Dumb question?

Hi all, this is my first post so here goes.

Just bought a '79 Series 3 SWB with a petrol engine which i'm assuming is the original. What i'm wondering is, would it run on unleaded or need lead additive putting in?

If its been converted isn't there usually a stamp on the head somewhere?

The guy i bought it off has never used it so doesn't know.

Please accept my apologies for any stupidty.

Thanks

if yer do a search the info will apear before yer very eyes

Ooh slob you aint allowed to say that now......

am too

no you has to point em to the handy help bit at the top of the intro section. Then say FFS do a search

Kinnellers, stop the cat fight you two, yer s'posed ter be helpful nowadays...

http://www.landyzone.co.uk/lz/search.php?searchid=362543

since when???

I've just tried a search or two and failed to find anything that came vaguely close to answering sunshinemark's questions so I hope the "do a search" merchants will forgive me if I try and give him an answer, they don't have to read it!

No, if it is all still original you should not use unleaded.

No, there is no way of identifying an unleaded head.

Even if the vender had told me it had been converted, if I didn't know him and he couldn't produce invoices, I would still be very careful.

There is a a school of thought that if you only do low mileage and don't work the engine hard, the damage may be slow enough to be insignificant. I wouldn't risk it.

Be warned, you will often hear people say "it works fine on unleaded." It will, but if you haven't got hardened valve seats it will still be being damaged. This makes the choice of additives difficult, as you cannot tell if they are working, only that they are not when the damage has got too bad!

Thanks for clearing that up for me Davec, you are a scholar and a gent.

Its not going to get used too much and won't be worked hard so i'll just chuck some additive in it and assume its all original hope for the best and if it all goes horribly wrong then i'll cross that bridge when i come to it!!!