Classic car owner’s response to LPG returning to Townsville

Motorists reliant on LPG can fuel up at a Townsville service station again. The owner of a converted classic car reliant on it is elated.

Motorists reliant on liquefied petroleum gas to keep their cars running can fuel up in Townsville again, after almost six months of being unable to buy it in the city.

Astron West End fuel station in Ingham Rd has supplied LPG again for more than a month, which was good news for travellers and residents given that the nearest station that offered it was 260km north in Innisfail.

It is understood the fuel station’s parent company decided to phase out LPG in May due to costly repairs that would be needed to fix the pumping stations, which was problematic as the last station that had offered it in Townsville.

The phase-out caught motorists unprepared including 21-year-old Magnetic Island resident India Sparks, who had kept her car parked at the Sealink ferry terminal in Townsville while deciding how to refuel.

Mining truck operator Troy Wilson was elated to learn LPG was on offer locally again, given that he made a costly conversation of more than $10,000 to his 1971 Chrysler Valiant Charger to run on the gas.

Townsville man Troy Wilson with his 1971 Valiant Charger. He explains how the shortage of LPG fuel supply in Townsville would affect him by tens of thousands of dollars. Picture: Chris Burns

“You've really made my day,” Mr Wilson said, when told about it.

“I think that’s awesome, because I was just about to spend about $10,000 buying all the parts to convert it back to petrol.

“I already spent $3500 getting a fuel tank made, getting a new petrol tank and straps and fuel gauge and everything else made for it, but that’s okay.”

21 year old mother India Sparks with her 15 month old daughter Violet and LPG run car which is stuck at Townsville's Sealink terminal because there's nowhere to refuel it.

Mr Wilson had limited driving his car but had about 50 litres left to use, and was intending to replace the parts in his car and “have a play with it” in the new year once that had run out.

After being interviewed about his LPG converted Chrysler in June, Mr Wilson said he heard from a lot of motorists that “came out of the woodwork” impacted by LPG being phased out.

But he also received mixed opinions from the community about converting the vehicle.

“A lot of people were like, ‘oh, why would you do that to a classic car like that?’” he said.

“Well, because I can, the world would be boring if we’re all exactly the same.

“I like the fact that everything on it was still made in Australia, all the parts, components, everything was all made here.”

Ms Sparks told this masthead on Thursday she had enough LPG to drive the car to a transport company, which delivered it to a service station in Cairns where they had moved.

“We will have the car and it’s running perfectly, we’re planning on keeping it for as long as possible as the engine in it is perfect to turbo, so we know a car bloke would be stoked to have it,” she said.

“I actually had a fair few inquiries on Facebook after the (first) article initially came out from people wanting to purchase the car, so we’ve decided to sit on it for a bit now that LPG is easier to access than it was in Townsville.”

Originally published as Classic car owner’s response to LPG returning to Townsville