Hi all...I'm finishing up my Auto RX "rinse" and want to convert the PT Cruiser to a synthetic when done. After reading this forum I wondered where I might find some of this great green elixir. I'd stopped by the AZ's in the local suburbs and only GC Gold or the yellow US label stuff was to be found. For the heck of it I mapped out a bunch of AZ's where I figured people might not be willing to pay $5.00 for a quart of oil and management might not have cleared old stock for new. After only 4 stops (these AZ's are only a few miles apart) I found 12 quarts of 04 vintage (which I bought) and at least 35-40 quarts of 02 (2002) GC! I didn't buy the 2002 stuff due to my concerns about it's age and not sure what the formulation was then. Is this stuff still good? Was the 02 stuff the "right" stuff? (excuse my ignorance but I'm just getting acquainted with the green GC...just as it fades from availability alas...). I'm going to hit a few more locations in search of more and would like some advice as to the 2002 labeled stuff...appreciate any input or advice.
GC from 2002!?
- Thread starter oilmaven
- Start date
- Status
Yes, So long as the M02 has the "Made in Germany" on the back, it is green and good. I have 8 of the M02 in my stash.
Mobil has stated in the past that M1 had a 120 month shelf life (10 yrs). I would guess that GC would have a similar shelf life. My car has M02 in in right now, next month it'll have early M04 in it.
These are inner city stores which might explain why the stuff has been there so long. I'm going to check out a few other stores on the east side tomorrow (is this nuts or what?). Some of the stuff I saw was 020 something and the other was 023 (I think...should have written it down). I wouldn't be surprised if there were quite a bit more in the other stores (you gotta get INTO the city...the stores on the suburb fringes are new stock only). Would it be worth buying 10 qts. of this 02 stuff and try to find some more 04? Conceivably I could probably score 50 qts. or more (this is REALLY nuts!) which would last me quite a while (I have another car...1992 Olds Regency with 98,000 miles...car is in mint condition...not a single speck of rust and the leather is like new...originally owned by a "senior" couple...they and I have taken good care of the car...currently using Schaeffers 10W30 in it w/ LC and FP). I think I need to get out more...
I am running 02 for the next 2 OCIs. I know of some secret stashes too, all inner-city.
I applied a similar strategy in the New Orleans area during the peak of my GC buying frenzy. For whatever reason, my (careful) search of the AZs in places where guys like me don't usually go, usually only produced large, dusty stocks of yellow-label, US-made, pre-GC 0w-30. The 02 stuff is fine, if it is "Made in Germany". Older 0w-30, some of which may be M02 (so be careful), is not what you want. I've had a couple bottles of M02... GC from here and there, but I passed on some in other places, having found it when my stock was already well into the triple-digit range.
I've got a secret stash of 02 GC in my local AZ. It is "stategically placed" behind two bottles of non-GC M01 Syntec 0w30.
Nobody in my 'hood buys GC, except for me on rare occasion. I'll probably purchase my secret stash if & when I run out of oil. It won't break my heart if somebody gets to it before I do, though.
Nobody in my 'hood buys GC, except for me on rare occasion. I'll probably purchase my secret stash if & when I run out of oil. It won't break my heart if somebody gets to it before I do, though.
From my experience, when you're the only person in the AZ store speaking English, the odds of finding GC are pretty good.......
- Status