WDB
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Post by WDB on Jul 10, 2017 7:37:11 GMT
Driving home on Saturday: country road, sunny evening, windows open, Martin Taylor twanging gallically away, all generally right with the world. Out of a side road on my left and into my path pops a soft-top Triumph, a TR6 I think. Suddenly my car is full of the smell of petrol vapour, presumably belching unburned from the exhaust of the old car.
I eventually found an opportunity to zip past, but the old geezer's evening jaunt did nothing for the quality of mine. No doubt Humph has an entertaining memory of, erm, entertaining in one of these, but my question to those old enough to remember is this: was this car in need of some attention, or is that just how they all used to be?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2017 12:38:20 GMT
When I see an old car (i.e. pre catalytic converters) I am surprised by the smell out of the exhaust. All cars were like this, but we did not realise. Air is much fresher now, despite the increase in diesel cars.
There was an article in the Telegraph this morning by a doctor (I think), saying that passive smoking has never caused cancer and Sir Richard Doll who discovered the link between smoking and cancer accepted that there was no effect of passive smoking. Therefore this doctor said, lets go back to smoking in pubs etc....
However, I hated going into pubs because of the smoke, so I am glad there is a ban on smoking inside public buildings, even if I would not suffer if the ban was reversed.
Fumes of any description are annoying, irrespective of whether they harm you or not.
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Avant
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Post by Avant on Jul 10, 2017 14:54:04 GMT
If it was an 'old geezer' he could well have been taking the Triumph on a short journey, never really getting it warmed up. And if it was a TR6, the fuel injection was probably up the Swannee as well.
I've been driving since 1966 but I can't rememeber that smell being ever-present - maybe we all just got used to it. I can remember with leaded petrol, what was called a 'clean' exhaust was when the inside of the pipe was light grey.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 10, 2017 18:15:48 GMT
In a word yes.
Crankcase breather pipes feeding straight into the air filter housing on top of the carbs, tolerances measured in feet and inches compared to what we have today.
My wife has a '97 Honda CBR600, it has four carbs, no cat (it was built that way nothing has been removed) runs on unleaded and stinks compared with my 2012 bike.
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Post by Humph on Jul 10, 2017 20:06:31 GMT
My MG Midget, my Triumph Spitfire and my Westfield all stank of petrol. Perversely perhaps, I quite liked the smell. Other cars may have done but the roofless ones were more noticeable.
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WDB
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Posts: 7,427
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Post by WDB on Jul 10, 2017 21:40:19 GMT
I remember liking the smell of petrol as a child. I don't any more, which I'd put down to the change in additives in the move to lead-free. I do remember cars that had a whiff of petrol about them when standing still - through the tank vents, I imagine. I don't recall quite the pungency of this old Triumph.
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Post by commerdriver on Jul 11, 2017 8:29:17 GMT
I remember liking the smell of petrol as a child. I don't any more, which I'd put down to the change in additives in the move to lead-free. I do remember cars that had a whiff of petrol about them when standing still - through the tank vents, I imagine. I don't recall quite the pungency of this old Triumph. As Avant said upthread, being a TR6 this one probably had fuel injection issues, they were notorious for them although when they were set up right... There is a very distinct odour from an uncatalysed petrol engine although when measured, for example at MOT time, they would often pass more modern emissions requirements, or so I have been told when the Commer was tested in the past. I suspect it's like cigarette smoke, it's amazing what you got used to and didn't notice. |
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