I bought mine in 1985, in Nairobi, and it have been my workhorse for breckfast coffee, aggs and bacon for two years, then , when back to Italy, it have been the workhorse in my worshop, mainly to prepare wood glue (the olod traditional one that smell of fish and needs to beboiled before use). Allways used unleaded petrol in it. No, the optimus tnak lid does not fit. To avoid sooting, in you wont not to carry meth, just wrap stove door gasket rope in the spirit cup, bloking with copper wire. It seems that pertol, when burning from the soaked rope gasket, give a lot less sooth (I say a lot less, not no sooth at all). It is the most robust, problem free stove I evar owned and used. It just take a few minutes to get full power. Orsoorso
