Gas Prices?

[jmortensen]

Buy reg and put octane booster in it

Just in case anyone was going to do this, you might care to know that when the bottle of octane booster says it will raise your octane 5 points that means from 87 to 87.5. You can figure it out for yourself pretty easily. Octane booster is usually Tolulene (114 octane) or Xylene (118 octane). I was running ~95 octane by mixing 1 gallon Tolulene with 5 gallons 92, plus a little mineral oil and ATF as suggested by the home brew octane booster sites on the internet.

Xylene and Tolulene are common solvents and you can buy them for about $9/gal at the hardware store, instead of $9 per 8 oz bottle at the gas station.

[mdbrandy]

Here in Champaign, regular 87 Octane had gone to $2.79 a couple weeks ago, dropped back down to $2.59, and the storm has now given the gas companies an excuse to hike it back up to $2.79. All cars are now gassed up and waiting for it to go even higher.

ChrisA, I came through Nebraska a couple weeks ago (going from Yellowstone back to Illinois), and NE had some of the highest gas prices I saw! Why is that?

[moyest]

Wow, that's low octane!

In New Zealand the lowest you get is about 91 octane. The highest at the pump is around 96 to 98 octane which is what I run in my Z.

Prices have hit over NZ$1.50 per litre for 96-98 octane! That's U.S$1.03 at today's exchange rate...

If you've got no idea what a "litre" is, it's a lot less than a gallon! So our gas is getting really expensive in NZ.

[mdbrandy]

Wow, that's low octane!

In New Zealand the lowest you get is about 91 octane. The highest at the pump is around 96 to 98 octane which is what I run in my Z.

Prices have hit over NZ$1.50 per litre for 96-98 octane! That's U.S$1.03 at today's exchange rate...

If you've got no idea what a "litre" is, it's a lot less than a gallon! So our gas is getting really expensive in NZ.

It may be a different way of measureing the Octane. I've read about the methods, but I don't remember them or the differences. I think the method here is something like (M + R)/2, but I don't remember exactly what M and R are (Motor Octane and RON?). Anyway, it might not be quite as different as you think.

And a litre is 1.06 quarts, and since there are 4 quarts to a U.S. gallon, that is 3.77 litres per US gallon, which comes out to about $3.89 US per US gallon given your $1.03 US per liter. Yikes! :eek:

[=Resurected280=]

From yesterday to today the mobil I usually get my gas from went from $2.65 to $2.85.

[=Resurected280=]

for regular it was this much I mean

[MikeW]

Unfortunately it's a question of supply and demand. Demand is way up; not just all the SUVs out there but the explosive growth in China. The supply hasn't changed to match the increased demand so the prices rise. Not only has the hurricane shut down much of the Gulf of Mexico oil production but it's also closed some refineries.

[mdbrandy]

Unfortunately it's a question of supply and demand. Demand is way up; not just all the SUVs out there but the explosive growth in China. The supply hasn't changed to match the increased demand so the prices rise. Not only has the hurricane shut down much of the Gulf of Mexico oil production but it's also closed some refineries.

And yet day-to-day pump prices are so volatile, and respond to events that don't even have a known impact, that it is obvious that the prices that we pay on a day-to-day basis are governed by the whims of the gas companies and not by market forces. Crude didn't go up 8% due to the storm, but our pump prices did. Pump prices jumped 0.20 when that king in Saudia Arabia died. But he hadn't actually governed in years! I submit that the overall upward trend may be supply and demand, but the daily price gouging is just that.

[MikeW]

I submit that the overall upward trend may be supply and demand, but the daily price gouging is just that.

I agree with you there.

[agemeansnothing]

I tried and tried and tried to get my car started last night then I figured out that I need a electrical(280z remember) fuel pump. AQnyway $289 for regular $3.00 for premium(which I was using to start up my car).

[zman525]

They know we have to pay it so they do whatever the hell they want to do ( they as in pump prices) I bet after the hurricane has done its thing these prices wont even drop because we are already paying it... we have no choice. In my opinion its bullshiznit. They have the oil they just use it as an excuse. upping the gas price isnt makin less buyers, its still the same amount of oil being distributed. our demand is being supplied, when we need gas we can get it.

[ChrisA]

ChrisA, I came through Nebraska a couple weeks ago (going from Yellowstone back to Illinois), and NE had some of the highest gas prices I saw! Why is that?

Hi Mark,

I have no idea why for sure. The bastards in this state tax everything to death and gas is one of them. Our state legislature is constantly coming up with new funding ideas for this and that and it's usually a 5 to 8 cent per gallon tax increase. I can't do much but bite the bullet.

Look me up the next time you're through here. I'll buy the drinks.

Chris