Castle Combe, May 2023

[chris.t]

Sainsburys Chippenham, which is where I get E5 when I do track days at Combe, according to the App on my phone, is £1.72p???

[Saltire]

Sainsburys Chippenham, which is where I get E5 when I do track days at Combe, according to the App on my phone, is £1.72p???

Haven’t been that way for a while, Chris, although I’m always a bit cautious with Sainsburys fuel. Our man on the spot (Epipete) may have more up-to-date intel.

[chris.t]

I was told that SainsBurys 97ron is actually BP Ultimate.

[Saltire]

I was told that SainsBurys 97ron is actually BP Ultimate.

Interesting - didn’t know that!

BTW, I’ve just noticed your location. My parents used to live in Greenfield Way - small world.

[chris.t]

I was told that SainsBurys 97ron is actually BP Ultimate.

Interesting - didn’t know that!

BTW, I’ve just noticed your location. My parents used to live in Greenfield Way - small world.

We moved here about 18mths ago. Greenfield Way is about 5mins drive away.

[MPx]

I was told that SainsBurys 97ron is actually BP Ultimate.

Interesting - didn’t know that!

And thereby hangs the misinformation and folklore. Does anyone really know?

Seems to me there are two main camps.

There's those that say (correctly) that all brands come from the same refineries often in the same non-branded delivery lorries. Their conclusion which is more debateable is that its therefore same petrol controlled by a British Standard with no difference between them so you may as well use the cheapest.

Then there's those who take the view that while the base product is made to a standard, all sorts of additives are later mixed in and its the additives which make the difference and is "worth" paying the premium for. I'm in with this gullible set.

So would the premium brands like Shell or BP sell their special recipe additives to the cheapo supermarket outlets or does the person "telling" Chris its the same really only know that the base petrol is from the same refinery in the same delivery lorries ?

Quite possibly if Shell/BP can make money at it they would, but I seriously doubt they would make someone elses cheaper product identical to their premium.

And if any of that is true, how come Esso premium is widely "known" to contain no Ethanol at all yet the others do - that's a base petrol ingrdient after all.

On a different but related point its been interesting watching the outrage going on at the Shell station at Trago Mills, Newton Abbot who sell Shell fuels at lower than supermarket prices and claim they are still making a profit on fuel. Its all smoke and mirrors I tell you!

[dapinky]

Mike, you old cynic you!

(and I agree)

BUT...... here's what I think....... based on "local" knowledge and folklore around these parts (including some guys I know from a local car club, one of whom happens to own a company which sells petrol via his 44 forecourts).

From my kitchen window I can see some of the storage tanks belonging to Valero Refinery (Milford Haven), so at least I know how many carbon miles are involve in delivering it!

Every day, a number of large ships dock and offload their crude oil - some from Kuwait, some from Saudi, some others - unless it is suspected to be a bad batch, or a particularly desirable batch, it all gets pumped to the same tanks onshore. From there, it undergoes its distillation process to make either Bitumen, Naptha or something in between (Diesel/Petrol).

After that, lets just look at the petrol, it gets pumped into tanks dependent on Octane, and blended with whatever they want to add.....

From there, some is loaded into a tanker and off to the petrol stations - and it will only have a "Texaco" logo on the truck. I then go to my local filling station and buy my Super Unleaded (marked as E5)........ however, dependent on what they buy on the day, Texaco Supreme will have "up to" 5% Ethanol, and often has <1% (never really 0% because the holding and blending tanks are never empty, so there will always be some).

However, if I chose to go to Asda to buy my petrol (and they don't do Super anyway) It will have arrived in a tanker NOT labelled Texaco, and will have come from their distribution centre in the Midlands.......... the same distribution centre which sends out lorries labled Tesco, Morrisons, Shell and BP (apparently NOT Esso)..... and where did that petrol come from? Yep. the tank I can see from my window!

Basically, what leaves the refinery by road is minimal, and most goes through a series of pipework to Birmingham from whence they bring it back by road - which is why Texaco petrol here from an independent, is far cheaper than supermarket fuel, BP is a bit more, and Esso is hardly sold at all.

No-one can (or will) tell me that all petrol is the same, and no-one will tell me at what stage the "additives" are added - BUT they all tell me that it makes very little difference to the average person, and if I stick to Texaco Supreme I won't go wrong.

[Tuga2112]

not to want to add fuel to the fire (pun intended)

i have experimented all types of fuel between both the Elan and my Celica. (always filling up on a nearly empty tank).

my impression so far is that in the elan. it doesnt matter what goes in, it can be 91octane e5 or e10 or 100octane e5, the engine sound and performance difference between refills is not noticeable.

however, when it comes to my Celica. I can tell that tesco 100octane e5 clearly made that car feel more perky than any other fuel.
also. my celica is louder on e10 than is on e5. however, any difference in accelaration is not noticeable.

as far as brands hatch. ill most likely be filling up on e10 someplace far from there wherever its cheaper.
im willing to take the risk and assume that I will stop driving the elan because of some (imposed) enviromental reasons long before ethanol consentrations in the fuel (allegedly) cause damage

[alan e]

as far as brands hatch. ill most likely be filling up on e10 someplace far from there wherever its cheaper.
im willing to take the risk and assume that I will stop driving the elan because of some (imposed) enviromental reasons long before ethanol consentrations in the fuel (allegedly) cause damage
1991 elan se
If you do go to Brands Hatch you will be a bit pissed off they will all be at Castle Combe .

[Tuga2112]

If you do go to Brands Hatch you will be a bit pissed off they will all be at Castle Combe .

im still operating on 2017 (or 18?)

[Rambo]

If you do go to Brands Hatch you will be a bit pissed off they will all be at Castle Combe .

im still operating on 2017 (or 18?)

PMT









Portugese Mean Time

[chris.t]

Is there going to be a curry after?

[Saltire]

Absolutely - if there’s enough interest, I’m happy to sort out a booking with Mustafa at the Spice Merchant as and when.

No news yet of any possible events at the Smoking Dog, though.

Let me know if anyone needs local help with B&B etc.

[Rambo]

Mustafa curry

PS all Emira owners welcome

[Tuga2112]

this is a question for the admins.

are we trying to get a LEC area or are we all joining as "standard visitors" ?

is it too early to start talking about that type of arrangements ? and i cannot rememebr if i need to buy tickets for this one or not.

[Fredjohn]

Joao
It's free unless you want to track your car, which costs.

Mark
Thank you, time (and Lotus) will tell!

Jonathan
I and possibly Grace would be up gor the curry.

[Saltire]

I have started a separate thread with a LIST for the Curry Night. Please show interest there, rather than in this thread

[dapinky]

I have added myself & Clemo to the curry list.....

..... I'll get Clemo to do his usual liaison with CL to get us a suitable space dependent on numbers attending.

It would be great to say that we plan to be in our 'usual' space next to the track, but as this area is generally used by club members with something worthy to celebrate, claiming that my car is exactly 31 years, 4 months and 20 days old probably won't out-trump others..... but it doesn't hurt to ask, so we'll see.

[alan e]

1. Mark (Rambo)
2. Jim (Muley)
3. TrevorB
4. Pinky
5. Howard (Rusty Wishbond) e)
6. Tuga2112
7. Mike (MPx) - Saturday only
8. Spud (Spud) - Mmm, watching Spuds in Leeds on the Sunday afternoon.....
9. Tony (Blaster)
10. Chris.t
11. RonR
12. Texas - will try to make it - combine a trip to see the kids and grandson
13. Nick & Shell - hopefully camping Fri-Sun
14. Simon_P
15. Hector 2021 - Too new to have even met anyone yet, but sounds like an event not to miss.
16. Alan e But i don't know what i will turn up in.

[TrevorB]

Absolutely - if there’s enough interest, I’m happy to sort out a booking with Mustafa at the Spice Merchant as and when.

No news yet of any possible events at the Smoking Dog, though.

Let me know if anyone needs local help with B&B etc.

Has anyone made any plans of where they're staying yet?

Interested in finding out what there is available, Jonathan?




Trevor