MG Car Repair: 1961 mga, bp gas, fuel mileage

Question
hi, hope you are fine. i have a 1961 mga 1600. should i use a lead substitute in the gas.  thanks  gary

Answer
Hi Gary,
No, you don't need any lead substitute. Just use high test unleaded gas. Lead was put in a less than ideal gas to raise octane rating. As a side benefit it tended to lube the valve face and seat but most fuels today already have better substitute chemicals in them. When lead was used I did some studies on the only unleaded gas, Amoco "white" gas as it was called and found it produced more power and had better fuel mileage than most leaded gas at the time that had a higher octane rating back then. I did these tests on MGs and Jaguars and noted less combustion chamber carbon and less exhaust pipe replacement when the "White" gas was used. I have not done any comparative studies on the new Amoco/BP gas vs. other unleaded of today but still use Amoco/BP today in my own Jag and MG.
If anyone out there has done any independent study lately, I'm sure everyone would like to hear about it.
Howard