Oh dear... I have been decidedly upset (well... not *that* upset) by the
lastest CAMS (Confed. of Australian MotorSport - our FIA body)
Newsletter which states that "As from 1 January, 2002, CAMS will be
adopting the FIA regulation prescriptions for fuel. Whilst not
eliminating leaded fuel in itself, this will mean that AVGAS will be
phased out as it is not in compliance with the general prescriptions"
"In general, the FIA prescribe a maximum Octane rating of 102 for ULP
(UnLeaded Petrol) and PULP (Premium UnLeaded Petrol) and 100 for leaded
fuel. AVGAS in both forms is a leaded fuel with an octane rating of
around 106"
A number of individual States of Australia have already restricted or
banned this fuel for use on "public roads" under 'clean air'
legislation. Whilst in many cases this mean that people racing on
tracks can still use it (for now) rally drivers who must travers 'public
roads' cannot! I don't suppose that stockpiling fuel in the backyard is
an option but this is a pity because I have found that my little car
REALLY enjoys the occasional full tank of AVGAS and more frequently the
half/half mix. I do notice the better performance (and besides... it
smells great :-)
To quote (selectively) this article...
Advantages of AVGAS: more rigid quality control/controlled production;
higher octane=higher compression possible without detonation=more power!
Disadvantages of AVGAS: It costs slightly more; is less conveniently
obtained!!!!
<sigh>
Eric
'68MGB MkII
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