey and testing. This will increase costs considerably. I can tell you that these kits uninstalled are rather expensive. The costs are offset down the road in gasoline savings. The argument of engine life extention vs. gasoline has gone on for sometime now. Today's engines, or those built since 1989 are built for high mileage anyway. It would be difficult to say one type fuel was better than the other. In the long run it's internal friction that wears the motor out, not the fuel. Converting to LPG is really a personal decision. Views on the enviorment and so forth. While LPG is ganing popularity, it has not enjoyed wide spread acceptance by the public. For more info and kit prices, check out www.propanequipment.com. They offer the best you'll find at the best price. Hope this helps! Ray