If you knew then ..what you know now ......

[mechtech]

I used to use 20-50 in all my cars.
I gave up gas mileage, power, and start up flow.
I also trashed one starter in a Chicago mid winter morning, because of this.

 

[ikeepmychevytoo]

I wouldn't reject SH and SJ oils stopping at every store for several days because the dipstick says "use only SF oil".

 

[UncleS2]

*OK, I'll confess- wouldn't have used Slick 50 that one time in the Taurus, ~1994-5.

*Wouldn't have used any Fram oil filters. I'll admit that their air filters look pretty good to me.
*First few years on the Neon, woulda either used a good dino, *or* a *real* synthetic or synthetic blend.
*Would somehow have "discovered" BobZoil(Schaeffer) much sooner than I did, & used it from the first oil change(~1300 miles) in the Neon.
*Would have changed oil myself on the Neon from the beginning, & avoided the strpped threads in the aluminum oil pan.
*Would have run oil way past 3K much sooner.

 

[castor]

would have run diesel oil in everything instead of "fancy labels"

 

[9296D21B14]

What castor said.

 

[biscuitboy]

Wayne: the engine seized prematurely at 100K-clogged oil passages. I did not have a tear-down done but it had to be the PTFE in the filter. These engines do not just crap out like that, and it got regular 3K oil changes and was well-maintained.

quote:

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Originally posted by wavinwayne:

quote:

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Originally posted by biscuitboy:
Not exactly Slick 50, but close enough. I would never have used a Fram DoubleGard (with PTFE) on a 93 Accord. Very expensive lesson

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Are you saying the Fram filter actually caused damage to your Honda?

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[Auto-Union]

quote:

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Stuart Hughes Member # 2

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[UncleS2]

AU, don't get carried away!

My membership # is strictly an accident of timing. Bob was just getting the new format site up & going. I happened to check it late one night & clicked the "register" button- and *presto*, instantly became member #2.

I've never claimed any special knowledge or expertise, just a guy who has changed his own oil, off & on, since ~1967- and never believed that *all* motor oils were the same.

Now member #1, he's a different story.

 

[MarkC]

"I don't like the cloacal exhaust pipe on the Boxter....very unappealing."

That's the first time since college that I've heard or seen anyone other then myself use the word "cloacal"!


Makes me think of that Toby Keith song "I wish I didn't know what I didn't know then..."

Didn't Bob Seeger beat him to it by a decade or two?

I would've buried those dinosaurs deeper...

 

[Matt89]

The good thing about "cloacal" is that you can use it in almost any sentence. People nod their heads and kind of half-laugh even though they only vaguely recall that it's a scientific term, never mind its TRUE nature.

Then later on they go look it up and 'gotcha'!

 

[Minou]

-Wouldn't have used Fram (or relatives) oil filters.

-Would have started to use use 5W and 0W oil earlier instead of 10W.

-Would have taken spanish in high school, so I would now be at (almost) 3 tongues.

 

[Tornado Red]

-Would have changed the timing chain on my '85 Saab Turbo, when my excellent mechanic recommended it, before I moved 2000 miles away...

-When it broke, I would have replaced it with a 16-valve engine, instead of rebuilding the 8-valve...

-I would have learned about turbo diesels earlier. And would have started collecting MB 300 TDs in mint condition, before the fuel price increases and the WVO rage.

 

[BrianWC]

Oh man. That is a dilemma. Ya stayed with the gutless 8.

I too have noticed that my eBay fantasy of a nice MB TD wagon has been ruined by WVO.

 

[UncleS2]

WVO??

 

[ToyotaNSaturn]

I would have never gotten rid of my 1991 Saturn.

And I wouldn't have done a whole list of things that I dare not list here in a public forum...

 

[Gary Allan]

Waste Veg. Oil

 

[BrianWC]

quote:

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Originally posted by Stuart Hughes:
WVO??

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http://www.google.com/search?q=grea...ient=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official

 

[addyguy]

Would have never bought my 1985 Buick Skyhawk.

Would not have sold my 1991 Toyota SR5 coupe. When I did sell it, I would have bought my mom's 1994 Ford Tempo to use, instead of the 1993 Mazda 323 I did buy. It was reliable, but uncomfortable to drive - total base model! And more expensive.

Would have gone into a trade, and not be making less than trades people by sitting in an office, after 5+ years of a liberal arts degree...

Don't get me started on the great deals I could have gotten on muscle cars I have seen over the years, some of which are worth 10 times what I could have paid for them back then!

 

[Benzadmiral]

Should never have trusted Wife No. 2.

Oh, wait. We're talking about cars, right? Well then:

Should never have traded my handsome and reliable '94 Olds Cutlass coupe to get into a Mercedes . . . at least until I'd paid for said Olds and had driven it a couple years beyond that.

Should never have gotten the 280CE coupe, fun as it often was to drive. Should have gone straight into either an older S-class sedan or a modern C-class; I'd have saved a lot of money and trips to the shop.

And aside from cars:

A) See sentence no. 1, above.

B) On both occasions (1991 and 2000) when I was dating two women simultaneously, I should have gone for the relationship with the one I *didn't* pick.

-- Paul W.

 

[CBDFrontier06]

I guess I should have prayed for better luck before I wrecked my Talon TSI AWD twice in one year...neither being my fault. Sold it after the 2nd wreck to get rid of the hex.

Should have replaced the timing belt, clutch and brakes on my 93 Sundance 3.0 instead of trading it on a 1997 Ranger....I'm STILL kicking myself for getting rid of such a great car.

Should have read about Slick 50 on the internet before wasting money buying it.

Shoudn't have bought and sold so many cars (14) in the last 20 years.