Hi.
My father and I are planning on a new project car that will become a dedicated driver. I've researched this part pretty exhaustively, and I've decided that I want to put a Ford 6.8L V10 in a Crown Vic, and run the ignition and fuel management (and possibly other things as well) with the MegaSquirt EMS (sort of parallel to the stock ECU, so all my gauges still work). Since I like doing things over the top, and I would like a unique vehicle, besides any economic reasons, I would like to have a CNG-powered, Megasquirt-managed, V10, Crown Vic.
I've tried reading up on the laws concerning the conversion of vehicles to natural gas, and if I didn't already have a decent line on a regular, gasoline-powered Crown Vic, I would look into buying from a fleet auctioning off their CNG vehicles. I still might, if I can't figure this out otherwise and it seems like a good idea.
The model year for the Vic will probably be around '98-'02 (these are the cars I'm seeing on auction from police fleets, and the car I have a decent line on is a '98). As required by California (and therefore, by Massachusetts, where I live), the engine needs to be newer than the car. Also, as far as I know, as long as the original gauges work, it passes emissions and safety inspection, the swap is road-legal in California. I have no preference as to the year of the engine, how many valves it has (the V10 has a 2-valve and a 3-valve model), etc., however, there are CNG V10s. As well as CNG 4.6L Crown Vics. And there are megasquirt-managed CNG vehicles out there as well. I don't know if they were legally converted to CNG, but they run with megasquirt.
Now the questions.
What would be the easiest, legally, conversion to do, keeping in mind that the more work I do, the better, and that I'm not made of money, and my state doesn't have any worthwhile incentives (that I know of) - convert the gas cv to cng, then swap in a cng v10? do the swap first, then convert to cng? buy a cng cv, then swap in a cng v10?
Are any of those options even legally viable?
How much would each of those cost (just ball park from someone who happens to know off the top of their head, I'll do the researching on my own time
)?
The CNG is in no way necessary for the conversion, but this is a learning experience, and I'd like to learn as much as I can (replacing an engine with a bigger one, managing it with megasquirt, and possibly getting a daily driver that's big and safe, unique and rwd, and powered by CNG seems like a pretty good list to me). And if I do the conversion, then it'll be by the book (as long as I can watch, I don't mind having someone else do my gas lines, and install a new tank, etc., for me - better they do it with their lift than I do it in my driveway or garage
).
My father and I are planning on a new project car that will become a dedicated driver. I've researched this part pretty exhaustively, and I've decided that I want to put a Ford 6.8L V10 in a Crown Vic, and run the ignition and fuel management (and possibly other things as well) with the MegaSquirt EMS (sort of parallel to the stock ECU, so all my gauges still work). Since I like doing things over the top, and I would like a unique vehicle, besides any economic reasons, I would like to have a CNG-powered, Megasquirt-managed, V10, Crown Vic.
I've tried reading up on the laws concerning the conversion of vehicles to natural gas, and if I didn't already have a decent line on a regular, gasoline-powered Crown Vic, I would look into buying from a fleet auctioning off their CNG vehicles. I still might, if I can't figure this out otherwise and it seems like a good idea.
The model year for the Vic will probably be around '98-'02 (these are the cars I'm seeing on auction from police fleets, and the car I have a decent line on is a '98). As required by California (and therefore, by Massachusetts, where I live), the engine needs to be newer than the car. Also, as far as I know, as long as the original gauges work, it passes emissions and safety inspection, the swap is road-legal in California. I have no preference as to the year of the engine, how many valves it has (the V10 has a 2-valve and a 3-valve model), etc., however, there are CNG V10s. As well as CNG 4.6L Crown Vics. And there are megasquirt-managed CNG vehicles out there as well. I don't know if they were legally converted to CNG, but they run with megasquirt.
Now the questions.
What would be the easiest, legally, conversion to do, keeping in mind that the more work I do, the better, and that I'm not made of money, and my state doesn't have any worthwhile incentives (that I know of) - convert the gas cv to cng, then swap in a cng v10? do the swap first, then convert to cng? buy a cng cv, then swap in a cng v10?
Are any of those options even legally viable?
How much would each of those cost (just ball park from someone who happens to know off the top of their head, I'll do the researching on my own time

The CNG is in no way necessary for the conversion, but this is a learning experience, and I'd like to learn as much as I can (replacing an engine with a bigger one, managing it with megasquirt, and possibly getting a daily driver that's big and safe, unique and rwd, and powered by CNG seems like a pretty good list to me). And if I do the conversion, then it'll be by the book (as long as I can watch, I don't mind having someone else do my gas lines, and install a new tank, etc., for me - better they do it with their lift than I do it in my driveway or garage

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