A Bloody Paraplegic's Story.

   

A Bloody Paraplegic
My 1978 XC Ford Coupe (2) (2006-2011)

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Around May 2009 I rang my mechanic mate in Mandurah to see how things were progressing and got the impression that the XC Coupe was close to being ready for registration so I bit the bullet and booked it into Liberty Auto Gas in Rockingham ($65 deposit) to have the LPG fitted on the 24th June 2009. The cost was going to be $3,500 less the $3,000 government rebate for the new unit.

You only got the rebate if Gas has been fitted to a car that is registered on petrol so I was going to get the LPG connected then fit a petrol tank get it licenced and then take it back to get the LPG finished and then get it passed.

I needed to buy a few things at the last moment like a right hand square front light which I bought off Superoo Falcon Spares in Armadale, Western Australia, and had it posted to Mandurah. I thought I was quoted $32 but paid $95 (invoice) for the bloody light.

They did ring and tell me that the light had some rust in it and asked if I still wanted it but at $32 what the hell so I said yes. I had heard that Superoo were expensive and now I can vouch for it. I sent Superoo Falcon Spares an email querying the price but they didn't answer my email.

I got George from Online Towing Ph 0408 272 911 in Rockingham (who I highly recommend) to pick the car up from Mandurah and take it to Liberty Auto Gas in Rockingham. After speaking to them it was obvious that the XC was far from ready to be licenced.

They (Liberty Auto Gas) quoted $3,500 to do the LPG Conversion on the XC Coupe but said it would cost more like $6,000 if I wanted to use the tanks I had as they needed to build a cradle and clean everything up, and that was only the Gas bit. Yep I said "wot thu....." as well. Needless to say I wasn't going back.

So I had Online Towing pick it up again and take it to Ding Bob's place and had to forget the $3,000 rebate.

Am I pissed off with 'my mate' in Mandurah. You bet as he cost me the rebate on the XC. I could have put the LPG in my 1974 XB Coupe and got the rebate on that which would have added $3,000 to the car. I also have some nice scratches and stains on the left hand mudguard which weren't there when I got it.

So now I had to find someone else to trust to get my 1978 XC Coupe to a licencing stage.

* LPG Gas Conversion. I had been doing a bit of Googling for people who did the LPG Conversion and came across Pebco Automotive which was close to Ding Bob so I gave Pat Browne the manager of Pebco Automotive a ring. He went over to Bob's to have a look at the car and he then towed it back to his workshop.

I asked Pat to put a petrol tank in so that we could register the car on petrol and then do the LPG Conversion so that I could get the rebate which by now had gone down to $1,750.

In the meantime I did a bit of Ebay(ing) and found some Centreline Mag wheels (7" front and 8" offset on the rear) in NSW which I got for $405 (less tyres) plus $271.85 for Pack and Send to get them from NSW to Perth. I gave them the wrong delivery address so that was a bit of a worry until we worked it out. They needed polishing so Ding Bob took them over to Wheel Gleam in Osborne Park to get done and I have no problem recommending them

I have no problem recommending Pack and Send for breakable items like the grille, however they are bloody expensive.

I got Pack and Send to deliver the wheels which were pretty much dumped into two boxes. They cost me $271 to get from NSW to Perth and I only found out later that Australia Post can send 4 wheels from Victoria to Perth for $90.00 registered post so I could have done better. Note: Australia Post won't accept freight over 1 metre long or over 20 kg in weight however the wheels would have been OK. Lack of research cost me around $180.00.

I also got a twin headlight grille for $620 which arrived without some bits but that was fixed with a few emails and a phone call to the guy who sold it. Add $237.61 for Pack and Send.

I found a AM Super Fringe Radio which I got for $104.00. I was a bit worried when it didn't turn up but found out that it had been sent to the wrong person by the seller. Fortunately he was honest enough to send it on.

On the 10th August 2009 I decided that I had better go over to Pebco Automotive and say hi. I had only seen the 1978 XC Coupe on two other occasions prior to this so wasn't sure what to expect.

It was a surprise to see that it was already running on gas and parked inside  getting other bits and pieces done to it. This was not what I asked for as we had to have the car registered on petrol first.

I would have thought that company that was doing LPG Conversions would know the rules and regulations regarding the government rebate.

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A Bloody Paraplegic John Dwyer | Pebco Automotive LPG Gas Conversion