Many years back when i bought my race mini I didnt ask a lot of questions, I just paid way too much for it but smiled ear to ear for a long time afterwards. I did remember one thing and that was that the guy told me to only run av gas so that is what I did.

Now that I am building my own race/fast road mini I want to know everything so I do it right

So about fuel - Im assuming that running av gas gives you a slight advantage over PULP? what do you have to do to your engine to be able to safely run it? is it worth it?

cheers in advance

AVGAS has a gigher octane rating, and it still contains lead so you don't need hardened inserts or valve saver.

You really need a high compression motor to take full advantage of running AVGAS.

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Too many cars, and too little time.

Much of the avgas sold now is low in lead, and only about 100 octane. The good old days of aircraft rocket fuel are going.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

There is a big difference between "Low Lead" and "low in lead"



This fuel still has more lead than the old Super but not the same amount of lead as 100/130 which would often cause plugs to foul with lead deposits.

and because it contains lead (and lacks the tax that road fuel attracts) is illegal for road use.

you can smell the difference from the exhaust.

I think it's a different colour, too.

Get caught using it on the road in NSW and it's tata to $5K, I think.

I'll stick to my BP or 7/11 premium 98 + Flashlube, works for me.

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DrMini- 1970 wasaMatic 1360, Mk1S crank, 86.6HP (ATW) =~125 @ crank, 45 Dellorto (38 chokes), RE282 sprint cam, 1.5 rockers, 11.0:1 C/R.

In SA as well ,plus using it on the race track... Mallala, will incur a fine from the Stewards/Cams.

see last line in my signature below

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1974 1150cc Leyland Mini S racer,
1975 No motor Leyland Mini "ute"
1991 IPRA Honda Integra (in the build)
1995 Land Rover Discovery 300Tdi

CAMS Scrutineer

Theres no need to change jetting from pump fuel to av-gas, it`s just petrol just like any normal petrol,,, just that it can handle higher compression ratios (higher octane rating & a lot cleaner) than std-ish pump fuels

it`s not allowed on the road

but it`s absolutely & totally allowed at all the race tracks everywhere that i know of...

Mallala must be the only race track that it`s not allowed, are you sure you`re not talking about methanol DA9jeff

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.

Cannot use Avgas at Mallala?
I thought this was the predominant fuel used in Historic racing?

last time a cop ask me if i was running av gas i told him it was caster oil , got away with that one

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A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying "Damn...that was fun!"

never checked the whats under the cap lol

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A good friend will come and bail you out of jail...but a true friend will be sitting next to you saying "Damn...that was fun!"

yeh, Historics only.... see Sec 8.4.6 Schedule G in the Cams Manual

Need Cams authority to use any Leaded fuel as well.

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1974 1150cc Leyland Mini S racer,
1975 No motor Leyland Mini "ute"
1991 IPRA Honda Integra (in the build)
1995 Land Rover Discovery 300Tdi

CAMS Scrutineer

HI Matt
AV Gas is not allowed to be used ?/sold at any race track because of the tax it incurs thats why they call it shell 100 racing fuel same fuel different name,its the word av gas they can not use.
Graham Russell

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"It's better to be not informed than ill-informed"

Ok so i'm reading this section now, and i'm not seeing what 8.4.6 has to do with being allowed to use avgas.

So we are in schedule G - Fuel

To define avgas....

8.3 - Racing fuel
8.3.1 - Leaded Racing Fuel: Leaded racing fuel is defined as a leaded petrol which is supplied by an oil company and having a composition the same as that supplied for piston engine general aviation use, ie, AvGas 100/130 or AvGas 100LL only.

Now lets move to section 8 - Fuels Regulation committee
8.4 - Restrictions: The committee will consider requests for restrictions to:
8.4.6 - Racing Fuel: Where a restriction to racing fuel is sought, an additional restriction to unleaded racing fuel may also be approved. In general, restrictions to leaded racing fuel only will not be authorised for other than competition solely for 5th Category automobiles (historics).


So to me, 8.4.6 means that you can apply to HAVE a restriction on the use of race fuels. AND restrictions to use ONLY leaded fuel will not be authorised UNLESS it is for competition for 5th category.

So to me that's saying that you could apply to make everyone run on avgas in a historic competition. No where does that read to me that you can't use avgas, unless specified in the event regulations.


I would like to hear your understanding of that rule though, as i am only reading it out of a book and i may be misreading

hee hee

rules & all their various interpretations hey?

back when i was racing the short-circuit dirt track scene at Echo Valley Toowoomba they tricked me at one of the meetings by having 5 races instead of the usual 3 races,,, so of course i was obviously going to run out of fuel later in the day

so,,, when this EH holden rolled over i waited till the end of the next race to ask him (just so i didn`t look too much like a vulture) but seeing as he obviously wasn`t going to be racing any more of this day i asked him if he had any spare fuel that i could buy off him

well,,, he looked around all suspicious like & reached around the back of his truck & grabbed out this 20litre drum & started shaking it & saying mate you`ll have to mix it good before you pour it in your tank,,, (still looking around all suspicious like) so i asked what it was??? he said a mix of 1/3av-gas, 1/3 toluene & 1/3methanol & "u could probably do with going up in jet sizes a fair bit" he said,,, & then he leaned towards me & wispered "But don`t tell anyone ok?" & winked at me...

so,,, i knew i was already running a bit rich so i didn`t bother mucking with anything,,, paid him the money & poured that-stuff in my car... well what else was i goiung to do i didn`t have any fuel left & as far as i knew you can`t race a race without petrol right???

welllllll...... from starting at the back of the grid (28 cars) in all the earlier races we caught up to first place & was overtaking him at about lap 12 or 14 ish (nearing the end of the race),,, but once we poured "that-stuff" in for the last couple of races we were overtaking first place at about 8 laps into it & just absolutely flying away from everyone!!!!

whatever it was it really liked my engine & state of tune.

My girl Marly was in the car ,,, she can tell you ,,, the difference was amazing & back then i was normally using the good mobil 100-130,,, so "that-stuff" was some pretty nastey stuff i can tell you i never bothered to mix up my own batch but since then i`d heard of plenty of people doing the same-ish thing just making sure that they had "run-out of fuel" at the end of the race so there was no fuel left to test funny that hey?

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No offence intended here but--> anyone writing a book about minis 30 years ago may not have experienced such worn or stuffed-with components as we are finding these days.

You should put your heart & soul into everything you do.