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The latest UOA for my 2004 Mazda 6i is in. This was the last of my SL-GF3 stash so it's GF4 from here on out. This sample was in from Nov. 2004 until the last couple days in March 2005 which is probably the toughest period in this area where motor oil is concerned. As usual, plenty of spirited...

Took a trip to NYC today and meandered about the auto show with my father (the one responsible for giving me the car bug). We had a great time checking out the various offerings and my dad decided he wants to sell his Benz and buy a Lexus LS430. Can't say as I blame him, the LS430 is quite a car...

Changed out the oil on my Mazda6 yesterday and was literally giddy over the idea of sending in a dino Havoline sample with almost 8,000 miles on it. The bubble burst though when entering the service info into my log, I noticed the last change was in fact 6900 miles prior rather than the 7900...

with Havoline 5w-20 and LC. I'll be taking it out to 7500 miles which should put me into the first or second week in April. Added the standard 1 oz. per quart on initial fill and have been adding 1 oz. every 1,000 miles. So far no consumption, no surprises, weird noises or ticks. Also, no change...

It froze! This past Sunday I filled the washer fluid tank with orange Rain-X de-icer fluid thinking it was a great idea. There was a a small amount of the blue stuff left in the tank (maybe a pint) so I didn't think mixing the cheapo blue stuff with the new, more expensive Rain-X would be a...

This really rubs me the wrong way....the only place around here where I used to be able to find the Gun List was Barnes and Noble. They would get 3-4 copies in and that was it. Now I guess Barnes and Noble has deemed that the Gun List is something they don't want to sell anymore. The last time I...

My last UOA with Havoline 5w-20 was just a tad under 5,000 miles and it held up very well http://theoildrop.server101.com/ubb/ultimatebb.php?ubb=get_topic;f=3;t=002053#000000 and now with winter weather here and the loss of my dad's heated garage I'm not looking forward to a late winter change...

I'm in the early stages of planning a 2005 hunting trip for myself and a few pals and we (mostly I) am undecided between a western, U.S. pronghorn/mulie hunt or a Newfoundland moose hunt. I'm hoping some experienced hunters here can help me make a choice. How good are mule deer and pronghorn as...

After a couple hours of sanding and preparing a beautiful fireplace surround/mantlepiece (thank you Whimsey!!!!)for staining I decided to treat myself to one of my favorite beverages....a nice cold Guiness Stout. . Ahhhh, I pour the maginc elixir into a tall pilsner style glass and marvel at...

Here are the results of the second UOA from my 2004 Mazda 6i. No track time during this interval but still plenty of my usual, spirited driving . 2004 Mazda 6i, 2.3 ltr 16v, auto trans 11,233 miles on engine, 4,990 miles on sample 4.5 qt. sump, zero make up oil Havoline 5w-20 SL, GF3 OE...

I got around to calling the number at Exxon/Mobil provided by Carpy. I spoke to a very friendly fellow whos name I'll not post so as not to get him in any hot water (not sure if it would but why take the chance). At first he stated the usual "we can't give out info about formulations", yada...

Some companies are meeting the new GF4/SM specs by blending in GIII base oils and essentially are selling pseudo synthetic blends at dino prices (Mobil DC and Motorcraft). It seems Chevron/Texaco is able to meet GF4 specs using their Isosyn processed GII+ stocks...

The little hinged metal flapper that is in the fuel filler neck is missing. Just noticed it at the fillin' station when I wanted to pour in some Techron. I'm not sure how long it's been missing but it can't be more than 2 weeks or so. Aside from me worrying that the darn thing is sloshing...

What's with the iron?

Today I had the pleasure of participating in an invitational sporting clays shoot held at a nearby estate. The estate is also home to a shooting school for a very famous, English gun outfit of substantial pedigree. As you might imagine, the course, grounds and buildings are incredible. The...

I snapped these pics for another forum and thought there might be a few folks here who'd be interested as well. Tires are Nokian Hakka RSi (supposedly stands for rain, snow, ice) in 205/60-16 with a speed rating designation of "R". These are a brand new model from Nokian so I was unable to find...

Had the Mazda at one of the local Ford dealers this morning where they did a trans flush and fill with new Redline D4. A 12 qt. case worked out perfectly since they used 8.5 qts. for the flush which leaves me a perfect 3.5 qts. for a pan drain and re-fill sometime next year. Didn't notice any...

I think I need to get a life cause I feel like a kid who just made the little league all-star team. Spent the better part of the morning running to and from and chewing the fat with my good pal Whimsey. By the time I got home I had in my posession; a new case of Havoline 5w-20 (last day of...

Anyone know the benefit(s) of using canola oil in winter tire compounds? When I asked about the differences between the new Nokian RSI (rain, snow, ice) and the ol' standard HakkaQ, the use of canola oil in the compound was among the 5-6 differences stated. Other than obvious "green" factors...

Just curious since I'll be adding LC to my Havoline 5w-20. If it raises the flashpoint I'll feel even better about using it, especially during track events.