Quote: Originally posted by Mrs. Bonce on 26/3/2026
Does anyone remember 2 and 4 star petrol? My skinflint Mum hated it when Dad changed the car to a better model which would only run on 4 star.
Yup, If I remember rightly 2 star was lower octane than the current 95 and 4 star was higher but they both were leaded. It was the introduction of unleaded that caused a lot of problems. A lot of classic cars had to get hardened valve seats or use additives. These days the problem is the amount of ethanol in the fuel. Can wreak havoc with older fuel lines and fuel tanks on classic cars and bikes.
I used to run a Kawasaki KH100 bike on two star.
There also used to be 5 star petrol. I remember working in a garage in Shoreditch in the late 1960 and often saw cars, mainly large Rovers and Jaguars, bearing stickers in the back windows saying "use only 5 star fuel".
Quote: Originally posted by Bridgelayer on 24/4/2026
I was in Lidl's today, just got to my turn to pay and a bloke waiting at the end brought an item back that he had been overcharged for.
After a 5 minute delay a customer in the queue behind me said, "All that messing about for 25p!"
I soon put him right by telling him that I could remember petrol being 5 bob a gallon. Chuckles were heard!
Very sad sign of the times I'm afraid, no sense of value or principle!
I was chatting with some of the Yummy Mummies on a recent dog walk in local park, I looked down to spot a £1 coin on the ground. I pointed it out to one of the 9 year old kids to pick up as a bonus to her pocket money - such a lacklustre disinterested response you'd have to witness to believe! She did halfheartedly pick it up, but no joy!
Even now, finding a quid is something to lift my spirits, but to a 9 year old it clearly is a non-event! OK when I was 9, a quid would buy you 40 Mars Bars - so nearly a year's worth! Now struggling to think what a quid would buy in the singular, let alone a quantity these days, so maybe the 9 year old is right, and I'm living in the past!
A work colleague with a diesel VW Golf, used to pour a bottle of cooking oil into the fuel tank regularly, did that for many years. I never had the nerve with my own Golf.
Quote: Originally posted by Oswestry Ed on 26/4/2026
I have still got petrol coupons issued for my BSA Bantam back in the 70s. Wondering if I can still use them.
Still got mine in my motoring archives. Issued Nov 1973 as a result of Israel/USA alliance war on certain Arab states, which resulted in oil output reductions and shortages - 50 odd years on, and here we go again! Wonder if I'll get to collect more ration coupons!!!!
I remember the family of four and a dog going on the annual fortnight camping holiday with an ex WD BSA M20 motorbike and sidecar. When filling up at 4/9d a gallon, a shot of RedX costing a penny was added.
My own early experience is of the first automatic petrol pumps that took a 50p coin. It dispensed one and six tenths of a gallon.
I had a Suzuki 120cc motorbike and would wait for a car to arrive and buy the excess petrol that I could not get into my tank.
------------- Knowledge is recognising that a tomato is a fruit: experience is not putting it in a fruit salad.
A day of all things motorhome and campervan. The show is held both in the main indoor arena and across the grounds. Catering, hot drinks and food options are available. Easy access to the site and free parking included. Win one of five pairs of day tickets
Topic: Fuel, how times change!
via mobile 26/3/2026 at 7:08am
