Ethanol Free Gas

[steelblue5505]

For our Retro Birds, If you could purchase 93 octane gas that is ethanol free
at $4.10 a gal instead of 91 octane with ethanol at $3.95 a gal.

Would you?

I buy it all the time and have noted a few gal/mile more than when I use ethanol flavored gas. Acceleration seems a little quicker but it could be just because I want to think is.


Here in my county & city we do not have emission inspections because we are rural agriculture, which allows the sale of ethanol free gas. In other parts of the state there is required emission inspections and only ethanol flavored gas.

[PaulD]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

I might be interested if I could get it 100% of the time when I am traveling so that I could retune my engine to take advantage of that fuel..... but that will never happen. I can easily get 91 ethanol free in my home state of Oklahoma but 93 is hard to find. When I travel, the choices seem to be 93 with 10% ethanol at most stops.

[5bird7]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

well, Mike. The ethanol in premium gas here in TX is lower priced than what you are paying for the same. I'd pay a little more IF I'd get the better gas mileage but wouldn't set a price on it.

[steelblue5505]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

Here's an interesting price chart as of July 1 2011.

The first number for each state is the state tax & the second, the 18.4 cents is the Federal tax, the same for all states. The bold is the the combined total per gallon.

Gasoline Sales & Excise Tax by State
Highest Tax to Lowest July 1, 2011 State ¢ PG State ¢ PG Fed. Combined
State & Fed.
Taxes PG Hawaii 52.1 18.4 70.5 California 50.5 18.4 68.9 New York 46.6 18.4 65.0 Connecticut 45.2 18.4 63.6 Pennsylvania 45.2 18.4 63.6 Illinois 45.0 18.4 63.4 Washington 43.5 18.4 61.9 Indiana 43.2 18.4 61.6 Wisconsin 38.9 18.4 57.3 West Virginia 38.1 18.4 56.5 Maine 37.1 18.4 55.5 Rhode Island 37.0 18.4 55.4 North Carolina 36.2 18.4 54.6 Florida 35.8 18.4 54.2 Montana 34.6 18.4 53.0 Nevada 34.6 18.4 53.0 Michigan 34.1 18.4 52.5 Ohio 34.0 18.4 52.4 Nebraska 33.3 18.4 51.7 Kansas 33.0 18.4 51.4 New Hampshire 32.0 18.4 50.4 Minnesota 31.6 18.4 50.0 Idaho 31.0 18.4 49.4 Utah 30.5 18.4 48.9 Maryland 30.3 18.4 48.7 Oregon 30.3 18.4 48.7 South Dakota 30.0 18.4 48.4 Iowa 29.5 18.4 47.9 Massachusetts 29.5 18.4 47.9 North Dakota 29.0 18.4 47.4 Arkansas 28.8 18.4 47.2 New Mexico 28.8 18.4 47.2 Delaware 28.0 18.4 46.4 Alabama 27.9 18.4 46.3 Colorado 26.5 18.4 44.9 D.C. 26.0 18.4 44.4 Louisiana 26.0 18.4 44.4 Texas 26.0 18.4 44.4 Vermont 25.6 18.4 44.0 Kentucky 25.5 18.4 43.9 Virginia 25.3 18.4 43.7 Arizona 25.0 18.4 43.4 Mississippi 24.8 18.4 43.2 Tennessee 24.4 18.4 42.8 New Jersey 23.5 18.4 41.9 Missouri 23.3 18.4 41.7 South Carolina 22.8 18.4 41.2 Georgia 20.7 18.4 39.1 Oklahoma 20.0 18.4 38.4 Wyoming 20.0 18.4 38.4 Alaska 06.0 18.4 24.4 National state average -- 29.7
National average, state & federal: 48.1

[XCR440SP]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

Yes, I'd pay whatever it costs to get ethanol free fuel for my cars, based on my other cars, I suspect it'll be cheaper in the long run. Here in Iowa Ethanol gets reduced gas tax making 89 octane E10 about 10 cents cheaper than 87 Octane gasoline. However, most see 2-3 MPG loss with the E10 if they take the time to do a complete test, so for my car it would be 87 Octane gas before I'd put in 91 octance Ethanol due to another reason. Ethanol draws moisture (this is one of the reasons that Ethanol isn't sent down the pipeline), and with no more miles than my bird gets, I don't want anything that draws moisture in the tank. The mechanics joke that alcohol and driving don't mix so they'll drink the alcohol instead of burning it.

[islandtime]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

Charley would...

[Gobird]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

My cars run just fine on ethanol gas. I see no need for non ethanol. It's a fact of life so you need to live with it. Just my opinion.

[007Cruiser]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

Aren't cars of our vintage designed to handle the ethanol?

[Gobird]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

Aren't cars of our vintage designed to handle the ethanol?

Even my 73 MGB runs just fine on this gas. All I have ran in it since it came out. I've had the MG for over 25 years.

[V8 Cat]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

Don't put that many miles on the Tbird and you get better gas mileage with "pure" gas so it would be worth the extra cost.

[merlot4]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

Unhappily (for adding mileage, that is) mine is a daily driver. If the price was close and it could be obtained easily I would go for the non-ethanol, but I don't think that choice will happen any time soon, at least in my area.

[Larro]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

Ethanol has an affinity for water and I live in a very humid part of the country now (Alabama). It worries me because the Bird does not get driven more than about once or twice a week. We have ethanol free gas available but it's only 89 octane, so I've been using the 93 octane with 10% ethanol, but if I could get 93 octane pure gas I'd gladly pay the extra few cents per gallon.

[V8 Cat]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

Ethanol has an affinity for water and I live in a very humid part of the country now (Alabama). It worries me because the Bird does not get driven more than about once or twice a week. We have ethanol free gas available but it's only 89 octane, so I've been using the 93 octane with 10% ethanol, but if I could get 93 octane pure gas I'd gladly pay the extra few cents per gallon.

If you are worried about the ethanol, there are additives that help such as StarTron and now Stabil has a marine additive to battle the ethanol problems. You can get the Stabil marine additive at Walmart in the boat dept., and most motorcyle shops sell StarTron. I'm using them in any gasoline powered equipment that is not used often. Both of these products are made specifically for ethanol content gasolines and the moisture problems they create.

[E'sBird]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

When this whole process started with ethanol, it had to do with "dangerous" potential, I say again, potential, emissions from octane raising chemicals. The safe alternative was of course alcohol that has a 100 octane rating. Additionally, the Federal Government stopped demanding that service stations put a notice on their pumps if the gas contained ethanol. Yes, ethanol has less power therefore less gas mileage, but it is for the environment......kinda like tetra-ethyl lead. Lots of potential...........and how about fluorocarbons? and watch that hair spray. Shakespeare said it: "Much ado about nothing." Arrgh! Global warming! and of course the HARP project in Alaska.......I can hear Peter, Paul and Mary in the background singing: "When will we ever learn, when will we ever learn."

[Larro]

Re: Ethanol Free Gas

If you are worried about the ethanol, there are additives that help such as StarTron and now Stabil has a marine additive to battle the ethanol problems. You can get the Stabil marine additive at Walmart in the boat dept., and most motorcyle shops sell StarTron. I'm using them in any gasoline powered equipment that is not used often. Both of these products are made specifically for ethanol content gasolines and the moisture problems they create.

Thank you for that tip. I will probably try those products.