<VV> White / unleaded / ethanol

James Davis jld at wk.net
Fri Jul 3 20:18:07 EDT 2009


> Amoco, the American Oil Company, has had unleaded Amoco white 
> available at the pump since 1910.   Standard Oil of Indiana which 
> bought the American Oil Company in the 20's always offered unleaded at 
> its Crown stations under the label White Crown.  Red Crown was dyed 
> red to indicate it contained tetra ethyl lead and ethylene bromide as 
> a knock suppressant. 
> I ran Gulftane in my 1962 Fiat 600D as long as it was available.  With 
> a 7.5:1 compression ratio, knock was not a problem.  As I remember, it 
> was rated at 78 octane (RON) but it was three to six cents per gallon 
> cheaper than regular Good Gulf (83 octane).  As a brown bar, I had to 
> live on $220.00 per month so cheap gas was a must.   In Roy's 1962 
> Corvair Monza (98 hp super turbo air), we always tried to find Texaco 
> Sky Chief, as it always seemed to knock less than other premiums (Hi 
> -Test).  When we moved to NC in 60's; Sonoco, the Sun Oil Company, had 
> custom blend pumps available and with the 280 grade, the Corvair ran 
> fine.   Their pumps listed the 280 grade's octane at 98.  It wasn't 
> until 1973 with catalytic converters and the oil crisis that the 
> quality of the pump gas hit an all time low and no pump gas worked 
> well in the Corsa.
> Happily in 2000, I made the acquaintance with Ray Sedman and his high 
> squish modification to Corvair cylinder heads.  The Rampside and the 
> Corsa are now happy with 89 octane except in the heat of the summer 
> when they want 93 octane. 
> Jim Davis
>
> Frank DuVal wrote:
>> Finally, something we easterners were better at, having lead free 
>> pump gas way before CA! ggg
>>
>> Never had to go to the store to buy a can of white gas! Unleaded pump 
>> gas worked fine in Coleman lanterns, blow torches, lawn mowers...
>>
>> Amoco, now BP, has always had unleaded premium in my lifetime. Used 
>> it in lawn mowers all the time earning money...
>>
>> Also, Mobil had one grade unleaded in this area in the early 60s. But 
>> there were not a lot of Mobil stations, so I don't know exactly when 
>> they went all leaded. I do know when I was driving up north in the 
>> early 70s that Mobil was all leaded. Only to have to go back to 
>> unleaded in a few years...
>>
>> Frank DuVal
>>
>> Matt Nall wrote:
>>
>>  
>>> ??Dave, I've forgotten where you live...but must be way back east or 
>>> something...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> In the 50-60 ?in SoCal, ?we only had Leaded gas... ?White gas was 
>>> sold in cans in Hardware stores...
>>>
>>>
>>>     
>



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