[rescue] RE: Small schools...

[James Lockwood]

On Thu, 21 Jun 2001, Joshua D. Boyd wrote:

[offtopic discussion about vehicle emission systems]

> I don't think that California does that.  I don't know about Philly (which
> is much closer).

California bases the minimum required emissions standards that a motor
vehicle must pass on the date of manufacture.  A vehicle is not in general
required to pass more stringent standards that those which were in effect
at the time of manufacture.

Keep in mind, however, that the limits for the tests are close to an order
of magnitude higher than the limits imposed on the original manufacturers.
If your vehicle fails an emissions test (even in California), it is either
really out of whack or has been modified.

> I think we dropped leaded fuel long before that.  At least, we stopped
> making cars that took leaded fuel long before that.  I don't know that
> I've ever seen a 1970 or new car that was meant to take leaded.  But,
> maybe they were off the roads before I was old enough to notice.

Leaded was phased out at the end of 1973 in passenger vehicles.  It is
still in use today for different vehicles (100LL avgas, despite being "low
lead", contains more TEL per gallon than 1960's gasoline).

-James