Converting a car to run on gas can be achieved by installing a second fuel system.
In Altrincham in Cheshire, scores of cars have been converted from petrol to gas power. A vehicle can be adapted in less than a day using a kit that costs £40.
For a skilled mechanic, the whole job takes only one hour.
The conversion involves drilling a hole in the venturi of the carburettor and a gas jet is screwed into place. A converter is fitted and a flexible hose links it to the carburettor. A copper pipe is fixed from the converter unit and goes under the car reemerging in the boot where it is joined to the gas bottle.
Terry Monaghan who has been installing the convertor units to cars says that tests have been carried out to make sure the system is safe. He is reassured that the low pressure system is safe.
The distributors of the gas conversion kit see it as a primary source of car fuel with the added advantage of being able to fall back on petrol if necessary.
Terry Mongahan explains how a toggle switch can be used to move between petrol and gas as a fuel source. One of the features of driving on gas is a drop in engine noise. There is also ample warning when gas is running low.
The technology is not exclusive to cars and can be used in many types of machines that use petrol including concrete mixers, brick hoists and gardening equipment. Experiments are also underway for diesel engines.
This episode of 'Tangents' was broadcast on 22 March 1974.
A miscellany of events, entertainment, opinions and personalities, 'Tangents' was first aired on Monday 25 September 1972 and ran until 1974. Tangents was presented by Cathal O'Shannon and Doireann Ní Bhriain on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday and by John O'Donoghue each Tuesday.
