Ouch, conversions are that high priced nowadays? Govt. auction web sites occasionally
have a contour or a taurus on them, for me, I did not want to travel a thousand miles
to pick it up..where to refuel?! Darn, in the 70's there were affordable kits to buy,
don't know how good they were, I just remember reading about it frequently.
Bear river, you have CNG stations in SLC?
I was there this winter, lucked upon an unmanned 'gas' station, 7200s, and a touch west of 15 ( on our way to see the kennecott mine, after snowbird), and it had a
"tractor fuel" pump, app. a buck a gallon cheaper than road-tax diesel. Since it accepted credit cards, I couldn't resist. But that was the only time i did that!

 

We have there CNG stations + military CNG filling trucks. To convert is about $1000-2000. Labor costs lower here.

But CNG is more expencive from year to year and usually 1 cube meter CNG is 40% of 1l of Gas cost. So you will save 50-55%. My aero use 12L/100km over a city. Had 16L/100 km with auto. So converting for manual tranny saves 20%. My friend converted his aero to CNG. Now fuel consumption is like of small car...

 

called friends from Volvo truck yesterday... They say globalisation processes goes on. Do you know, that now Mercedes Vito 638 chassis is used for Voyager, Mercedes Sprinter chassis is used for Dodge Ram Van, Volkswagen LT series and later be united with Ford Transit chassis. Ford want to use transit chassis for new line of small trucks vans and SUVs in EU and NA, I will not be surprised when I'll see small and full size Transit in America with made in France duratorq engines.

What we see now... Renault MAgnum semis are european versions of Mack semis with cabine over engine, Mercedes powertraine is widly used in Freightliners (OM460 engine), Turkish Axor semis, Russuan Volzanin buses, Paccar build DAF trucks (frame like a frame of Kenworth and made in Holland cabine), Volvo trucks are everywhere, GAZ plunt build in 1932 by ford use some Crysler engines and Steyr and Cummins diesels, made in Yaroslavl YAMZ series V6, V8, V12 and V10 turbodieself fit nearly all the russian semis and trucktors... What trannies we see in our trucks: Eaton, ZF, Allison and that is all. All they are interchangeble. Brackes are made by Knorr-bendix and Wabco...

Ouh! Globalisation!

 

Transit is coming here in '09, they are already on the road in tests....
( seen one live in dearborn, mi, 2 weeks ago...along with a 'flex')

 

There are 3 transit vans. Smallest - smaller then ranger - FWD on chassis of Mondeo/Contour, small - a bit bigger then aerostar, FWD and RWD versions were available, but FWD dissapeared 2 years ago and full size transit - of Sprinter size.

 

Ah...I should have known this...my cousins are in England, and live where Vauxhalls are built (in Crewe) and also own Vauxhalls, which are almost all rebadged Opels. Vauxhall=Opel=General Motors.

 

Not really according to sales. They are horrible on MPG. They are okay with RV sales but I see more Ford E-350s and E-450s as the base for a Class C. But those Sprinters look really nice though. They are HUGE on the inside.