JTMCO

As the octane rating of gasoline goes down, it is more prone to auto-ignition. That is why your car started to ping when you changed to 87 octane. Diesel fuel is designed to autoignite. In other words, to some extent you want a diesel engine to ping. So I think putting in diesel fuel will only make it worse. Your choices are: 1.) Clean any carbon out of you cylinders with Seafoam or similar. The carbon gets hot and promotes autoignition. 2.) Retard your timing a little bit. 3.) Bite the bullet and buy 93 octane. The other (impractical) option is to somehow decrease your compression ratio. Good luck. Jim

I got a set of wheels in about the same condition as yours but without tires. I didn't want to spend the money on blasting and powercoating, so I put a wire brush in the drill and knocked off of the loose rust. Then I primed them with Rust-o-leum and Painted them white. I just did the outside. You could do the same with the tires on - just be careful around the bead and especially near the valve stem. Then cover the tire with newspaper and tape it around the edge of the rim and paint away. My Loyale wagon is white and the wheel really improve the appearance. Good luck, Jim

Hmmm- How many quarts of oil is it burning per tank of gas? More seriously, maybe it is running leaner? Is there less power? Or maybe if you are five years older, you have followed the insurance company statistics and slowed down. Whatever it is - with oil over $75 per barrel and rising, enjoy!!! Jim

What you need is a friend with a working speedometer and 2 cell phones (or a set of preselected hand signals!). Have him follow you and when you get to the RPM you want, ask him how fast you are going.

jcwhitney.com lists a custom fit one for a Loyale for $109. I don't know anything about the quality etc. If you buy one, let me know - I'm thinking about it. Jim

Based on what you've written, it sounds more like an ignition problem. Have you tried using Starter Fluid (ether)? If you are getting ANY spark, that stuff will ignite. BE CAREFUL Jim