15 replies to this topic

[Dan]

Asbestos wasn't outlawed completely in Britain or the rest of Europe until 1999. Blue and brown were banned in 1985 but white was still perfectly legal for use and sale in many forms throughout the EU until '99.

The label is genuine Rover, all cars of all makes were fitted with them from the mid '80s until the late '90s. They are only there because of the regulations that say you have to warn people if there is a chance asbestos may be present, it doesn't mean there is any in your car for definite. If the friction linings and gaskets have been changed any time since the early '90s in any car then it is highly unlikely still to contain asbestos. The main risk is to mechanics whoe change brake pads all day indoors with air tools, not to someone who does one set every couple of years outside in the damp. Just be sensible when dealing with any form of dust, there is no such thing as safe dust.

It's a bit of a sweeping statement to say there definitely isn't any in the sound deadening. There probably isn't on this car because it is fairly young but in the '60s asbestos was used for almost everything and chucking some in with the bitumen mixture to improve the insulation would have seemed quite natural. In my industry throughout the '50s asbestos was used as artificial snow, now that was dangerous.