Kris01 wrote on 08/29/16 at 18:18:35:I'm still not following. As far as I know, the only difference between leaded and unleaded gas was the addition of TEL in the leaded. Leaded gas was unleaded with the addition of lead. Scientist/Engineer or not, the math doesn't work out right.
It really doesn't matter now....cause you can't buy the same form of gasoline that was available then. But the "rumor" was that the unleaded needed a formula that had a higher resistance to detonation/knock with the lead missing......so when you mixed it with the leaded gasoline the lead fuel added even more resistance to the better blend of unleaded, and somehow the result has a higher octane than either fuel had alone. The internet wasn't around then, and I don't remember reading any magazine articles that proved the "rumor".
All that really isn't possible anymore...as the ethanol blends used today are completely different.