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- Thread starter Will Gill
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I remember my uncle putting leaded fuel from a red pump in his Volvo when I was a kid.What happened to that? I vaguely remember unleaded being available at the same time. Could older cars use unleaded once leaded disappeared?
Some could, others not, but you could buy additives, or have the engine modified to run on unleaded petrol. Both were available simultaniously for a long time though, by which point i imagine only pretty old cars wouls habe had issues?
I've noticed that in Sweden. No one, and I do mean no one can park a car straight or remotely central in a bay (even if marked bays are almost as rare as good parking!). For a country with very hard (or should I say long winded) driving tests and inanely low speed limits they are generally pretty poor drivers.
That’s surprising! When I was working for the supercar hire company, I passengered with people from virtually every country in the world, and I always found Scandinavians to be by far the best drivers. Never had a bad experience with one in almost 2 years of doing the job, which is more than I can say for a lot of other nationalities
Man of Honour
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Valve seats need lead for lubrication and 4* was higher octane than unleaded on initial introduction
Tetraethyllead is the component that brings the lead into combustion, and gave the octane rating (98RON for 4 star). The company who commercialised it called themselves Ethyll as it was such a breakthrough for octane - company later became Afton.
Lead would also provide a nice coating for valve seats to stop them wearing out. But the fuel also had lead scavengers to stop the lead accumulation, this lead would go out the exhaust and cause a whole world of issues. Hence is was banned.
LRP was the short lived solution for older cars to avoid valve seat recession in 2000 when the leaded ban came in.
Lead would also provide a nice coating for valve seats to stop them wearing out. But the fuel also had lead scavengers to stop the lead accumulation, this lead would go out the exhaust and cause a whole world of issues. Hence is was banned.
LRP was the short lived solution for older cars to avoid valve seat recession in 2000 when the leaded ban came in.
That sounds familiar, thanks. A mate of mine back in Saffrica has an old Datsun which still needs lead substitute added.
I once drove from Falun to Stockholm and encountered all of 3 speed cameras, very very well signposted and easy to see for miles. That coupled with teeny tiny police forces and even smaller 'traffic police' and its pretty hard to obey the limits when they are as unnecessarily (outside of winter anyway) low as they are.
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Didn't those ones still have leaf springs?
They have 'em for a reason – because, on the packaging and weight front, they offer considerable advantages compared to a conventional set-up. Also, GM's perfected them over decades of use. They're not what you'd see slung under the back of an old Transit, either; there's only one spring at each end, mounted transversely, and they're typically composite. Have an integral anti-roll effect, too, further cutting weight and complexity from the car.
C6 is a stout bit of kit, even in standard form. A standard car with the Z51 Performance Package (chassis and brake tweaks) went around the Nürburgring in 7:59, which is quicker than a V8 Vantage, E92 M3, Honda NSX, Alfa Romeo 4C, Z4 M Coupe, etc, etc.
Not that Nürburgring times tell the whole story, mind, but should give it a little perspective.
Hell, even the C5 was extremely keen – have a look at the C5 Z06, for example. C4s are harder to handle but, even so, they rule countless autocross tracks in the US for a reason. Compact, comparatively light, stiff and endlessly tuneable... and as tough as a brick!
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Yes.
I don't even...
