Planet 9

**sapentia** · #1 09-25-2008, 11:13 AM

One station in Boone had gas last night briefly (87 oct) and I was fortunate enough to get filled up but today there isn't a drop to be had in Boone or any of the surrounding areas from what I can tell. Fortunately, I had some octane booster to add to the 87 but didn't really care when weighed with the alternative. So how is everyone else faring out there in the region? I know it is supposed to let up next week but in the meantime it makes for some interesting circumstances.

**type997** · #2 09-25-2008, 11:26 AM

Charlotte isn't much better. The few stations that have gas are lined up 50 deep. Looks like the government has forgotten about us with the financial crisis going on. I'm sure the National Guard has tanker trucks. It would be nice to see some of them rolling!

**gfspencer** · #3 09-25-2008, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by type987s

Charlotte isn't much better. The few stations that have gas are lined up 50 deep. Looks like the government has forgotten about us with the financial crisis going on. I'm sure the National Guard has tanker trucks. It would be nice to see some of them rolling!

I'm not counting on any help from the government . . . or the National Guard.

Concord (next to Charlotte) is out of gas too. I was out today and saw one station with gas. There was a two block line of cars waiting to get to the pump.

Oh well. My Cayman has 3/4 of a tank. My wife's car is almost full. Since we're retired we've no place in particular to to go. I guess we're okay. If we have to go to the grocery store we can walk.

I almost forgot. Both motorcycles are full!

And I have several bicycles!

**gfspencer** · #4 09-25-2008, 03:37 PM

This just in from WBTV news . . . The rednecks in Taylorsville are pulling guns on each other.

They just showed one goober and his dad get hauled off to jail.

**porcupine** · #5 09-25-2008, 03:40 PM

no gas? what's going on over on that side of the country?

**sapentia** · #6 09-25-2008, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by porcupine

no gas? what's going on over on that side of the country?

Apparently, the Continental Pipeline, which supplies most of the Eastern seaboard with fuel (?) has had a supply interruption for a week (?) or so as the refineries weren't up and running due to hurricanes Ike and Gustav. The pipeline runs from Houston through Louisiana and all the way up to New York. For NC our fuel is picked up in Spartanburg, SC on tanker trucks and delivered.

ARCuhTEK · #7 09-25-2008, 04:39 PM

Read my post (number 4) here:
http://www.planet-9.com/zone-1/268...ravel-log.html

CRAZY

**Gator Bait** · #8 09-25-2008, 05:02 PM

I had to fill up with the 87 octane and a can of octane boost. I am taking it very lightly on the driving ... no quick starts/racing around for me until my tank has the good 'ol 93 back in it.

segue007 · #9 09-25-2008, 10:00 PM

I live in the Central NC and gas in all octanes can be found without the long lines. I hear that western NC is really hurting for gas. According to the late news there should be deliveries to that part of the state starting Friday. We need alternative fuel now!

ARCuhTEK · #10 09-27-2008, 02:31 PM

I found a couple of stations today in Asheville that had gas and no wait. So I darted over there in my Cayman which has NO GAS in it (computer read "----" on the distance left to empty) and put 15 gallons of 87 octane and one bottle of STP Octane Booster. There are still absolutely NO gas stations with premium anywhere near Asheville.

The station I was at ran completely out of gas about 5 mins after I left as told to me by my wife.

ARCuhTEK · #11 09-27-2008, 02:36 PM

Just did some reading on other forums and the net and discovered (if what i read is true) that octane boosters really dont boost your tank of gas very much.......say .01 to 0.7 . So that is like 87.7 octane, not 94!

Now that I have pulled the trigger in desperation, what advice can you give me on driving my car with sub par octane?

ARCuhTEK · #12 09-27-2008, 02:57 PM

Interesting read (dated as determined by their quote on the price of a gallon of gas..lol)

Octane Boosters Testing - Tech Review - European Car Magazine

**Santa Fe** · #13 09-27-2008, 03:02 PM

Originally Posted by ARCuhTEK

Just did some reading on other forums and the net and discovered (if what i read is true) that octane boosters really dont boost your tank of gas very much.......say .01 to 0.7 . So that is like 87.7 octane, not 94!

Now that I have pulled the trigger in desperation, what advice can you give me on driving my car with sub par octane?

Hopefully you can fill up with the higher octane stuff soon but I'd not worry nor would I ask a lot of the car if it begins to "knock" until you can put the recommended fuel in it. Your car adjusts itself to prevent "knock" and should do no harm with 87 Octane (which of course is a different measurement than European Octane measurements). What is your altitude? At higher altitudes there is less "knock" due to the reduced density of the atmosphere.

ARCuhTEK · #14 09-27-2008, 03:15 PM

Thanks Santa Fe. Just so you know, there referenced link above from "European Car Mag" is not an article conducted in Europe but in the USA by European car enthusiasts.

I thought the same thing on the "worry" about the octane rating. I wont be using it for any longer than necessary. I figure one tank wont harm anything. I hope I am right.

My altitude is about 2400' ASL. Probably enough to make a difference.

**sapentia** · #15 09-27-2008, 06:13 PM

Since I put the 87 octane in, and even though I used an octane booster, I have driven with more of a break-in mentality not going over 4200 rpm or in that neighborhood at least. Hopefully, all will be well by the end of this coming week. On a side note, i'm at 3500 -4000 ft. for most of my drive time.

**gfspencer** · #16 09-27-2008, 06:43 PM

Saturday and still no gas to speak of.

I'm just glad that I don't have to go anywhere.

Cliffh93 · #17 09-28-2008, 04:27 AM

The Winston-Salem area is in comparatively good shape - some outages here and there (mostly hi-test), but no lines and premium can be found.

ARCuhTEK · #18 09-28-2008, 10:54 AM

Wife just left to go fill her car up with premium....no lines. Thats a good sign for Asheville. Though things are still not back to normal.

AlexMcNabb · #19 09-28-2008, 11:00 AM

The gasoline supply is highly unstable right now, High Point has complete shortages of premium and midgrade, with some stations totally empty. You're better off driving to small towns like Thomasville to get good fuel. Pipeline failures aside, I blame price capping.

**gfspencer** · #20 09-28-2008, 12:20 PM

I got some gas for the Cayman after church. I still haven't found any diesel for my wife's car but with three-quarters of a tank she can still go for at least 300 more miles.

I don't know anything about price capping* but I do think that limited availability makes us happy to pay any price just to get gas.

________________

*Alex, I'm not saying that you are wrong. I am saying that I don't know anything about it.