Back in the mid 80's I dropped a 11.25-1 compression poniac 455 I pulled from a buddies dirt track car and dropped it into a project car i was building. The only thing the car would run on without severe detonation (in the summer Tampa heat) was racing fuel. The other option was install a water injection system. I don't remember the estimated cost of that but I opted not to do it. Ended up pulling the heads off and slapped on some heads from a smog motor. I could run it with 93 oct. with a can of lead booster from the auto parts store.
Anyway spraying water directly into the combustion chamber to cool certain parts prevents premature detonation.
Yep... Except alcohol encapsulates the water... so like Heet additive gets the water out of your gas in the winter, the alcohol delivers it to the chamber via the fuel, and makes for a softer punch.
I STILL have a 428 Pontiac interceptor motor from back in the day. It's up at my buddy Johnny's place, all sealed up, poured full of diesel, and ready to go...
Been looking for another vintage TA to put that in. Or a fabled 68 Bird...
I am a Pontiac guy all the way back.