My son needs help with a school project

[Harry]

I'm a bit surprised that in the US fuel with that little octane is available. Here in Germany we have fuel with 92, 95, 98 and 100 octane. Due to a test of a big geman car club the 100 octane fuel isn't worth the higher costs though. The given reason for that is that the knock sensors of the actual engines are designed to work with 98 octane at the maximum (since the 100 octane fuel is very new on the market). Because of that the engine is not capable of lurking out the extra energy that is stored in the 100 octane fuel.
I burn the 98 in my PT. During the first couple of months that I drove my Cruiser I made a test between 95 and 98 octane fuel. I drove severel fills with 95 and then did the same with 98. I figured that the 98 octane fuel is about 2.5% more expensive than the 95 octane fuel but at the same time it increases the mileage to the same extend. So, financially it makes no difference whether I burn the 95 or the 98. Since then I've decided to use only the 98 octane fuel because like Bluept02 I too "feel" that the car has more power with that type of fuel. And since I love my PT I'm also of the opinion that he deserves it. It's like when I go out with a girl. When she's a really cute one and I like her company very well I go for the best and therefore more expensive champagne even maybe if she or me (or anybody else in that matter) can't REALLY taste the difference.

[Bluept02]

Originally Posted by Harry

I'm a bit surprised that in the US fuel with that little octane is available. Here in Germany we have fuel with 92, 95, 98 and 100 octane. Due to a test of a big geman car club the 100 octane fuel isn't worth the higher costs though. The given reason for that is that the knock sensors of the actual engines are designed to work with 98 octane at the maximum (since the 100 octane fuel is very new on the market). Because of that the engine is not capable of lurking out the extra energy that is stored in the 100 octane fuel.
I burn the 98 in my PT. During the first couple of months that I drove my Cruiser I made a test between 95 and 98 octane fuel. I drove severel fills with 95 and then did the same with 98. I figured that the 98 octane fuel is about 2.5% more expensive than the 95 octane fuel but at the same time it increases the mileage to the same extend. So, financially it makes no difference whether I burn the 95 or the 98. Since then I've decided to use only the 98 octane fuel because like Bluept02 I too "feel" that the car has more power with that type of fuel. And since I love my PT I'm also of the opinion that he deserves it. It's like when I go out with a girl. When she's a really cute one and I like her company very well I go for the best and therefore more expensive champagne even maybe if she or me (or anybody else in that matter) can't REALLY taste the difference.

Wish I could get that high of octane fuel here in the states. Some race tracks I know sell 100 octane fuel but its for off road use only. It also costs about $5.00 a gallon. I'll stick with 93 or 94 octane. Thanks for the input Harry...

[CruiserBoi]

There's 100 Octane (says "for Racing or Off-Road use ONLY") fuel at a nearby station here in Metro Detroit. But yeah, $5.00 a gallon is pretty outrageous.

[Harry]

Wish I could get that high of octane fuel here in the states. Some race tracks I know sell 100 octane fuel but its for off road use only. It also costs about $5.00 a gallon. I'll stick with 93 or 94 octane. Thanks for the input Harry...

Just for comparison:
the current fuel prices in Euros for one liter of fuel in Germany are the following:
92 octane: €1.11
95 octane: €1.13
98 octane: €1.16
100 octane: €1.22
Right now 1 Euro equals 1.21 Dollars and one gallon equals 3.79 liters. This makes for the following prices in Dollars for one gallon:
92: $5.10
95: $5.18
98: $5.32
100: $5.59
But next month I will be in the US so during these four weeks so I will be able to fuel up really cheap (for german standards anyway)

[Bluept02]

Holy Crap!!!! I thought $1.90 a gallon for 93 octane was bad. I guess us Americans don't have it as bad as we think. Hope you enjoy your time in the States and enjoy the "cheap" gas prices.

[JOEM]

Originally Posted by Harry

But next month I will be in the US so during these four weeks so I will be able to fuel up really cheap (for german standards anyway)

Not to rub it in, Harry, but while I lived in Germany, I gassed up at the Air Force bases and Army casserns and paid US prices for fuel. And 93 octane was plenty high enough to keep my Dodge turbo running with the burners on the Autobahn.

[Harry]

Not to rub it in, Harry, but while I lived in Germany, I gassed up at the Air Force bases and Army casserns and paid US prices for fuel.

...and at the time when there was still a US military base in my vicinity I thought I was lucky to knew an American who would buy me Lay's Original (the best potato chips in the world) in the PX mart since these weren't available on the german market.

[lisa]

Originally Posted by Harry

...and at the time when there was still a US military base in my vicinity I thought I was lucky to knew an American who would buy me Lay's Original (the best potato chips in the world) in the PX mart since these weren't available on the german market.

Have you tried Jay's (hot and fiery) or Charles chips??
I always felt fortunate if I knew (not in the biblical sense) a few of the flyboys (or their wives) when the base was here-they were good for some seriously CHEAP cigarettes!!!