We’ve been on a kick for old promotional videos lately and this one, featuring the “new in ’62” Olds Jetfire turbocharged V8, is totally cool. Touting the performance and giving the viewers a basic explanation of turbocharging, this video not only sells the car but also makes an attempt to explain the technology behind the turbo to a public who had very limited experience/knowledge with turbochargers. So what’s “Turbo-Rocket Fluid”? Read on to find out.

The 215ci engine was rated at 215 hp, and featured a Garrett TO-3 turbo that cranked out a mammoth 5 psi of boost. That boost was shoved through a Rochester carb and was also plumbed into a bottle of “Turbo-Rocket Fluid.” That fancily named stuff was actually a 50/50 mix of distilled water and methyl alcohol. According to our research, depending on how you drove, that bottle would last from 200-2,000 miles. The fluid was drawn in during heavy acceleration was was used to minimize detonation. When the bottle ran out, full throttle acceleration was no longer possible as the car had some failsafe backups built in to prevent lazy owners from melting down the all-aluminum engine.

This video is great, although it is a little weird when the dudes at the beginning are winking at each other.