Many people are concerned about wheather their old cars are capable of running unleaded fuels,

What I would be much much more concerned about is the fact that we dont run catalytic converters on our force fed unleaded dubs and other cars too.

Does the word cancer mean anything to anyone?

There is a reason why every unleaded car gets a catalytic converter from the factory, think of the extra cost to manufacturers that is involved in doing that to a million cars, its what they have to do to eliminate/reduce the carcenagenic emmissions that the chemicals that replace leads function in fuel, {to reduce future law suits}

If the manufacturers could get away without the extra cost they would, but internationally its recognized as being a very important requirement to have a catalytic converter on any car manufactured to run on unleaded as a health issue.

Although its an acumulitave effect, think about it, we all run unleaded in cars without catalytic converters, have done for years and will continue to do so no doubt, we even stick our little kids in the back and give them a good dose to grow up on too.

Adding the upper cylinder lubricant may make our engines cope but it doesn't change the obnoxious unleaded anti knock and cooling additives does it.

There have been many articles written on just this subject, I have read them and read their technical explanations etc, I probably still have some articles in my car collection, {I am collecting car mags to eventually make myself a house out of them}:thumb I will endevour to find one of those article and post it on here.

Just because we cant "see" the harmful pollution we naturaly forget about it,

No one is going to force the issue on us, after all, anyone whos anyone would be able to afford a brand new car and not be forced to drive an old VW out of desperation wouldn't they?

We as enthusiasts of early motoring, living in a modernday evironment, need to look after ourselves, dont you agree?

where can you get a catalitic converter to fit a bug? how does it go on? and how much$

They should be able to modify a vw exhaust at an exhaust shop, heat exchangers could be made using a catalytic conveter in the centre, Little japanese cars would have smallish cats. they can just put one in line with the muffler too.

I, too, have been interested in this stuff and have read dozens of reports on this and related subjects from Australia and overseas. My advice is: It can't practically be done without closed-loop feedback engene mangement system and a whole lot of other considerations

Nice sentiments and intention, but

get over it

move on

[Edited on 2-3-2005 by VWCOOL]

[Edited on 2-3-2005 by VWCOOL]

the sun gives us cancer, smoking gives us cancer, drinking gives us cancer, pollution gives us cancer, standing too close to the microwave gives us cancer, eating unhealthy food gives us cancer. no catalytic converter is gonna protect us from the sun or microwaves........in the end, we're screwed.

why?
Why would you need closed loop engine managenment system?
a carby wouldnt wander from stoich enough to give a Catalytic converter grief,
and what other considerations are too bothersome to look after your health?

Dont get me wrong, I dont have a catalytic converter on any of my dubs, mazdas,Chev etc. and I'm not preaching that everyone is reckless, I just bet theres a whole pile of people who dont know about the dangers and would possibly consider changing their setup if they do know its unhealthy to be sniffing those fumes in a major way,
I would however like to see a comparison between this and Smoking.
Cheers Anthony.

I was told a very interesting thing the other day, and have the person trying to find me the medical article it came from.

Apparently the info was posted in a medical journal....based on a 'whistle blower' comments, which were late found to be true. Apparently a number of ppls in government knew, but were gagged...Anyway it goes like this:

Stacks of ppls who are aged 40 - 70 are dying from cancer. We all know this. No big secret there. It is considered the plague of this century. What we didn't knwo was that the polio shots that were given to these ppl had a particular ingredient in it which caused cancer. Apparently the report said that the government was aware of this problem, but decided to go ahead with the shots because polio was a far greater risk. they decided they needed to irradicate the polio, and prevent it coming back, as apposed to ensuring something called cancer didn't kill ppl. They decided the benefits far out weighted the risks.

BUT I am not sure how accurate the info, and thus why I have asked for a copy. So in some cases, it may make no difference what u do now, the shots for polio may have already exposed u to the cancer.

Have a nice day...

ah all a bit much for the brain to absorb

I once heard a 95 year old man say in an interview, that "had he know that he was going to live so long, he would have taken better care of himself"
Bit late to decide then I reckon,

I dont smoke now but spent at least 10 years smoking 40 or more cigarettes a day, Although its been 3 and a half years since I had a cigarette, and I feel great, I reckon the exhaust fumes wont catch me like the smokes will,

Also take into account my love of old cars without seatbelts and big fast motor bikes, and my mortality rate is looking fairly shakey

And lets not even think about the crazy plastic resins and paints I use at work.

hey herbie...don't worry

the good die young...u'll be going forever man.

u may not have kids cause of the ersins and shit...but u'll get old....

ok ur old now...u'll get older.

Ps: Eltons getting a make over. Thinking metallic copper with cream ghost flames...what do u think??

petrol and oil CAUSE cancer in humans (and VW people) weather burnt or as a liquid. You are at a higher risk of getting cancer from the "unleaded" fuels than you were with the "leaded" fuels, mainly due to the additives contained in them. There have been many studies into the "leaded -v- unleaded" fuels and a lot of info was not made available to the public as the governments concerned did not want to cause "undue concern" to the population. A few were the increase in acid rain due to the higher usage of unleaded fuels etc etc... do a search on the net and you might get a better idea.What comes out the exhaust with or without a cat. converter is the least of my concernes:duh Most exhausts don't get hot enough for the converters to work anyway:blush

^ like mick said.

To get an aircooled dub engine to comply with emissions standards would need a lot more than just a cat converter.

Besides a lot more pollution and carcinogens come from industrial sources and othe crap

I'm just going to stay away from asbestos. That's the plague that worries me. Lost my old man to mesothelioma, and a mates Dad also has it.

we get side effects from our mediction we take,, we get side effects from the chemicals in our fruit and veges and hormone grow products in our meat and chickens and shit in the ocean for our seafood,,,,,,majority of people are living longer now a days than years ago,,,,,,,,,,,,so all this crap is good for us they say eheheheheheh well done the goverment ,may as well drink straight alchol its pure i say.,colleen

cheers
:beer

While you are out walking behind your lawn motor thinking of the best way to fit a cat(sic) to your beetle you will be getting a nice dose of non treated exhaust fumes as well. The way I look at everything you do everyday is killing you. Enjoy the moment and avoid the arseclowns of life! :duh

I think you'll find the lead in leaded petrol is not a carcinogenic more a neurotoxin. It affects the central nervous system, studies in the sixties found that schoolchildren in inner cities appeared slower learners or had slower reflexes than children in cleaner environments. The chemicals released from unleaded are more dangerous due to the additives as pointed out by Mick H. Acid rain is a by product of mainly carbon emissions not lead.

i got news for u all...

I just tried to fit my cat "Kes" to my exhaust, and she didn't love me at all.

In fact, I thinki that was far more dangerous for my health than just leaving it...

So now I'm sending my kids out to try...they're looking at me strangely...

STOP IT!

smells and tates bad

what the fuel or my cat??

never tried to eat her actually....

ohhhh and no sick comments about eating pussy alright...thats just way bad taste

hate cats - allergy but they do smell

mine cat smells like fish..

yuck!

Up until [about] 15 years ago, everyone changed the oil in their car and the oil always somehow managed to get all over your hands and sometimes much more...
there were No warnings on the oil bottles etc....
"Oil was good for the skin" same as it was good for the engine etc....

I only started wearing gloves to keep oil from My hands a few years ago.... not because of the warnings on the oil containers.... but because I read it on the internet... a Beetle fanatic in the US said He had started to use disposible gloves when working on His beetle to keep grease from under his fingernails and oil from his hands....
I have used disposible gloves since....
[only when i remember- though] so I still get the occasional greasy or oily hands....

You should be able to buy a Catalytic converter/Muffler for a beetle... very expensive plus only One exhaust pipe....
You may have to import one from the US.....

Motorcycles don't have Catalytic converters....
most harleys don't even have mufflers....
and it goes on & on.....

When I was about 5, the boy across the street died from Polio, so I'm glad I had the polio vaccine.... an injection back then....

and I always hold My breath while starting the lawn Mower for the Wife [until I get back inside]

Some people say the BIGGEST problem with an Air Cooled VW engine is the Lack of a rear Engine Oil seal, so any bypass fumes go straight out into the air......
so We should All be installing rear engine oil seals in Our VWs
.. at least that would be a start.....

Lee

http://community.webshots.com/user/vw68autobug 

its good that this discussion is going. at least we're all thinking about it. i know the black smoke that comes out of my exhaust at times cannot be good for anyone.
a friend had polio when she was growing up. poor thing had to have heaps of operations, carried everywhere.
i could tell you a funny story about chickens, but that may have to wait.
all these things we should think about we usually do, then push them aside, and only care until its too late..

I always use disposable gloves working on my car too, mainly because it saves me time cleaning out all the crap from your fingernails and hands. Also much better for your skin

never thought above the gloves thing....which is so silly considering i get them in bulk packs...

my hands peel majorily after lots of dishwashing and cleaning,s o i use them then.

but for cars...now there a thought....

thanks for suggestions, will be doing that next time

guys tell me more... at the convertors...

is it hard to put on??

what else would need changing??

i have an idea in mind for my car, and where i want it to go....but still looking for ideas.

Weren’t catalytic converters brought in just to meet the 1986 ADR 37-00, not because the emissions are any more or less toxic?

Plenty of carbureted production cars use converters but their carbies are not as simple as our solexes.

None the less, I like to fit one, how did you do yours herbie?

:blah

Do you guys think that a catalytic will get rid of all the contaminants in the exhaust? The small amount of VWs running around on unleaded fuel is the least of our worries these days.

OK, I will be carefull with my exhaust but I don't think that it's a big risk. I'll reacces the danger however with proof.

HEAT is the most important thing in getting a catalytic converter to work and they usually take about 5 minutes to start working so even 2005 models are doing harm most motorcycles dont have em