Is Mid-grade or Premium Gas overkill for a 91 Sunbird

[bluesmokennoise]

After many years of driving and owning cars I finally have "got religion" about them and I want to take a lot better care
of my cars than I ever did. I just finished restoring a 1991 Pontiac Sunbird LE (2.0L 122 CID L4 engine) top-to-bottom
and she's gorgeous. I am wondering what this esteemed group thinks of my abandoning 87 octane crap gas like we get here
and starting to burn something like I burn in my Cadillac (91 octane, no alcohol)? The manual says "no more than 10%
ethanol" and "fuel that is more than 5% methanol is bad for your vehicle. Don't use it." So when I pull up to the gas pumps
I am given a choice of 87 octane ("may" contain 10% alcohol); 89 octane ("may" contain 10% alcohol) or
91 octane (no alcohol). (We all know the misuse of the word "may" because it ALWAYS means it will, guaranteed.
How am I to know if it is ethanol, methanol or whatever? I don't mind spending more for the
gas if it is better for my Sunbird but I wouldn't want to blindly burn a higher octane gas if that, too, would be just as
bad as lower octane gas full of fillers.Someone once told me that by the time gas leaves the refinery it has 10% alcohol added. Then the
distributor adds 10% alcohol to what he gets from the refinery. Then the gas station adds 10% alcohol. My arithmetic
comes up with the potential of 30% alcohol in a gallon of gas. I am so tired of be ripped off by everyone everywhere be it the
grocery store to the power company and certainly the oil companies. So I wonder what you guys think of going with
91 octane "premium" with no "_____-aho?l" Would it be better than the ripoff we endure with all the non-nutritional fillers they put in food today
for my Sunbird?

 

[melsg5]

With a compression ratio of 9:1 you do not need 91 octane gasoline. Did you look in the owners manual for the recommended octane?
10 percent ethanol will not harm your car . I have been using it for decades in a 69 Corvette and a 71 GTO.

 

[bluesmokennoise]

Actually the recommended octane is "87 or higher" but my real concern is the ethanol, gasohol, methanol additives. If I could buy pure gas
here in Wisconsin that was not full of fillers I would do that. Along with that I am concerned about the stories I have heard regarding
the refiners, distributors and gas stations each adding "no more than 10% alcohol" which would bring the total way higher than 10%
that my car can tolerate. Are you able to buy pure gasoline without alcohol where you are located?

 

[melsg5]

Actually the recommended octane is "87 or higher" but my real concern is the ethanol, gasohol, methanol additives. If I could buy pure gas
here in Wisconsin that was not full of fillers I would do that. Along with that I am concerned about the stories I have heard regarding
the refiners, distributors and gas stations each adding "no more than 10% alcohol" which would bring the total way higher than 10%
that my car can tolerate. Are you able to buy pure gasoline without alcohol where you are located?

I have no idea. In all the multiple decades of running 10 percent it has never been an issue. The content of ethanol must be displayed on the pump. If it says 10 that's what it is. Lots of modern cars are Not designed to run greater than 10.

______________________________

 

[92 Sunbird LE]

Runs on either, I used the 91/93 every other fill-up for years, better fuel mileage and more power it gave the old Bird...

Doug in P.R.

 

[bluesmokennoise]

Doug, so glad to see you back. I'm thinking along the same line as you did. I've put in enough sweat-equity in this car that I want it to
outlast me.