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<p>That's a little harsh, Gary. <br>
</p>
<p>After my initial post, I did some googling and found some
anecdotal 'evidence;' here's just one example (from our LBC
brethren):</p>
<p><a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?1,3222905">http://www.mgexp.com/phorum/read.php?1,3222905</a></p>
<p>You can 'research' yourself by googling 'valvoline vr1 20w-50
banned in california;' it appears others have thought the same.</p>
<p>I have no prefabricated agenda; I'm doing an expensive engine
rebuild for my BJ8 and want the best oil possible--for a
reasonable price--for the engine when I reinstall it (my cam lobes
and tappet faces were seriously worn). I'd been buying VR1 for a
while when the local parts house told me 'we pulled it off the
shelves.' My engine builder--when asked if VR1 was a good oil for
older, flat tappet engines said 'Yeah, but you can't get it in
California.' So, I got curious (and, in the meantime, bought 3
cases online). <br>
</p>
<p>Banning VR1 made no sense, since other brands--Castrol, for
one--still claim 'adequate' ZDDP for older, flat tappet engines,
and the consensus seemed to be that many 20W-50 oils still had
sufficient ZDDP since they weren't likely to be used in newer cars
with catalytic converters, but that's the 'reading' I was getting
from several sources. I had resigned myself to buying online and,
with a full case order you can get free shipping from Amazon at a
better price than the parts house anyway.</p>
<p>I will confess to being a bit predisposed to assume the 'banned'
scenario; several products which I've found to be effective--3M's
adhesive remover, for one--appear* to be NLA in CA, and I think
the best upholstery adhesive I know of--Weldwood--hasn't been seen
on shelves around here for a while (I buy qt bottles from my
upholsterer, who buys 5-gal cans from, well, I don't want to know
where). I'll also confess to a poor choice of wording in my
previous post--I was speculating and should have made that clear
for the nuance-challenged.<br>
</p>
<p>Full Disclosure: I'm a native Californian--fourth-generation, to
be exact--and have mixed feelings about some of my state's
political actions (but have defended some of them on several
occasions). I can attest to a dramatic improvement in our air
quality over my lifetime, and we have a ways to go. I also have a
background in chemistry--both educational and in the workforce--so
I understand the dangers of some compounds--halogenated
hydrocarbons in particular--being let loose in the environment, so
I stride both sides of the environmental arguments. It should be
noted CA does not require vehicle inspections--a serious tax and
hassle, IMO--and the state did us old car owners a solid when it
eliminated the smog check for pre-1968 cars. <br>
</p>
<p>I still don't have an answer as to why VR1 was pulled from store
shelves, but has now reappeared. Either there was a
misunderstanding--possibly* with the SAE rating system--or,
possibly* Valvoline changed the formulation to comply*.<br>
</p>
<p>Bob</p>
<p><br>
</p>
* NOTE: PURE SPECULATION ON MY PART.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<div class="moz-cite-prefix">On 2/9/2017 7:55 AM, <a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:warthodson@aol.com">warthodson@aol.com</a>
wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:15a2395bc2e-66aa-20a79@webstg-m01.mail.aol.com"
type="cite"><font face="arial" color="black" size="2">
<div>Or maybe you are fabricating a wholly unsubstantiated
scenario to fit with your own personal beliefs &
prejudices? </div>
<div>Gary Hodson</div>
<div> </div>
<div> </div>
<div style="color: black; font-family: arial,helvetica;
font-size: 10pt;">-----Original Message-----<br>
From: Bob Spidell <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:bspidell@comcast.net"><bspidell@comcast.net></a><br>
Cc: Healeys <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="mailto:healeys@autox.team.net"><healeys@autox.team.net></a><br>
Sent: Thu, Feb 9, 2017 9:33 am<br>
Subject: Re: [Healeys] Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil<br>
<br>
Well, my local parts house--the same one that pulled it off
the shelf a <br>
year or so ago--now has its back on the shelf for ~$7/qt.<br>
<br>
It appears this was a bureaucratic overreaction/SNAFU to some
<br>
regulations that may or may not have had an effect, or maybe
Valvoline <br>
changed the formulation to comply.<br>
<br>
bs<br>
<br>
<br>
On 2/8/2017 12:21 PM, David Masucci wrote:<br>
> Are you guys referring to the full synthetic, or the
conventional version of this oil!<br>
><br>
> Sent from my iPhone<br>
><br>
>> On Feb 8, 2017, at 10:38 AM, Bruce Steele <<a
moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:healeybruce@roadrunner.com">healeybruce@roadrunner.com</a>>
wrote:<br>
>><br>
>> I checked at my local NAPA in Brea, CA just a couple
of weeks ago, and they<br>
>> have it.<br>
>><br>
>> Bruce Steele<br>
>> Brea, CA<br>
>> 1960 BN7<br>
>><br>
>> -----Original Message-----<br>
>> From: Healeys [<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:healeys-bounces@autox.team.net?">mailto:healeys-bounces@autox.team.net</a>]
On Behalf Of Bob<br>
>> Spidell<br>
>> Sent: Tuesday, February 07, 2017 3:46 PM<br>
>> To: Healeys <<a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="mailto:healeys@autox.team.net">healeys@autox.team.net</a>><br>
>> Subject: [Healeys] Valvoline VR1 Racing Oil<br>
>><br>
>> Anybody know why this isn't available in California
any more? Yes, it<br>
>> supposedly has high levels of ZDDP, but to my
knowledge only the 20W-50, as<br>
>> do other 20W-50s that are still available. My local
parts house told me a<br>
>> while ago they 'had to pull it off the shelves,' and
my engine builder says<br>
>> it's NLA in California, but he sells Kendall 20W-50,
which claims high ZDDP.<br>
>><br>
>> AFAIK, it can still be 'imported.'<br>
>><br>
>> Bob<br>
>><br>
>><br>
><br>
<br>
</div>
</font>
</blockquote>
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