I know you guys probabally hate me already cause i drive a Ford Thunderbird. LoL. Well anyways I was at the gas station the other day and i noticed something called "Race Gas" it is 100 octane an contains "MTBE" or something like that and i was wondering if it's safe to use in my car.

I have a 1986 Ford THunderbird with a 232 ci TBI v6, i currently use 89/93 octane w/ a bottle of octane boost (cause i have my timing advanced.)

The only mods i have are:
Advanced ignition timing
MSD Blaster ss Coil
MSD 8.8 mm supression core wires
14x3 K&N open air
home made "Ram Air" (looks a lil funny cause of the open air filter.)

Oh, is there anything else i can do to make my car faster, i am currently in the development of a custom dual exhaust..

 

most people here would tell you your wasting your money on 100 octane,and to make your car faster.....get a GM..LOL ,but thats cool we're all motorheads alike,I had a ford once,'80 towncoup,5.8,AOD,4.11 scary car,most peaople were surprized to see how fast a huge car like that could actually go!! that brings me to the conclusion: lose your six and get a 351windsor EFI,trimec T-5,and run your dual exaust H-pipe on that......I might be hated after saying this...but.. you would DEVESTATE most regular street thirdgens with that combo!!!!

you really should migrate to a FORD site,you'll find more help there,more friendlier help too

 

Whats this? *sniff sniff* i smell a ford driver!

lol, kidding. 100 octane gas sold at a gas station? thats pretty cool! i wonder if my stock engine could even burn fuel that high of octane. haha.

Form what i have heard, if you run a mostly stock car, no point in running high octane gas. although i hear it does keep your fuel injectors a speck cleaner than the standard stuff.

not that i follow my advice. i have always filled up with 92 octane. never tried anythign less, and don't want to.

 

I know this doesn't make since, but in my old 86 TA, 4bbl, I put in some of this gas, and it ran like a rape ape.

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Rob
'86 TA 305 TPI

 

unless you're running an awful lot of advance timing shouldnt NEED 100 octane, or also unless you're lucky enough to have a 67 camaro w/ a wedge engine or rat

 

Well, If You feel like paying 5 bucks a gallon For every day driving, Go ahead.


btw, the 3.8L is a POS. The only thunderchicken worth anything is the 2.3L Turbo coupe, and thats Only useful as a donor For Other interesting FoMoCO projects.

Unless You have 10:1 + compression, Its not going to make **** of a Differance. AS far as using octane boost regularly, Why not just step back 2 degrees and save yourself the cash. Maybe that Way You can Buy a real car




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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Livin' the Stereotype

 

thanks 4 the advice/ help...

btw.. I know the 3.8l is a pos and i know my car is a pos, but i am young (only 18) and it only has to last me till Oct. of 2001, that's when i start boot-camp 4 the army..

and it's only $3.09 a gal. lol. i'm gonna put some in my car tomorrow, i'll tell yall what happens...

[This message has been edited by 89t-bird (edited January 10, 2001).]

 

Ive got a 83 Tbird w/ 3.8L cluttering up my driveway, Want it ? The Motor and tranny are in the garage ( failed donor for the Ranchero, Got it all apart and realized how much the motor Sucked )

I cant give that thing away, i swear.



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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Livin' the Stereotype

 

don't feel bad tbird, the 3.8 is a piece but you would feel better if you saw friends '86 cougar 3.8L,C-3 take mustang GTs off the line and still not give them a chance to catch up!!! I don't know what was funnier,the fact the he dusted GTs or the plume of blue oil smoke which seemed to be the by-product of such ventures! LOL

ARMY huh? thats cool, I went to boot camp in great lakes,IL last feb,I'm now done with all my schools(tech core,comm. systems)and one "C" school(NAVMACS II,Naval Modular Automated Communitcations System)I earned 33 credits for boot camp all through school.,I'm due for my $11,000 enlistment bonus,my montgomery G.I. bill is already cashed in for $19,995 for college,I have 75% tuition compensation for education on top of that while I'm active duty,I am reporting to the USS SAIPAN LHA 2 ,for my first duty station on monday. I will be automatically advanced to E-4 in june.so far so good!!! just check your contract at MEPS,things get rushed there and you could get screwed out of what you bargained with your recruiter.I should have got a $30,000 college bonus too,but thats way to much school for me anyways!! it's all there for the taking,really,be all you can be!!

 

p.s. don't be retarded like most E-1s and E-2s right out of boot camp and go and finance a fully loaded chevy impala SS or somethin and doom yourself to a p iss broke 4 year enlistment and pay 5 times what the car is worth. you won't need a muscle car at all,you get to ride in cool tanks and stuff.I would highly encourage you to get into the airborn division,because jumping out of a plane is the sh*t!!!!

 

The ford dealer told me that the 3.8l super charged thunderbird would blow the doors of mustangs. Everyone Ive talk too that has/had one, either has a leaky head gasket or had it replaced. (Expensive to do, apparently) I was going to get one myself, then my friend slapped me upside the head and said its 2 cylinders short of a muscle car! ! So I bought my car (89 Trans Am 5-spd). I am forever in debt to my buddy. I dont know what I was thinking.

[This message has been edited by Godti (edited January 11, 2001).]

[This message has been edited by Godti (edited January 11, 2001).]

 

You also risk the chance of burning your valves up and pistons with that high octane gas. I wouldn't run it. The high octane isn't needed unless you are running 11:0 compression or more. The stock LS1 and LT1 engines are a little over 10:0 and they require 93 octane. Some friends that have ricers with turbos and pushing 12:0-13:0 compression are running race gas but they have to so the car will run correctly.

SAVE YOUR MONEY AND POSSIBLY THE LIFE OF THE MOTOR AND RUN 89/93 OCTANE.

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1988 TA 300+hp 350 w/ TBI and Holley TB unit, Holley projection intake,
WC T-5, 3.42 gears w/ Auburn posi. MSD 6A, edelbrock TES headers, dynomax 3" cat and cat-back system, ACCEL coil, polyurethane bushings all around, aluminum driveshaft, Mr. Gasket open air cleaner.

1993 S-10 w/ 4.3L V6 TBI, slightly bigger cam, Mild polish job and 3 angle valve job on heads, Edlebrock TES headers, Dynomax cat back, MSD 6A, ADS chip

2000 Kawasaki KX 125

 

hey bort, i don't need another one in my driveway. lol

 

the 3.8L is infamous for blwon headgaskets due to its allumminum heads. The Differance in expansion contraction bewtwen these heads and the cast iron block When heating up and cooling down shears the Gasket.

This is the reason I didnt use The motor, that and it is underpowerd and pretty much ****ty.

These motors are known to blow a headgasket every 60k or so.




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60 Ranchero - Project ( Money Hole )
85 Sport Coupe LG4 - Daily Driver

Livin' the Stereotype