unleaded fuel

[Jean B.]

Just purchased my first Corvette, a 1964 Coupe with the 327/250 HP. What type of fuel should I be using?

Second thing, how I can I find some information/history on that car using the VIN number?

Thanks for any help out there... I am a new member located in Cumberland, Ontario, Canada.

J.C.

[Joe R.]

Re: unleaded fuel

Just purchased my first Corvette, a 1964 Coupe with the 327/250 HP. What type of fuel should I be using?

Second thing, how I can I find some information/history on that car using the VIN number?

Thanks for any help out there... I am a new member located in Cumberland, Ontario, Canada.

J.C.

J.C.,

Welcome to the NCRS! I would recommend joining and getting active with your local chapter.

There are lots of threads on here about gasoline. The main thing is to run high enough octane to avoid destructive detonation. I suspect that a 250 hp engine can get by with regular unleaded. 10 percent ethanol shouldn't hurt anything. You don't need unleaded gas or hardened valve seats unless you're pulling a boat trailer over the mountains.

Send a request for your shipping info to the NCRS. If the microfiche is readable (it is in most cases), Roy Sinor will send you back a document that shows your car's birthday and the dealer it was delivered. I just got mine back, it's like, way cool and stuff! Here's the link:

https://www.ncrs.org/services.php

The NCRS has added a forum for members helping each other find more out about their car's history. Here it is:

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/forumdisplay.php?f=65&uid=8978

Joe

[Michael W.]

Re: unleaded fuel

You don't need unleaded gas or hardened valve seats unless you're pulling a boat trailer over the mountains.

Joe- I agree with everything you've said but I believe you meant 'don't need leaded gas'.

JC-

Welcome from the Quebec NCRS Chapter

www.ncrsquebec.com

If your car was imported here by GM when new, GM Canada in Oshawa will have some records for it:

http://www.gm.ca/gm/english/shopping/parts/vintage

Give them a call with your VIN and ask.

[Joe R.]

Re: unleaded fuel

[quote=Michael Ward (29001);543993]Joe- I agree with everything you've said but I believe you meant 'don't need leaded gas'.

Michael,

Yes, that's what I meant to say. Doh! That's what ah said!

Joe

[Duke W.]

Re: unleaded fuel

Both the '64 250 and 300 HP engines have advertised compression ratio of 10.5:1. Actual CR as built by Flint was typically in the range of 9.8-10:1.

Nevertheless, unless these engines are rebuilt with lower compression ratio, they should use premium fuel.

You can alway experiment with a little lower octane fuel when the tank is low to see if the engine will tolerate lower octane.

Duke

[Robert K.]

Re: unleaded fuel

J.C.

If your car was originally sold in Canada you can get the original build sheet from GM of Canada. It will tell you the original dealership that sold the car and how many others were imported to Canada.

Good luck

[Joe R.]

Re: unleaded fuel

J.C.

If your car was originally sold in Canada you can get the original build sheet from GM of Canada. It will tell you the original dealership that sold the car and how many others were imported to Canada.

Good luck

I understand that it will give the factory options as well. Very cool, and not available to US delivered car owners.

Joe

[Bruce B.]

Re: unleaded fuel

Premium gas is a waste of money in your car.

I have a 300HP 65 Coupe and use regular gas, naturally it has 10% ethanol.

No detonation, starts and shuts off fine, and I drive it a lot.

Try regular in your car and if you don't have any problems keep using it.

Have fun driving yours.

[Michael W.]

Re: unleaded fuel

J.C.

If your car was originally sold in Canada you can get the original build sheet from GM of Canada. It will tell you the original dealership that sold the car and how many others were imported to Canada.

Good luck

Just to be clear, it is NOT the original build sheet, but a letter listing what information GM Canada has on file about a particular car. The amount of information and the exact particulars can vary tremendously.

[Duke W.]

Re: unleaded fuel

Premium gas is a waste of money in your car.

I have a 300HP 65 Coupe and use regular gas, naturally it has 10% ethanol.

No detonation, starts and shuts off fine, and I drive it a lot.

Try regular in your car and if you don't have any problems keep using it.

Have fun driving yours.

Obviously, sometime in the last 46 years your engine was rebuilt with lower compression.

Look at the RON requirement in the owner's manual, then subtract 4-5 points to get the modern equivalent PON.

Duke

[Bruce B.]

Re: unleaded fuel

Duke,
Thanks for the information about the engine in my car.

Obviously you know more about my car then I do....

[Jean B.]

Re: unleaded fuel

J.C.,

Welcome to the NCRS! I would recommend joining and getting active with your local chapter.

There are lots of threads on here about gasoline. The main thing is to run high enough octane to avoid destructive detonation. I suspect that a 250 hp engine can get by with regular unleaded. 10 percent ethanol shouldn't hurt anything. You don't need unleaded gas or hardened valve seats unless you're pulling a boat trailer over the mountains.

Send a request for your shipping info to the NCRS. If the microfiche is readable (it is in most cases), Roy Sinor will send you back a document that shows your car's birthday and the dealer it was delivered. I just got mine back, it's like, way cool and stuff! Here's the link:

https://www.ncrs.org/services.php

The NCRS has added a forum for members helping each other find more out about their car's history. Here it is:

https://www.forums.ncrs.org/forumdisplay.php?f=65&uid=8978

Joe

Thak you Joe for the info.. I just sent my request to Roy Sinor for the shipping data report...

J.C.

[Domenic T.]

Re: unleaded fuel

Just a tid bit I read (I believe it was the owners manual in a 68 Ford) about 20 years ago.

It said to use a good grade REGULAR of at least 94 OCTANE.

We have gone a long way since then with fuel, BACKWARDS.

Here in CA, 91 is now premium.

DOM

[Michael W.]

Re: unleaded fuel

Just a tid bit I read (I believe it was the owners manual in a 68 Ford) about 20 years ago.

It said to use a good grade REGULAR of at least 94 OCTANE.

We have gone a long way since then with fuel, BACKWARDS.

Here in CA, 91 is now premium.

DOM

Dom,

That 94 regular was rated under the 'old' system that changed in the mid 1970s. Today's equivalent octane rating for that gas is about 89.

This has been mentioned here many times, even further up in this post.

[Domenic T.]

Re: unleaded fuel

Dom,

That 94 regular was rated under the 'old' system that changed in the mid 1970s. Today's equivalent octane rating for that gas is about 89.

This has been mentioned here many times, even further up in this post.

Michael,
I guess backwards is reletive to which way one is standing, but I will say that however they re-rated the octane, the one thing they forgot was to take the detonation ping out of their NEW rated octane.

91 still pings in the 94 minimum octane cars of yesteryear and I have to spike the 91 octane with 50% (not re-rated) 100 low lead av gas to run my engines at the correct factory timing.

I'm not saying you are wrong just telling what I have to do to make it work like the old days.