Why is the Classic Car Crowd Wary of Ethanol-blended Gasoline?

The preservation of classic and collector cars is a matter many people take seriously. The adoption of ethanol and other alternative fuels has exposed some well-placed worry. (Photo taken by Chris Nagy)

Gasoline is regarded as an essential ingredient energizing the classic or collector car world thanks to its popular appearance in over 130 years of vehicles. The 20-horsepower four-cylinder engine of the Ford Model T, the first small block V8s installed in 1955 Chevrolets, a 426 cubic-inch Hemi in a 1968 Dodge Charger and a 710-horsepower, twin-turbocharged V8 engine powering an ultra-exotic Ferrari F8 Tributo are all united by the use of a precious, flammable fluid. 

Generations of automobiles have been able to depend upon a reliable supply of gasoline providing assurance that older vehicles can become beloved classics. This doesn’t mean there haven't been challenges for vintage engines when the formulation of gasoline would be changed. Up until the last decade, the biggest concern for Canadian classic car owners occurred with the transition from leaded to unleaded gasoline. Though issues arose relating to valve seating and engine knocking with the use of unleaded fuel, a set of minor adjustments would be adopted to lessen this impact.

Starting in 2023, new federal government regulations expanded the use of ethanol across the country for all grades of gasoline in order to promote renewable energy or lower vehicle emissions. Depending on the fuel grade, up to 10 percent ethanol is currently included in the gasoline burning in our engines. Prior to this, many provinces (British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario and Saskatchewan) had instituted measures adding at least five percent of ethanol in automotive fuel. 

Though the inclusion of ethanol-enriched gasoline has taken place near seamlessly for drivers of modern vehicles, there have been reasons to worry for how this fuel mixture behaves propelling vintage and classic cars.

Ethanol-blended Gasoline and Classic Cars

Ethanol-based fuel has been used reliably with IndyCar racing since 2012. Ethanol's higher octane rating makes it exceptionally suited as a racing fuel. 

While older vehicle engines can run on ethanol-blended gasoline, concerns relate to longer term effects of the modern fuel. Ethanol possesses properties that have the ability to promote corrosion. Due to its chemistry, ethanol can absorb water that can degrade conventional fuel systems of vintage-era vehicles. Rubber fuel hoses are particularly susceptible to damage though steel lines can also be affected. There's also the potential of greater wear to the carburetor as well as the vehicle's exhaust system as burned ethanol-blended fuel flows out a tailpipe.

The potential damage of ethanol-blended gasoline has been concerning enough to lead to vocal opposition from prominent entities within the Canadian classic car community. Both the Vintage Car Club of Canada and the National Association for Automobile Clubs of Canada have been lobbying the federal government to consider offering ethanol-free gasoline to better protect some of the timeless machines.

Classic Cruising With Ethanol-Added Gasoline

Without the availability of ethanol-free fuels, there are some precautions classic car owners could utilize. One quick solution comes with the addition of a fuel treatment. A number of ethanol fuel treatment products are currently available designed to guard against corrosion. 

Another more extensive manner is considering ethanol-blended gasoline during your classic car restoration project. In the late 2000s, a number of vehicles were sold as E85 capable (compatible to run on a fuel consisting of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline). For greater resilience to ethanol-blended gasoline, such vehicles would feature stainless steel gas tanks and fuel lines. Aftermarket carburetors are also available engineered to handle the more extreme E85 fuel could provide greater protection with lower ethanol content. The main downside is these modifications will affect the originality of a classic vehicle. 

Due to the composition of ethanol, there have been concern of accelerated corrosion of components including fuel lines, gas tanks and carburetors. (Photo taken by Chris Nagy)

Although the well-intended and, perhaps inevitable, shift to ethanol-blended gasoline is causing an uproar among antique and vintage car groups, this should not be mistaken as a distaste for championing environmental causes. The importance classic car enthusiasts place on preserving the environment is as strong as the desire to preserve our favourite cars. A path to offering fully sustainable fuels that can be burned inside an internal combustion engine could offer a potentially exciting future to operate historic vehicles for generations to come. However, the implementation of ethanol-based gasoline had sadly lacked input or consultation from the classic car community. As proud Canadian automotive enthusiasts, we simply request an assurance our engines will keep running.