We,over here in Britain,have a fairly easy early vehicle smog test.i.e. a check for visible smoke.
As long as it's not smoking from burning oil/or over-rich fuel,it'll pass.
Most restorers have to concede to fitting hardened valve seats to enable them to run unleaded fuel,because we simply cannot get leaded gas any more.
I had a 1975 Ca. spec Porsche 914 with the full compliment of emmissions equipment.i.e Convertor,fuel and air injection and the smog tester here couldn't believe an engine could run with such low outputs.
Even then I didn't actually have to have the test,it was more out of curiosity.
I'm with you though, keep it well serviced and tuned and you shouldn't be doing any more harm.
Here the average family car does approx 12,000+ miles a year.
How many of us do that type of distance in our old trucks? (Not many I'll bet.)
I'll be lucky to do 3000 miles a year
We probably do less harm to the environment than most.
