Gasoline...

[SteveLeBlanc]

I just got my rebuilt frame up restoration home...what type of gas are y'all using for 1972 240Z ?

[djwarner]

If you are going to look a lot, drive a little, non-ethanol regular will serve you well. Can usually be found at marinas at a 60-70 cent per gallon more than premium. Do you know if the head was rebuilt for non-leaded gas? If not, there are supplements for that as well.

[SteveLeBlanc]

The head was definiitely not rebuilt...

[Stanley]

My 73 came with an owner's manual, it says to use 96 octane. I remember a post about how 70's octane ratings are different from today. It didn't ping with 89 octane until I put a 81 JDM head on it, now it's set up for CA 91 octane, I think it likes Arizona 92 or 93 better though. Could be my imagination. I advance the timing slightly when I'm there. Wish I knew more about timing adjustments for various gasolines.

Maybe a valve job? They'll put better valve seats, and performance should improve.

[djwarner]

You can get the lead replacement just about anywhere, even Wally World.

As for gas, the octane ratings back then used a different method. Today's 89 octane fuels should run just fine.

Here is a source for non-ethanol fuels:

Ethanol-free gas stations in the U.S. and Canada

[LeonV]

What the FSM recommends is equivalent to today's 87.

[bartsscooterservice]

The lowest we have here in Europe is 92 ( Germany only ) and 95 octane, and the highest 102 octane in Germany also. But I believe the manual says 95 minium. My 71 runs fine on 95...

But maybe they came with lower compression heads in the US, and you can use lower octane fuel... I don't know.

[GeoJoe]

I use super only. 93 in Ga.

[Hunter260Z]

That depends on where the timing is set. I run nothing but 93 octane.

[Walter Moore]

With my vaccum advance hooked up my car prefers 93 to 94 octane. It will ping on anything below 92.

[Jonesy78]

The lowest we have here in Europe is 92 ( Germany only ) and 95 octane, and the highest 102 octane in Germany also. But I believe the manual says 95 minium. My 71 runs fine on 95...

But maybe they came with lower compression heads in the US, and you can use lower octane fuel... I don't know.

Octane is calculated differently in the US and Canada versus Europe. Generally, the numbers over here are 4-5 points lower than those in Europe. (Here's a Wikipedia article that explains the difference.) So, your 92 is comparable to our 87.