I am running 105 octane e-85 in a 496inch BB and have found that it is not only available in the mid-west but is the best fuel for true high compression engines.  12:1 is no problem and $2 a gallon makes it right.  This the new hot rod fuel if you really want to rock and roll.  Because of the cooling effect of ethanol it gives alot of leway as far as tunning - especially with blowers!  Trust me - you can make alot of mistake and still survive - ALOT OF MISTAKES!  High compression is back with this fuel it is possible.  Pump gas does not have any advantage - it is available.  Build a motor around e-85 and you have a BOMB.  Would like to hear from other e-85 engine guys/gals.    chris  

The incredibly large tolerance for the quantity of alcohol makes it dangerous, plain and simple...

Burn that much alcohol lean and you tell me that you can make "mistakes" and still have an engine.

E-85 isn't going to save our country and it surely isn't going to save the hot rodding community. I don't know if you've noticed but modern engines have found ways to make incredible amounts of power with gasoline. Resorting to a fuel that requires three times as much volume and introduces more risk in high horsepower applications doesn't sound like a good idea to me.  

You are right about ethanol NOT being the answer to the country's problems - the fact is that there is no one answer.  Ethanol has a higher latent heat of vaporization that takes much more heat out of an engine than gasoline.  The fact that it does take more fuel because of the lower energy content than gasoline just gives it that much more of a cooling affect.  Here in Missouri we can brew this stuff in our back yards using apples or corn - no problem.  Making ethanol (among other things) is easy for the common man to do if you have some decent agriculture available - making gasoline on the other hand is imposible.  The "people" that we get gasoline from like to fly airplanes into buildings - it is an addiction that we are all going to have to break.  I think if you were to ask anyone to build a 1000 horsepower engine and to choose the fuel that would make it the easiest - ethanol/methanol would be the choice hands down.  Thanks    chris  

Wow, Chris. Missouri will let you make corn liquor in your back yard?
 

It is absolutely pathetic that you are making that sterotype here. You don't want to buy gasoline from people that fly airplanes into buildings?

People like you make me ashamed to be American.  

You will need to get a Small Fuel Producer permit from Alcohol Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.  After you have recieved this you are free to produce personal use fuel.  You also might try to upgrade your equipment at coopermoonshinestills.com.    Thanks    chris  

If you are ashamed to be an American then I can only suggest Canada - but it gets cold in the winter or Mexico but you will need to learn spanish.     chris