Petrol in NZ (not a price rant)

[Santa'sBoostinSleigh]

well i was just thinking about petrol in NZ and decided to send shell an email since i normally buy fuel off them (go the flybuys!)
and before everyone bags me and blabs on about go buy 98 at bp/mobil - Taranaki has ZERO places to buy 'high octane' fuel
we have 95 and 91....


this is the email i just sent to Shell NZ, via www.shell.co.nz

Hi there, i was wondering if Shell was considering supplying a high octane (read: 98-105) fuel in NZ any time in the near future?
Myself and many people i know are concerned regarding the recent nationwide octane drop as we own high-performance veichles that are designed to run on 100 octane. i am very sure that if you offered a 'real' high octane (100) - not 'ultra hi' (low!) 95 fuel, that many many people would purchase this to ensure that their high performance veichles are performing to their potential, without being damaged or seriously knocking on the current low octane fuel available.

cheers
Andrew

i will update with the response (if i get one)!

[CozmoNz]

lets hope you do....

[Santa'sBoostinSleigh]

my guess is the response will be:

bla bla bla we do not have the demand/processing facilities/storage/transport needed to cater for this niche market bla bla bla our ultra hi 95 is wickedly awesome you should use it mang, just retard your timing to the baddest bla bla your ct26 might only give you 300HP rather than 350HP so no biggie...

[Emperor]

Btw, it's not just "high performance" cars that need the higher octane, most Japanese cars, slow or fast were built for Japan fuel supply, which is 100+

[Malcolm]

are you sure about that? I always thought Japanese still had high/low octane fuels too, with the high being the 100+ octane that everyone always talks about the cars being tuned for, and low being..well lower, maybe 90-94 octane...?

[CozmoNz]

yeh well, the little granny mobile starlet wont be designed to run on 100 octane...

im sure you could advance the timing and run it on 100,but shed be fine on 91 with stock timing....

anything with a turbo shouldnt run on low octane though...

[Mr Revhead]

pffft shell is rubbish fuel.. i recently changed to mobil and was amazed at the difference!

[ben]

I run 98 (yay for wellingtron!). I should get my timing tweaked to take full advantage though.

[Santa'sBoostinSleigh]

pffft shell is rubbish fuel.. i recently changed to mobil and was amazed at the difference!

really? i woulda thought it was all made by the same people?

between my house and work there is 2x shell's, 1x spirit'd & 1x caltex, if i detour a bit i will get to a BP; when i head into town (generally once a week, and filling up once a week doesnt keep me going) theres also mobil, but yeah, shell gives me flybuys and i spend enuff on gas as it is

[Mr Revhead]

it is, but each company has its own additives.....

i definitly noticed a difference.... and not cause i was expecting it...

the team borowed my car for rally nelson and filled it up before they gave it back... it was running very very well.... i asked if theyed had a play with it and they said they hadnt even checked the oil (bastards!)
only thing they had done was fill with mobil... so i ran the tank out and fille dwith shell as per usual.... ran like shit. so back to mobil.. runs better

[fivebob]

are you sure about that? I always thought Japanese still had high/low octane fuels too, with the high being the 100+ octane that everyone always talks about the cars being tuned for, and low being..well lower, maybe 90-94 octane...?

The JIS standard lists two grades of fuel, Regular which can be as low as 89 Octane, and Premium which is above 96 Octane. From what I can tell the refining companies have created another level of Super Premium which is either 98 or 100 Octane. 100 has been availabe in Japan since 1987 and I suspect a lot of high performance cars are designed to run on nothing else

[Spannergal]

Btw, it's not just "high performance" cars that need the higher octane, most Japanese cars, slow or fast were built for Japan fuel supply, which is 100+

not just japanese cars either, i know of a few old school fords that are very unhappy cars when run on anything below 98.

[3VLTOY]

not just japanese cars either, i know of a few old school fords that are very unhappy cars when run on anything below 98.

Really?
My brothers old holden runs on 95 i knows he's tried putting 98 in to see what would happen and the car was not happy at all.

As for the old Ford GL my mum used to have that thing would pack a sad if you tried to change the gas at all as well

[Mr Revhead]

i had an XA that wouldnt start before lunch time in winter if i put anything other than challenge in it......

[Spannergal]

not just japanese cars either, i know of a few old school fords that are very unhappy cars when run on anything below 98.

Really?
My brothers old holden runs on 95 i knows he's tried putting 98 in to see what would happen and the car was not happy at all.

As for the old Ford GL my mum used to have that thing would pack a sad if you tried to change the gas at all as well

could be the fact that these cars are owned by mechanics - don't know of the exact details of what they've done to the engines - vehicles are XF and XY, as far as I recall anyway

[3VLTOY]

don't know of the exact details of what they've done to the engines

They would of had to have done something thats for sure.
Just doesn't sound right an old school car not liking anything under 98

[vhpacer]

I have to run the valiant on 95 or if I can get it 98. Its because they are meant to run on leaded fuel. I think 91 runs hot or something im not too sure

[Spannergal]

don't know of the exact details of what they've done to the engines

They would of had to have done something thats for sure.
Just doesn't sound right an old school car not liking anything under 98

think it has something to do with detonation

[Alex B]

not lubracting the valves with un ledded fuel

[MR2SIK]

I heard from someone who works with Shell that theyre offering something thats better than BP Ultimate in the near future....

There may be hope ah