"Environmental concerns are going to have an increasing effect on the old car hobby. How we respond to them will be of paramount importance to both the health of our pastime and the planet we all live on."

The old car is not the devil incarnate, as many groups wish to paint it in terms of pollution, but it is a very visible and relatively easy target to attack. Many of those attacks are unfounded -- take a look around the next time you are out driving; how many well-maintained classic cars do you see spewing smog from the tailpipe? Now look at the basic commuter cars pumping out pollutants due to running rich, or worn engines long past their rebuild date. Classic cars also tend to be used far less than the average machine, and when they are not running, they are obviously not adding to air pollution. In Great Britain, environmental groups have actually rallied to the support of classic cars. The Green Party's spokesman, Tony Slade, stated: "Most older cars only cover low mileages, which reduces their environmental impact." His view was backed up by Peter Hughes, Energy spokesman for the Open University, who stated that, "As much as 40% of a car's total energy use in its lifetime was absorbed in simply producing it."

Simple Steps
Faced with global problems such as ozone depletion and pollution, many of us tend to think, "It's out of my hands; what can I do about it?"

To put it simply, quite a lot. The junk piling up in landfills, poisoning soil and water, is generated by millions of ordinary people, and a change of habits by enough of those people will make a difference.

Most households now recycle a growing amount of material such as newspapers, cans and glass. This practice may be applied to your car's by-products.

Oil
Used oil is particularly noxious stuff and its disposal should be handled thoughtfully. Recycling is of course the common-sense approach, which saves both resources and the environment.

Many local garages have an oil drain and will accept used oil, and often local communities have programs for recycling used motor oil. There is absolutely no excuse for dumping the black sludge in the ground or down the nearest drain.

A sobering thought to consider is that do-it-yourself mechanics dump twenty times as much oil into the environment every year as was spilled by the Exxon Valdez.

Coolant
After the disposal of filthy-looking oil, the water in your radiator may look relatively harmless. But appearances are deceptive, and tipping the used water and anti-freeze coolant down the drain will, once again, cause problems. In fact, in many areas disposing of old coolant / anti-freeze in this manner is just as illegal as tipping oil down the drain.

Tires
These can be among the most troublesome (as far as the environment goes) items to dispose of. Tires last forever in landfills, are a potential fire hazard and provide the perfect breeding ground for flies and vermin when piled up for posterity in your backyard.

Novel uses for the old radials and bias-belts include recycling them into rubber beach thongs, kids jungle gyms and even hockey pucks! So, rather than casting the old tires aside, they can actually "live again" as another useful product. Check with your local tire dealer for methods of disposal that will not harm the environment.

Batteries
The average battery contains between 18-20 pounds of lead and three pounds of plastic. This is in addition to the zinc and copper within the case. This combination adds up to rather hefty amounts of pollution if a dead battery is simply tossed into the rubbish bin at the end of its life.

On the plus side, old batteries are 100% recyclable and may be returned to auto stores for this purpose. Laws in several states mandate that stores accept old batteries for recycling. 90% of discarded batteries are already returned, with 10% going into shrinking landfill space. While the return figure sounds impressive, 10% of all the batteries sold in the United States constitutes an awful lot of pollution seeping into our soil.

Clean and Green Machine
We all take pride in our car's appearance and generally employ a host of cleaning aids to keep it looking in tip-top condition. Many of these cleaners, however, add to the ozone depletion -- especially the solvent-based items which, when released into the air by use, can add to the smog problem.

The other problem is that solvents leaking into the ground will produce the same problems as oil leaks. Of course, there are times when nothing but a strong solvent will do the job -- such as engine cleaning. When using these solvents / degreasers, follow the directions carefully and use sparingly.

Once the really dirty job is finished, you will find that biodegradable cleaning products will help to keep the car clean. In fact, responding to environmental concerns, several companies are offering parts cleaners that use a water-based "solvent" which is completely biodegradable.

In Tune
It will not come as a surprise to anyone that a well-maintained and well-tuned car produces less pollution that a sloppily-cared-for classic that goes years between tune-ups. In this case, keeping your car on song will not only save your wallet at the gas station, but will help keep the air as clean as possible.

If your car was fitted with pollution controls, do not attempt to remove them -- not only is such an act illegal in most states, but you may find your car will run worse without them.

Getting the Lead Out
In days of yore, high-octane, leaded gasoline was the norm; nowadays, of course, the stuff is all but relegated to the trackside. So what can the enthusiast do to wean his classic from the diet of high-octane fuel?

When the time arrives for the next rebuild, arrange for the compression ratio to be lowered and add hardened valve seats (the lead in the fuel was there to lubricate the old valve seats as well as boosting octane); then your car should be able to run quite happily on today's low- or no-lead gasoline.

In England, where new laws have phased out leaded fuel and introduced emission testing, a new generation of engine builders has arisen catering to converting heads to allow classic cars to run on the no-lead blends. The same service is offered here in the States, so check with an engine builder who specializes in your marque.

Fuel
The one thing your classic car of any age cannot do without is petroleum. Sadly, the by-product of that fuel is a complex hydrocarbon stew that is one of the culprits of the "greenhouse effect" as well as the curse of Los Angeles and other cities air quality -- smog.

While the car cannot run without fuel, there are options as to which fuel you put into the tank. Much has been made of the latest reformulated gasoline which cuts the amount of pollution produced by eliminating certain chemicals in the "brew." Arco, the manufacturer of EC-1 claims that the blend is a direct replacement for old-style leaded gasoline. The company also claims that older cars, although comprising around 15% of the on-road vehicle population in southern California, produce approximately 30% of vehicular pollution. By using EC-1, the company claims, it would be similar to removing 20% of older cars from the road.

Some cities have charged that such gasolines actually produce more of certain pollutants than the standard blend we have used for years. Of course, with any new product there will be much to be -- excuse the pun -- refined.

However, the new gasoline blends are a step in the right direction, and have been incorporated in the Clean Air Act for heavily polluted areas such as Los Angeles.

Cool Classics
The chloroflourocarbons contained in air conditioners, once released into the atmosphere, are one of the main contributors to the "greenhouse effect." The key is to keep the stuff in the sealed air conditioning system. The that end, do not keep "topping up" a leaky system with cans of Freon. Instead, take the car to a competent air conditioning service center. Many of these centers are able to capture the spent Freon and purify it for further use.

Whether we like it or not, environmental concerns are going to have an increasing effect on the old car hobby. How we, as enthusiasts, respond to them will be of paramount importance to both the health of our pastime and the planet we all live on.

Comments from Environmental Groups
Don't think that every environmental group has plans to pull your Mk II Jag, tar and feather you, and crush (sorry, recycle) your beloved classic. While some "radical" groups advocate actions pretty close to the above, the mainstream environmental organizations offer a balanced enough viewpoint on old cars and the environment. After all, many of their members enjoy a hike through pristine mountains as well as a blast through the esses in their classic sports cars.

Sierra Club: "It's a good idea to keep the older cars running as well as they can. Of course, we would like to wean people out of their cars as much as possible. Recycling the motor oil is an excellent idea and we encourage owners to return and recycle as many of their cars' by-products as possible."

Greenpeace: "If you are not using your car that much, then, obviously, it is not damaging the environment. Be responsible: recycle oil, CFCs, old batteries and tires. We encourage people to keep their classic cars in tune, with tire properly inflated, to help cut emissions."

Bill Webb is the author of Swedish Iron and president of the southern California chapter of Volvo Sports America. The text of this article originally appeared in the May-June 1996 edition of the VSA Western States Magazine. It is published here by permission of the author.