Author Topic: Good info on Gasoline for these cars to share...  (Read 635 times)

konrad

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Good info on Gasoline for these cars to share...
« on: May 04, 2020, 12:49:53 PM »
So, on another forum I'm a member on there was a recent thread about long term storage of gas, and of course non-ethanol gas was the general recommended choice, however there is another, even better option for our cars, particularly if they have not been converted to accept 10% ethanol based fuels.

That option is 100 Octane LL Avgas.  The octane is self-explanatory, the LL stands for low lead, and it is likely available to you at your local municipal airport.  I have a smallish municipal airport a few miles from me and I called them to inquire about it...I was told, drive on in and fill up.  It is more expensive, currently about $3.75/gal. here, but it is also far more equivalent to the gas you would have been putting in your KF car back in the day when your choices were Regular and Ethyl (no...not Ethel Mertz...though she and Fred would have used such gas).  Add some sta-bil to it and worry not about the next time you drive your car.  One member of this other forum who religiously marks his buy dates has stored gas cans that are 6 years old he's still using in his weed wacker, lawn mower, etc., and it is still fine and dandy.  Not sure I'd go that far out with gas for Betsy...but I trust this member's info.

So if you have a small or medium sized municipal airport near you...give 'em a call...could be you can just drive in and fill up there as well.  :)
« Last Edit: May 04, 2020, 01:42:00 PM by konrad »
51 Kaiser Deluxe

kaiserfrazerlibrary

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Re: Good info on Gasoline for these cars to share...
« Reply #1 on: May 04, 2020, 03:38:29 PM »
It is ironic that a type of aviation gas available today is suitible for engines of the 1950's.  In the late 1940's GM created a prototype V-8 hvberhead valve called the 195X motor.  It had very high compresion and more horsepower than the early 1950's OHV Cadillac V-8.  To prove reliability GM planned out (and the car drove) a coast-to-coast highway route.  The problem was that the car could not use pump gas as the octane rating was not high enough.  Refueling took place at regional and national airport FBO (Fixed Base Operatiors) facilities as it had to use Avigas 100.