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From: dsn@tove.UUCP (Dana S. Nau)
Newsgroups: net.auto,net.consumers
Subject: Re: No Leaded Gas -- Now What?
Message-ID: <147@tove.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 6-Mar-85 13:38:09 EST
Article-I.D.: tove.147
Posted: Wed Mar  6 13:38:09 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 8-Mar-85 03:43:20 EST
References: <132@ucbcad.UUCP>
Organization: U of Maryland, Laboratory for Parallel Computation, C.P., MD
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Xref: watmath net.auto:5978 net.consumers:1933

> Well, now that the EPA is actually cracking down on leaded gas, let's be
> realistic and assume that soon (too soon) there will be no leaded gas
> available at all.  What do I do with my wonderful old '68 VW Ghia that is
> so cheap, reliable, fun to drive (it's not quite stock!), etc?  Replace
> the valves and run on unleaded?  Find gas additives?  Sell it quick?

RELAX!  As I understand it, the only purpose of putting lead into gas is to
raise the octane rating--and one can do that without using lead.  I think
EPA is to be commended for taking this step.

If you fill your car with unleaded gas having an octane rating at least as
high as the leaded gas it normally takes, I believe it will run without any
problems whatsoever.  If you use gas of a lower octane rating than what you
currently use, you might get some pinging--but if you don't get pinging,
then go ahead and use the lower-octane gas.
-- 
Dana S. Nau		    ARPA:   dsn@maryland
Computer Science Dept.	    CSNet:  dsn@umcp-cs
University of Maryland	    UUCP:   {seismo,allegra,brl-bmd}!umcp-cs!dsn
College Park, MD 20742	    Phone:  (301) 454-7932