Re: When did high test gas get so ridiculous?

Posted by Craig the Clipper Man On 2013/6/23 19:20:14

When I was 15-16 years old, I worked as a pump jockey/grease monkey at a Mobil service station in San Marino, Calif. What we sold was regular and premium gasoline. As I recall, regular was about 91 octaine, while premium was 97 octaine. The only thing higher in octaine was aircraft fuel. Premium was what I used in my 1960 Ford Sunliner, which loved it so much that it drank it in copious amounts! Funny, the Ford also had a 352 cid V-8, with a Holley 4 bbl carb, not unlike my Clipper; but the Sunliner was much, much faster and could leave rubber in first and second gears.

Now premium gasoline is supposed to be at least 95 octaine, not the 93 octaine being passed off as top grade these days. Compound this fact by adding 10 percent ethanol and what you have is a concoction of low-powered crud that our cars were never designed to consume. So Costco, or other gas stations, can call the stuff they sell Super Dooper Extra High Test Royal Premium, but as long as it contains lower levels of octaine and ethanel, then real premium is simply a thing of the past.