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Fuel for 1500

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peeeot

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What kind of fuel does the non-catalytic converter 1500 Midget need? For getting it started up, I filled it with premium 93 octane unleaded, and then later when I read through the glove box manual, I put in some lead substitute. Does it need the lead, or will 93 unleaded be okay? Again, it's a 1500 with no emissions stuff. Thanks a lot!

-Peter
 
You should be OK with 93 unleaded. I'm racing my 1500 with 94 octane unleaded.
These cars (when stock) don't have particulalrly high compression ratios...the better ones were only around 9:1.
But be sure that your ignition timing is correct.
Most "lead substitutes" are almost useless. There are some race-oriented additives that can help, but they are real expensive and only availalble from special suppliers.
 
Check the year your 1500 was made. At some point in the States they dropped it down to 7.?/1 so it could use 87 octane. It's a little cheaper to purchase that these days now that gas is going through the roof. The bad thing I hear was with the dropping of the compression ratio the 1500 lost a lot of power.
 
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It's a little cheaper to purchase that these days now that gas is going through the roof.

[/ QUOTE ]
What do you guys term as 'going through the roof'? Over here in the UK, it's the equivalent of around U$5.80 - 6.00 a gallon for the standard 95 octane unleaded
Emma
 
Well, this is different than I expected. "Fuel for 1500" and I immediately thought we were talking about an SUV again. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jester.gif (Sorry, just couldn't resist. We now return you to your regularly scheduled post.)
 
It's all relative........people over here have been spoiled by the low price of fuel. It's still less than half the price it is in the UK and still people are horrified when there's an increase.
 
Well the price of gas in the UK must be that way because of taxes and you are getting something out of it or your saving money on something else that we are taxed more for.

In the US we have a HUGE landmass and things need to travel across it, there is no way you could afford to have things travel across the US if the price were what it is in the UK, but for you to travel across the UK at the price it is there is not as much of a problem. IMO
 
[ QUOTE ]
Well the price of gas in the UK must be that way because of taxes and you are getting something out of it or your saving money on something else that we are taxed more for.

[/ QUOTE ]
I looked up some recent numbers on gas prices. UK duty tax plus VAT add up to 76 % of the total fuel cost.
France is 75%
USA is 22%
I have no idea what the UK citizens are getting for their higher gas taxes. Likely, something that they don't want.
D
 
Hello Dave,
amongst other 'benefits' we get for our taxes are more politicians, expansion of regional government on one hand and the horrifically expensive European representitives on the other, all with their high salaries, cast iron pension benefits, offices and office staff. Strangely all I seem to see are higher taxes and increased restrictions. Value for money, what is that?

Alec
 
I never would have guessed this thread to go in this direction!! interesting, though. I didn't realize gas was that expensive in Europe. My Midge is a '76; the glovebox manual lists two compression ratios and I've assumed the lower one to be for the catalytic converter cars. Is this a correct assumption?
 
I remember my '79 Midget used to run better on Premium 93 octane. The tank is only 7 gallons or so, and the car gets very good milage. It's a lot less expensive to fill 'er up than a modern sports car, (most of which require 93 octane as well)

Cheers!
 
Getting back to the use of regular 87 octance. Usage in your 1500 will depend on the year of the motor. After 1978 or 79 both the Federal and Calf version dropped to 7.5 from what I am reading. Prior to that only the Calf motor dropped to 7.5 and the Federal motor ran at 9.0 compression. Do you know what year and version you are running.
 
In response to your original question, I ran 87 M+R/2 Octane gas on my stock '76 MG Midget (1500). The previous year, '75, as well as '77 on vehicles had dished pistons which had 7.5:1 compression. Now, I ran regular US 87 without problems at 9:1 stock compression (at least when compared with the fact that I had a monstrous racket from the need of a rebuild ... I believe it needed a gudgeon pin on a piston, and that was the reason for the racket). At any rate, I went to 10.5:1 compression and the rest of engine tuning and now run Sunoco Ultra 94 with no problems (at least not engine related ones). I have other problems, but they're not due to engine problems, instead a nagging clutch issue which I expect to solve around Christmas (I sure hope so ...). Hope this helps!
 
What, a conservative Brit. Your ok in my book.

By the way high taxes is one of the reasons my ancestors left. My friend the profesor at York is even leaving this year to retire in the US for that reason. Most of his investments are here any way.

I hate to ask how the ale taxes are. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/patriot.gif
 
Fuel and taxes...seem to go hand in hand.
I run 'High Octane' here in Japan, as for taxes, well I no longer live in Sweden, went from a 50%+ tax rate in Sweden to less than 10% in Japan.
Didn't get anything I needed for my taxes then /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/nonod.gif, don't pay for anything I don't need now. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Hey guys,
I've got a 1979, 1500 I'm doing from the ground up. It had the air pump and the whole smear of polution garb on it. Thats all gone now and it really helped with the H.P.
I finished the engine and could'nt wait to get it on the dino. I had it dino'ed the same way the factory does, with-
out the tranny, and it's putting out almost 120 H.P. Can't
wait to get it back on the road. The fuel additive is the route I'm going to go to.

Rick
 
That's pretty awesome! The stock HP figure I've seen for Midget 1500s is 66 HP. What all did you do for your engine, other than stripping the emissions equipment? I have a 1500 with the higher compression ratio, no emissions, 4-2-1 header, and Weber carb (pierce intake). Stock cam, timed at 10 degrees BTDC. I've really been wondering about a ballpark figure for HP. Is my setup comparable to yours?
 
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