Preferred Gasoline brand?

[glecharles]

I started out with Shell but they're inexplicably the most expensive of the name brands in my area (usually +$.20/gallon or more) and I'm not convinced they're worth it.

Who's your preferred brand and why?

Or, do you just buy the cheapest premium available wherever you find it?

[gbullman]

Guy,

I don't go with the cheapest but try to stick with more brand names (I include Lukoil as a brand name). My preference is either BP or Amoco since they are still marketing Ultimate which back in the day was supposed to be among the best and then tend to be less expensive than Shell, Exxon, etc.. Not sure it matters that much these days since the all are just adding additives to the same gasoline that comes up through the pipelines.

How are things going with your car, haven't heard from you lately?

Gary

[joelsplace]

We have Shell, Buc-ee's, Valero and QT at one intersection. The Shell regular is almost always .05 cheaper since they have a club card that gives .05 off. I use the Shell regular and the 93 when I have some gunky carburetors and it seems to be pretty good at cleaning a little stoppage. The 93 was .60 higher than regular last time I filled up and I think the QT was only .50 higher last time I checked. You have to drive through and look at the pump since they only advertise the 87 price. Buc-ee's doesn't advertise prices at all. They are usually significantly less on diesel.
This brings up a question I've had. The way I understand it the stations that sell a mid grade fuel just mix the regular and premium at the pump. Since Shell only advertises the cleaner in the premium does that mean you get some cleaner in the mid grade or do they add that at the pump?
The 7-Eleven down the street has 5 grades.

[erco]

I just found 100 octane gas at VP Racing Fuels nearby in Lomita CA for $10/gallon. Might try mixing some of that with premium ($4/gal) whenever I get my car rolling.

Even better, Aviation gas at the airport is $6 for 100 octane LL (low lead!). Might be time to start flying again.

[gbullman]

...
This brings up a question I've had. The way I understand it the stations that sell a mid grade fuel just mix the regular and premium at the pump. Since Shell only advertises the cleaner in the premium does that mean you get some cleaner in the mid grade or do they add that at the pump?

Most stations around here only have 2 tanks; Regular and Premium so my understanding is the same as yours they mix the 2 for middle grade. Also I would expect Shell has cleaner in all of their grades since it differentiates them as a brand.

I don’t go through that much gas in my classics so just always run premium, regardless of the brand. I don’t have issues with pinging and that is reason enough for me.

[61SuperMonza]

I run 100LL in my turbocharged Monza. I have used this fuel since I rebuilt the car. It runs great and I've never had issues with detonation. I have been lucky my dad has a 500gal bulk tank for the airplane and he doesn't mind if I pull from it when needed.

[erco]

I run 100LL in my turbocharged Monza. It runs great and I've never had issues with detonation.

If you run 100% 100LL you could probably increase your compression ratio to 10 on a turbo and still be ping-free.

Well maybe one ping, just for fun.

ping.jpg (31.97 KiB) Viewed 2785 times

[bbodie52]

Obviously, in special cases, like with boosted turbocharged Corvairs — especially when running an engine with the limited anti-detonation controls like the stock vintage turbo Corvair with its pressure retard device — ultra-high octane fuel can be a real bonus (regardless of the high cost or very limited availability).

For normally aspirated air cooled Corvairs, there are significant limits to the maximum compression ratio that can be tolerated. So Corvairs usually have a compression ratio that has not been altered, and is usually 9.25:1 or less. With correct ignition timing and proper spark plug heat ranges, you must select an octane rating for your fuel that prevents pinging and detonation. In cool, low ambient temperatures and with a lightly loaded driving technique, Regular or Mid-Grade octane may be all that is needed. But in a heavily loaded Corvair where climbing steep upgrade highways in the summer, you may need a high octane Premium fuel to prevent destructive detonation in your air cooled engine.

Some of the comments below may help, but wasting your money on the most expensive brand of fuel may sacrifice cash that could otherwise be used to upgrade or properly maintain your Corvair in other ways that would improve its handling, braking, safety, or reliability.


Actually, I usually accumulate points every month at my local grocery store in my normal grocery shopping that allows me to reduce my fuel cost by around 60 cents a gallon when I buy the fuel at the grocery store chain gas station. The gas runs fine in my Corvairs, and I prefer to use the money saved on other things for my family or for my Corvairs.

Gas stations in the US and many other nations are required to supply customers with consistent and clean gasoline. This means that no matter where the tank gets filled up, gas quality or the brand of gas will not noticeably affect how the vehicle performs. Some brands offer fuels with added cleaners and other additives. These can offer some benefits, but the fact remains that cheap gas that doesn't contain these additives is not dangerous or problematic.

As automotive technology has advanced in recent decades, automakers around the world agreed that government requirements for fuel additives were not adequate since they have not changed to meet the performance demands of modern vehicles. If a fuel company can prove that their gas has additives and detergents that keep residue from building up on valves or in the combustion chamber, then they are qualified to call themselves a "top-tier" gasoline supplier. Top-tier fuel is formulated to keep engines running efficiently and reliably. Automakers claim that these requirements makes gas better for modern cars.

Prominent top-tier gasoline suppliers

• BP
• Chevron
• Conoco
• Costco
• Exxon
• Holiday
• Kwik Trip
• Mobil
• Shell
• Sinclair
• Texaco

The advantages of top tier gas
While the detergents and cleaning agents found in top-tier fuels may have some added benefit, there will be no noticeable difference in performance from behind the wheel. Top-tier gas companies have simply committed themselves to selling fuel specifically formulated for the needs of modern cars, but other regulations require that all fuel companies meet certain standards that prevent them from selling subpar gas.

While some gas stations offer slightly higher quality gas, any fuel from a legitimate gas station in the US will be fine to put into your tank. There's no issue with mixing fuel from different companies, either.

https://www.autoblog.com/2015/11/24/whi ... ality-gas/


Study Shows Top Tier Gasoline Worth the Extra Price
AAA analysis reveals that gas with detergent additives can keep an engine running smoothly

https://www.consumerreports.org/car-mai ... tra-price/




The truth about gasoline: Does the brand you buy really make a difference?

https://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/f ... story.html

I used to work after school at a Hancock gas station in the 1960s and early 1970s, and we had multi-grade pumps like this.

[joelsplace]

The Shell here only advertises the cleaner in premium.

[Bruins_Fan]

No preference, most of the time I buy premium at the no name station down the street.

[1949chevy]

Ijust bought gas for my 66 today. I try to use ETHANOL FREE when possible. The Quality Plus stations here have two choices....one is regular and the one I buy is ethanol free 93 octane. I paid $3.35/gal for it today. The mileage seems better with that vs 93 Shell, etc.

Back in the day...my mechanic when he was still building engines found a white gooogy substance on top of the pistions...after about 2-3 engines like that he asked the owners what fuel they were using...AMOCO high test. Another one of his findings back then was the last little bit of Pennzoil trans fluid was almost black in color...he no longer used that as he had built hundreds of auto transmissions. Arthur was so good, when he quit the largest Chevrolet dealer in Western NC being their top mechanic for years, they begged him to let them bring cars to his house to fix...that says something about the man and his knowledge and abilities.

[glecharles]

How are things going with your car, haven't heard from you lately?

When the mobile app stopped working, checking in here became harder to do since it's not great in a mobile browser and I don't usually jump in here during the day while I'm working which is the only time I'm on my laptop.

All's good with my '65; had a surprise brake job to take care of last month when the wheel cylinders went (new drums and cylinders all around). Waiting to hear about a new oil leak that appeared after putting some highway miles on it a couple of weekends ago. Still haven't found anyone to look at the rusted windshield panel so I'm constantly watching the weather forecast so I can cover it up before the rain hits. Still a couple of months away from our move which will give me garage space to keep it inside.

How's yours coming along? Driving weather is finally here in the Northeast!

[glecharles]

Thanks for the all of the feedback! Sounds like there's no good reason to overpay for Shell, especially since the main one I used to go to just became a Valero.

[erco]

... especially since the {Shell} I used to go to just became a Valero.

Sound like Shell is losing turf. Our local Shell just became a SINCLAIR... a brand I can't recall seeing anywhere else here in SoCal.

[gbullman]

How are things going with your car, haven't heard from you lately?

...

How's yours coming along? Driving weather is finally here in the Northeast!

Doing great, I'm coming up on about 1,000 miles since I bought it in early December. If my plans hang together 1 weekend from now I'll do my last planned project before the season really gets going. A bunch of little stuff that adds up to probably a whole weekend. After that just keep an eye on things and take care of issues as they come up. Have really been enjoying the top down, cold or not.

[bbodie52]

» Fri Apr 16, 2021 12:57 pm

Sound like Shell is losing turf. Our local Shell just became a SINCLAIR... a brand I can't recall seeing anywhere else here in SoCal.

Sinclair Oil Corporation is an American petroleum corporation, founded by Harry F. Sinclair on May 1, 1916, as the Sinclair Oil and Refining Corporation by combining the assets of 11 small petroleum companies. Originally a New York corporation, Sinclair Oil reincorporated in Wyoming in 1976. The corporation's logo features the silhouette of a large green dinosaur, based on the then-common idea that oil deposits beneath the earth came from the dead bodies of dinosaurs. It is ranked on the list of largest privately owned American corporations. It owns and operates refineries, gas stations, hotels, a ski resort, and a cattle ranch...

...Currently headquartered in Salt Lake City, Sinclair is the 75th-largest private company in the United States. There are 2,607 Sinclair filling stations in 20 states in the Western and Midwestern United States. As of 2010, the corporation operates two refineries—one in Casper, Wyoming, and one in Sinclair, Wyoming...

» Fri Apr 16, 2021 11:54 am
... especially since the {Shell} I used to go to just became a Valero.

Valero Energy Corporation is a Fortune 500 international manufacturer and marketer of transportation fuels, other petrochemical products, and power. It is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, United States.[3] Throughout the United States and Canada, the company owns and operates 15 refineries, and one in Wales, with a combined throughput capacity of approximately 3 million barrels (480,000 m3) per day, 11 ethanol plants with a combined production capacity of 1.2 billion US gallons (4,500,000 m3) per year, and a 50-megawatt wind farm. Before the 2013 spinoff of CST Brands, Valero was one of the United States' largest retail operators with approximately 6,800 retail and branded wholesale outlets in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and the Caribbean under the Valero, Diamond Shamrock, Shamrock, Beacon, and Texaco brands...