Gas Question For Northern Calif.

[WardL]

Particularly so in California, the base gasoline is the same. The difference comes from the additives put in the fuel when it is branded at the truck rack. Chevron has their Techron, Shell with their Nitrogen enriched. I believe gasoline supplied in the Shasta area comes out of the terminal in Chico where the Shell, 76, Chevron, ARCO, Valero, Safeway, etc, regular gasoline is stored in the same tank. Premium gas is stored in another tank for all brands. When the delivery truck fills up for Chevron, they add the Techron, etc. The EPA requires all fuels to have additives to keep an engine clean. All gasolines have the additives. Some areas of the country have segregated fuels, but not many.

It is impossible to scientifically tell the difference between one expensive tank of gas and the next tank of cheap gas. Your mind will play tricks on you and you THINK you can tell a difference, but you really can't. It is really interesting how advertising can influence your mind!

The expensive brands do add more additive that will keep your engine cleaner over many thousands of miles or more. But California gasoline is so clean already due to the state requirements, I'm not sure that statement really even applies in California.

[Ron61]

Rick,

The Chevron white Pump Gas here was 105 octane and that was what the book for the 69 Cobra recommended. When they went to this no lead, low octane, I had to have the pistons changed to lower the compression to 10.5 and if I just drive it down the road and don't pull hard, it does ok, but I still buy the 110 leaded racing gas for it. I drove it over to the Finishline place a month ago and it now has 42, 281 miles on it. I could have the heads changed to good aluminum, ones which would make it run better on pump gas as they would dissipate the heat better, but I wanted to keep the iron 427 heads it came with, and since I don't drive it over 300 miles per year I don't have to buy much gas for it.

Gunner and all the rest, thanks for your answers. I have gotten a couple of tanks of bad gas at some of the local mini marts and so have other people around here, yet they do a huge business because of their cheap prices. I will stick with the Valero and other name brands as I don't drive a lot any more. I believe my total for all of last year on the Comet was around 3700 miles

Ron

[SP01715]

Originally Posted by WardL

Particularly so in California, the base gasoline is the same. The difference comes from the additives put in the fuel when it is branded at the truck rack. Chevron has their Techron, Shell with their Nitrogen enriched. I believe gasoline supplied in the Shasta area comes out of the terminal in Chico where the Shell, 76, Chevron, ARCO, Valero, Safeway, etc, regular gasoline is stored in the same tank. Premium gas is stored in another tank for all brands. When the delivery truck fills up for Chevron, they add the Techron, etc. The EPA requires all fuels to have additives to keep an engine clean. All gasolines have the additives. Some areas of the country have segregated fuels, but not many.

It is impossible to scientifically tell the difference between one expensive tank of gas and the next tank of cheap gas. Your mind will play tricks on you and you THINK you can tell a difference, but you really can't. It is really interesting how advertising can influence your mind!

The expensive brands do add more additive that will keep your engine cleaner over many thousands of miles or more. But California gasoline is so clean already due to the state requirements, I'm not sure that statement really even applies in California.

True, except the oil companies do put brand tracer additives in there fuel so they can test it at the stations. I owned three 76 stations in SoCal, and we had a local competitor that was selling plan rack gas at his branded station. He was trucking his own fuel, so he was able to do this. I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time, so I use Chevron, 76 or Shell for the extra additives. I mix in some race gas for the Cobra.

[Ron61]

Originally Posted by SP01715

True, except the oil companies do put brand tracer additives in there fuel so they can test it at the stations. I owned three 76 stations in SoCal, and we had a local competitor that was selling plan rack gas at his branded station. He was trucking his own fuel, so he was able to do this. I tend to keep my vehicles for a long time, so I use Chevron, 76 or Shell for the extra additives. I mix in some race gas for the Cobra.

That is what the guy down at the Redding plant told me. That is where I have to go to get my racing gas and other high octane unleaded with no Ethanol in it. He said it basically all starts out the same and then the companies add their own additives or whatever to it, and I would be better off to stay with Chevron, 76, or Shell and avoid the cheap mini mart gas.

Ron