Used to be able to buy a case of 12 for $.49 each . Usually chevron or Exxon superflow.
Miss those days.
Miss those days.
I sure do miss cheap oil.
- Thread starter Chris142
- Start date
How much did you make an hour at the time?
$13..... Was much more than min wage was lol Looks like min wage was $4.25 in the early 90's
The molecules are much more intelligent now, and all that intelligence comes at a price...
I also used to like Exxon Superflo, but then it disappeared from the market in favor of the Mobil and Mobil1 products.
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- Mar 19, 2022
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Yeah, we get micro-robots in the oil now. For some reason many seem to evaporate and fly out the PCV more than thru did in the $0.49 days....
Miss those nickel cigars, too. (not really)
I worked at an auto parts store here in Canada for a while as a kid in the late 90’s and also remember a quart of brand name conventional was 99 cents. Jugs were $4.69.
We were selling the house brand Flag oil for $.78
+1
I recall buying 5L jugs of M1 for 22-25 back in the mid 00's.
Those same jugs go for at least 50-60 now
Patman
Staff member
+1
I recall buying 5L jugs of M1 for 22-25 back in the mid 00's.
Those same jugs go for at least 50-60 now
You can still get the two pack of jugs of Kirkland Synthetic for $25 each every day at Costco in Canada though, and it goes on sale for $20 a jug a couple of times a year too. And today's Kirkland is better quality than 20 year old M1. And even if you still want to stick with M1, Walmart just had a sale here selling 5qt jugs for $35.
I wasn't around in the early 90's, I'm not aware of late 1900's oil pricing 
I haven't paid more than $2 per qt in over a year, I refuse to at this point
Historical pricing for reference
I do remember turning the age where I went with Dad to AutoZone for consumables
~2007 or so we got our first AZ stores, more convenient than the jobber counter or independent warehouse
5qts of GTX 10w30 and aOCOD Fram Extra Guard was ~$18 OTD 
Quite quaint in hindsight OP, you've got a very good point
I also suspect, much like tires, that todays oils are a better product for the money
I haven't paid more than $2 per qt in over a year, I refuse to at this point
Historical pricing for reference
I do remember turning the age where I went with Dad to AutoZone for consumables
~2007 or so we got our first AZ stores, more convenient than the jobber counter or independent warehouse
5qts of GTX 10w30 and a
Quite quaint in hindsight OP, you've got a very good point
I also suspect, much like tires, that todays oils are a better product for the money
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I don’t think we say OCOD any more.I wasn't around in the early 90's, I'm not aware of late 1900's oil pricing
I haven't paid more than $2 per qt in over a year, I refuse to at this point
Historical pricing for reference
I do remember turning the age where I went with Dad to AutoZone for consumables
~2007 or so we got our first AZ stores, more convenient than the jobber counter or independent warehouse
5qts of GTX 10w30 and a OCOD was ~$18 OTD
Quite quaint in hindsight OP, you've got a very good point
I also suspect, much like tires, that todays oils are a better product for the money
From my perspective, having used mostly M1 from the early/mid-90s forward, the price has gone up, but not by much.
IIRC, back then, $3-4/qt on sale was a good deal. Today, $5/qt in jug form from WM on rollback is not hard to get. They'll even deliver it to your door. And if you get lucky with a price mistake, like on those 3-jug packs they've sold for 1-jug pricing, it's even less.
What I think has happened is as "conventional" oils have improved, and closed the performance gap with synthetics, the price gap has also closed to meet those better metrics.
Can't find a $1/qt cheap conventional now, but still not hard to find a $4-5/qt synthetic, at least at WM.
That's provided one is willing to do a little shopping, and not pay shelf prices, especially at an auto parts chain.
Are Canuck M1 jugs now 5 qts? Weren't they 5 ltr in the past?
IIRC, back then, $3-4/qt on sale was a good deal. Today, $5/qt in jug form from WM on rollback is not hard to get. They'll even deliver it to your door. And if you get lucky with a price mistake, like on those 3-jug packs they've sold for 1-jug pricing, it's even less.
What I think has happened is as "conventional" oils have improved, and closed the performance gap with synthetics, the price gap has also closed to meet those better metrics.
Can't find a $1/qt cheap conventional now, but still not hard to find a $4-5/qt synthetic, at least at WM.
That's provided one is willing to do a little shopping, and not pay shelf prices, especially at an auto parts chain.
Are Canuck M1 jugs now 5 qts? Weren't they 5 ltr in the past?
When I discovered BITOG in the early '00's, I was buying oil after rebate for .49c-.69c/qt.
There were even double rebates going on at that time from the oil co. & the parts store that I purchased from.
Often allowing me to profit a $mall amount when all was said & done. For example:
____________________________________________________________________________
*The parts store would put the oil on sale by lowering the price
*Then they would offer a store mail-in rebate
*And the oil co. would also offer a rebate as well
There were even double rebates going on at that time from the oil co. & the parts store that I purchased from.
Often allowing me to profit a $mall amount when all was said & done. For example:
____________________________________________________________________________
*The parts store would put the oil on sale by lowering the price
*Then they would offer a store mail-in rebate
*And the oil co. would also offer a rebate as well
When I started DIY in the late 90s the 12 packs of quart bottles were where it's at. They had 5 qt jugs but they weren't as prevalent. I got lots of Superflo and Havoline for 69 cents after rebate from Ames or Rite-Aid, now both out of business in my area, LOL.
5 quarts of M1 "Tri-Synthetic" at WM ranged from $15-20. Now I can get it for $22-28 while my salary has tripled to quadrupled.
Tires are cheaper now than they ever were, adjusted for inflation. But a lot of cars take "better" stupid low profile oversized ones. A 195/65r15 for example has never been cheaper.
5 quarts of M1 "Tri-Synthetic" at WM ranged from $15-20. Now I can get it for $22-28 while my salary has tripled to quadrupled.
Tires are cheaper now than they ever were, adjusted for inflation. But a lot of cars take "better" stupid low profile oversized ones. A 195/65r15 for example has never been cheaper.
People always forget that side of it.....
Patman
Staff member
M1 used to be sold in 5L jugs but a few years ago they switched it to 5 qts instead. Pennzoil and Castrol still sell it in 5L jugs here though.
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