Engine builders using Fram filters

Spackler · Jan 20, 2005

Cable networks like Discovery Channel, TLC, and Speed often have programs that feature car and engine builders. I'm talking about shows like Rides, Overhaulin', American Hot Rod, Dream Car Garage, etc.

Very often, when they are seen building a motor, you can see them spin on the familiar orange Fram oil filter, which has been trashed pretty regularly on this board. When these guys are building high-power, high-dollar motors with some of the best components available, they could conceivably use any filter on the market. Why are they so often seen using Fram? Do they know something we don't? Or do we think we know something that they don't?

T-Keith · Jan 20, 2005

First off, not a lot of products you see on TV are by accident anymore. Most of these car "renovation" shows receive almost everything for free from sponsors.

Secondly I doubt most of them know anything about filters. You can look at the cut away frams, do you see ANY reason you would choose them over a similarly priced filter?

-T

Morcos · Jan 20, 2005

its advertisement. thats why fram is still strongest on the market. because they trick people into thinking they are great filters, and that u dont need to buy and oil filter wrench because of the grip. just read the box of the fram filter, its so misleading... i was a victim once. but only on 3 oil changes... most of us here were vicitimized.

if ur still in doubt, cuz open the fram, and ANY other filter on the market. u will see that the fram has cardboard holding it together.

plus here in canada, we dont have a good filter selection. we got the frams at 4$ and a purolator (max life) at 8$. so people who dont know the diff, wont pay double... cant blame them. for good filters i gotta go to napa, car quest or whenever i go on a trip to the US.

crossbow · Jan 20, 2005

Local ferrari dealer puts fram's on 150k+ cars. People just don't know any better. Marketing/propaganda is an all powerful force, which defeats even the most sound minds.

Quickly solved by a few seconds and links at bob's.

ruking77 · Jan 20, 2005

Well you can look at this in many ways but consider this. For these builders and customers who for discussion sake can pay almost any custom price, can in effect afford preoilers (400) and bypass oil filters (150) for app 600 dollars, after market. Yet as more than one person has noted, they do not!?

Gary Allan · Jan 21, 2005

quote:

People just don't know any better. Marketing/propaganda is an all powerful force, which defeats even the most sound minds.

Many motorheads ..even accomplished ones ..don't have a clue about oil filters. It's not part of their interests. Many are refreshing engines every two or three years (weekend seasonal bracket racers) ..and don't think about it much.

My engine builder's nephew, a real smart and talented young man crammed a crate 302 into a MG body .... built some guy a real screamer ..it had a Fram on the remote mount.

labman · Jan 21, 2005

I wonder if you took a survey how the general public would rate Fram compared to the fine OEM filters and decent traditional brands such as Purolator and Hastings?

opus1 · Jan 21, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by Spackler:
Cable networks like Discovery Channel, TLC, and Speed often have programs that feature car and engine builders. I'm talking about shows like Rides, Overhaulin', American Hot Rod, Dream Car Garage, etc.

Very often, when they are seen building a motor, you can see them spin on the familiar orange Fram oil filter, which has been trashed pretty regularly on this board. When these guys are building high-power, high-dollar motors with some of the best components available, they could conceivably use any filter on the market. Why are they so often seen using Fram? Do they know something we don't? Or do we think we know something that they don't?

Old habits are hard to break.

Why do people smoke when they know it's bad for them? Why do people eat junk food when they know it'll make them fat?

Same thing here. Then throw in endorsement $$$ on top of it.

Ugly3 · Jan 21, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by T-Keith:
First off, not a lot of products you see on TV are by accident anymore. Most of these car "renovation" shows receive almost everything for free from sponsors.

Secondly I doubt most of them know anything about filters. You can look at the cut away frams, do you see ANY reason you would choose them over a similarly priced filter?

-T

I think you got it about right.

99 · Jan 25, 2005

The latest issue of Car Craft has a couple of engine buildups in it and the pics show Pure One and K&N filters. No orange in sight this month!

Fram probably pays for their filters to "show up" on those shows. Like someone mentioned, all the products on those shows are giveaways. Any high performance engine builder that knows better wouldn't run a Fram.

Today on Two Guy's Garage, Sam put a Purolator Premium Plus (good choice) on the 383 crate engine they are installing. And his partner even prefilled it. These guys are genuine mechanics-the guys on TLC/Discovery aside from Foose are wannabes in my opinion.

[ January 25, 2005, 08:49 PM: Message edited by: 99 ]

Spackler · Jan 25, 2005

Just tonight on Overhaulin', they dropped a brand new Edelbrock motor into a '70 Camaro. It had a Fram on it. It was visible for maybe 1/3 second. Certainly not a paid placement.

Product placements are easy to spot. They normally show the logo and/or mention the brand. If you weren't looking for it, you wouldn't have noticed the Fram filter, but it was there just the same.

T-Keith · Jan 25, 2005

Haven't you seen Monster Garage. They often mention donated parts from different companies, but they never go into detail or even show them. Just because it didn't a lot of airtime, doesn't mean it wasn't donated to them. Think about it, how much airtime does a $3 filter get you? They probably donated an entire selection of filter to the show so they never have to buy any.

-T

T-Keith · Jan 28, 2005

You should have said something. Someone I worked with once said that he uses only the "good" $5 Fram filter. Another guy and I both quickly told him he was wasting his money. He replied, "really, I thought it was good". Yep he was buying on price and advertising.

wavinwayne · Jan 29, 2005

Has anybody looked at the credits at the end of these shows? I wonder if Fram is in the credits on "Monster Garage" & "Overhaulin"?

FWIW, didn't the recent oil filter study show that Fram "Tough Guard" oil filters were decent?

sgtgeek · Jan 29, 2005

I was in AutoZone the other day getting a few things....kid walks in and goes to the oil....he comes back with 5 quarts of Pennzoil 5-30 and a Fram filter....guy starts ringing him up and the kid sez...only the best for my baby....and the guy at the counter agreed with him!
It took all my personal powers to KEEP MY BIG MOUTH SHUT.
Outside he gets in a fairly new Honda Accord 2002-2003...poor thang....

GT Mike · Jan 30, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by labman:
I wonder if you took a survey how the general public would rate Fram compared to the fine OEM filters and decent traditional brands such as Purolator and Hastings?

Consumer Reports (read: the general public) rated Fram #1 a couple years ago against many popular brands that would have easily outperformed it on every level. That's just one more reason I didn't renew my subscription. Ever notice the products they rate the highest also have the largest advertising budget? Unbiased not-for-profit testing my hind end!

T-Keith · Jan 30, 2005

That's the problem with consumer reports. They get their info from non-experts, ie consumers. What's the biggest influence on what consumers think? Advertising.

Spackler · Jan 31, 2005

Consumer Reports has a testing lab and buys and tests products. They don't rely on consumers for their ratings. The only information they get from consumers is reliability information of various brands, ie; which brand of television is most/least reliable based on frequency of repair.

Jelly · Jan 31, 2005

quote:

Originally posted by GT Mike:
Consumer Reports (read: the general public) rated Fram #1 a couple years ago

Could you please be a little more specific as to when this report was done?

I have access to Consumer Reports articles from 01/01/1984 to present with full text on articles from 01/01/1991 to present and the only thing I can find that comes close to what you describe is this:

Title: Motor oil and your car's oil system. (cover story)
Source: Consumer Reports; Feb1987, Vol. 52 Issue 2, p88, 22p, 6 charts, 40 graphs
Abstract: Review of 35 motor oils, oil filters, oil filter wrenches, batteries, tire pressure gauges. A do-it-yourself guide to reading an oil container, understanding oil additives & used engine oil, oil & filter change and cranking power.

Ugly3 · Jan 31, 2005

GT Mike - Consumer Reports (read: the general public) rated Fram #1 a couple years ago against many popular brands that would have easily outperformed it on every level.

The only report I have ever seen was from the late 80's or early 90's and was based on lab tests of several filters. Fram has made many changes since then.

Engine builders using Fram filters

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