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I've been running REC gas 90 octane in my 64' Sting Ray with the L76 engine which is running 11:1 compression. it would run OK, but would ping and knock a little if you got on it at all. Recently I found mixing in a can of NOS octane booster (2 cans for full tank) greatly improved the engine characteristics.
Well, I decided to go to the Extreme Action Kart Track to have some fun and one of the guys I meet up with at Corvette cruises suggested I try some VP Racing Fuel so I brought a 5 gallon can with me. I got to the station (see photo) and I'm greeted with a pump that has three grades of fuel start with 110 Octane and 103 Octane in the middle, I thought of that L88 sticker on the console (see photo) and I thought 103, yeah that should be fine.
Last night I took the little coupe for a drive, WOW, night and day increase in performance, it's like driving a whole 'nother car! She took off like a scalded dog and pulled hard all the way through the gears. Man that was fun! At $11 bucks a gallon it's not for frivolous cruising but if you want to experience what these cars were really capable of give it a try.
I've been running REC gas 90 octane in my 64' Sting Ray with the L76 engine which is running 11:1 compression. it would run OK, but would ping and knock a little if you got on it at all. Recently I found mixing in a can of NOS octane booster (2 cans for full tank) greatly improved the engine characteristics.
Well, I decided to go to the Extreme Action Kart Track to have some fun and one of the guys I meet up with at Corvette cruises suggested I try some VP Racing Fuel so I brought a 5 gallon can with me. I got to the station (see photo) and I'm greeted with a pump that has three grades of fuel start with 110 Octane and 103 Octane in the middle, I thought of that L88 sticker on the console (see photo) and I thought 103, yeah that should be fine.
Last night I took the little coupe for a drive, WOW, night and day increase in performance, it's like driving a whole 'nother car! She took off like a scalded dog and pulled hard all the way through the gears. Man that was fun! At $11 bucks a gallon it's not for frivolous cruising but if you want to experience what these cars were really capable of give it a try.
Engines get a whole new attitude when you put this stuff in the tank. Quite a few years ago we used to rent a drag strip for the day. I put 5 gallons of VP 103 in my car and it did develop new characteristics. Not a ground pounder but it did add some horsepower with the VP in it. When we were done I drove the car for approximately 140 miles and when I got out of the car I noticed that the side exhaust tips had turned a shade of blue.
Currently run a 50/50 mix of VP 110 and 93 octane non-ethanol. Have ben doing that for years. A 1967 327/350 HP car. Definitely makes a difference at both idle and high RPM. Car has improved "hot start" capability as well.
[QUOTE=mjdart;1595231572]I've been running REC gas 90 octane in my 64' Sting Ray with the L76 engine which is running 11:1 compression. it would run OK, but would ping and knock a little if you got on it at all. Recently I found mixing in a can of NOS octane booster (2 cans for full tank) greatly improved the engine characteristics.
Be very careful!! Your car is likely detonating even when you can't hear it. You do know that it is very easy to burn a hole in a piston, right? Your compression is too high for todays pump gas. You should be running a mix for higher octane all of the time. Otherwise you need to reduce your compression. The easiest way to do it is with a thicker head gasket or head spacers.
Your car is likely detonating even when you can't hear it.
by the time its audible you can be doing serious damage your bearings are literally getting hammered
If you arent open to getting a modern alum cyl head with a modern chamber that tolerates pump gas this is your only option really
the auto parts store stuff is all garbage. The "raises octane 2 pts" means .02.
Get some VP, Torco, Wild bills octane supreme and mix it up (dont breathe that stuff or get it on your hands)
Engines that truly do need it will feel the difference. So it costs 10 or 20 a tank not a big deal in the long run;was never satisfied with the way low compression motors sounded or ran (course Im super picky)
even my stock 02 silverado pings a lot due to driving it too easy LOTS of carbon buildup gurantee the ring lands are gone. When it was newer and used to drive it hard never made a peep
jbsblownC5 posts in the socal section a lot has reasonable deals on torco delivered to your door.
a mix of 2 gallons 115 leaded with 93 ethanol in a full tank worked wonders with my LT1 (smelled good too...)... too expensive for the amount of miles I drive
used to have 76 stations that sold 100 oct unleaded and one that sold Trick from the pump, all gone.
When id run 100% good stuff never had the issues with the dreaded lazy idle when the temps would hit around 190. Pump gas forget it
I agree with all that has been said so far about octane making the difference and waking the engine up. I get my kicks using avgas because it is always available to me.
Just be careful if you power shift, with out making sure the rear tires have the same amount of air in them. I spun out at the airport late at nite and took out a taxi light.
I would love to see dyno results, pump/vs/ higher octane.
There are many on these forums that have never tried the higher octane that will say we are all nuts.
most try to keep as stock as possible, they won't modify anything and worship #s. Then they take the heart of a corvette and change the pistons so they can drive like grandma and use pump gas. In my book I want my engine just the way it came out of the factory and the rest as stock as possible. I will admit that I use modern tires.
Yes it's a problem (gas)on long trips. I don't do that any more (long trips) unless I can get there and back on 1 tank. When I did take a long trip I would have to change my timing and bite my tongue if I was challenged at a stop lite.
Doubt that any serious drag strip racer is using only pump gas.
Don't leave pure VP in your tank or carb for more than a couple days. It will destroy your fuel pump and wreak havoc inside carb. Always flush it out or drain it.
Don't leave pure VP in your tank or carb for more than a couple days. It will destroy your fuel pump and wreak havoc inside carb. Always flush it out or drain it.
No it doesn't, this is simply not a correct statement at all. My Nova race car runs VP and has for over 15 years and it doesn't do anything to the carb or fuel pump when it is left in there even after a long no use periods.
I've been running REC gas 90 octane in my 64' Sting Ray with the L76 engine which is running 11:1 compression. it would run OK, but would ping and knock a little if you got on it at all. Recently I found mixing in a can of NOS octane booster (2 cans for full tank) greatly improved the engine characteristics.
Be very careful!! Your car is likely detonating even when you can't hear it. You do know that it is very easy to burn a hole in a piston, right? Your compression is too high for todays pump gas. You should be running a mix for higher octane all of the time. Otherwise you need to reduce your compression. The easiest way to do it is with a thicker head gasket or head spacers.
I broke four pistons in a Pontiac 428 and pounded the bearings out of it due to detonation that I never heard. I had perfect hearing then, too (1987). It can happen pretty easily running low octane fuel.
No it doesn't, this is simply not a correct statement at all. My Nova race car runs VP and has for over 15 years and it doesn't do anything to the carb or fuel pump when it is left in there even after a long no use periods.
Well, its ruined quite a few motorcycle fuel systems.
Somebody tell me what additive is in the race gas that gives more power than pump gas. Or is the real problem too fast timing or too much compression that causes detonation?
Seems to me that if there was some secret ingredient in race gas that would increase power, you would get a corresponding increase in fuel mileage?
My understanding is that it has chemicals that increase the octane (not suitable for catalytic converters) and is oxygenated, so has more potential energy than regular gasoline. Also generally requires richer jetting to take advantage of.
This is a confusing thread for me. I cannot tell any performance difference between running 93 octane pump gas vs. 100 octane in my L-71. No detonation on 93, either.
In this area, even the 100 octane can be up to 10% ethanol, according to the pump.
For the amount it gets driven, $5.99/gallon for 100 wasn't a deterrent, but driving out of my way to get to that gas station was. So I just run 93.
This is a confusing thread for me. I cannot tell any performance difference between running 93 octane pump gas vs. 100 octane in my L-71. No detonation on 93, either.
In this area, even the 100 octane can be up to 10% ethanol, according to the pump.
For the amount it gets driven, $5.99/gallon for 100 wasn't a deterrent, but driving out of my way to get to that gas station was. So I just run 93.
I am responding to two posts here. The above bolded is likely the reason you are seeing no difference. The general consensus on this site is that 91-93 octane without any ethanol is enough for your car.
Response to another post.
”Somebody tell me what additive is in the race gas that gives more power than pump gas. Or is the real problem too fast timing or too much compression that causes detonation?”
I don't know what the additive is, but yes is the answer to the second part of your question. The point is that the octane generally available today is not high enough to provide what the factory hipo engines need to not damage the engine. You can reduce the compression or retard the timing to remedy this but then you don't loose the extra power that you bought the car for.
For most of the people that buy these cars they don't put enough miles on that the added cost of the high priced racing fuel is not that big of a deal. You can buy a lot of that gas for less than the cost of pulling the heads to reduce the compression if you want to run a hipo engine car on pump gas.
07-27-2017, 10:18 AM
Tried some racing fuel in the L76
