Many elves spotted

[spool32]

I've mentioned this before but i'm pretty **** new to this forum and read all through this GC part of the forum. I dont have the LOT numbers memorized but I was in AutoZone earlier getting cleaning supplies to wash my car and decided to check the oil racks... Allll the way on the top shelf (i'm 6'1" and had to make an effort to reach) were some GC bottles. I knew it was GC cause it said made in Germany on the back and it was 0-30.. anyhoo i bought a quart for kicks and got home and popped the cap off and sure as ****.. green stuff inside!

 

[spool32]

I didnt check the receipt if it was on sale or not.. hmm.. I think i'm going to see if i can get 12 cases. My Acura TL uses 4.5 qt per change so I think i'll need about 75 quarts to bring it out to 140-150k miles. I have a quest

 

[AndyH]

If you do buy 12 cases of Syntec, purchase them in batches so you can get an AutoZone Rewards card punched with each $20 purchase. After five punches you can get a $20 credit for future AutoZone purchases.

 

[AndyH]

Nice...welcome to the GC club! Just picked up 10 quarts (enough for 2 oil changes on my STi) at my local AutoZone (wanted to get in on the $3.99 sale price before the sale ends). They've been out of "green" GC for quite some time, so I purchased 10 quarts of the "gold" GC. I have faith that it will treat my STi well. This brings my GC stash up to 40 quarts (30 green & 10 gold).

 

[AndyH]

 

[Captain Howdy]

I went to one of the local Autozones today and found 1 quart of GC. I asked the salesperson if they had anymore German Castrol and he looked at me like....well you know. I swear every time I go into Autozone I hear banjos.

 

[spool32]

Doh, i missed out on the rewards card. Good suggestion though. I wonder if since I bought a pile yesterday that they might still honor it. I saved all the receipts. Howdy: I completely know what you mean. I went to 7 different stores and I got so familiar with them that I knew where to look. I remember one store where I asked the cashier, she yelled over to the manager.. "Hey we got anymore of dese?" I dont think he even looked up before saying "No". First AZ I went to I asked the guy if they had cases and if so how many. He asked me how many I need and grinned when I told him 12. Unfortunately they only had the singles on the shelf. Thats pretty much how the story went at all the stores I checked. Towards the end of my search, I just kind of starting walking in the back room and perusing for cases of elves unescorted. If there was anyone back there, I would present the question and assist in the search. I was unable to find one boxed case at all 7 stores. Count at the end of today was 87 quarts. I found some older bottles too in the back of the line, but it was still green. I really had a fun time searching for them. Many people asked me when I had a couple good pulls of 20 or 30 quarts in one store, "man what you need all that oil for?" There was even a young female store clerk named Rachael that started to flirt with me. After letting her know the stature of GC, she told me she drove a german car and thought maybe she should switch to GC. Figuring she didnt get paid a ton of $ as a cashier, I ruled out Mercedes, Audi and BMW.. Replied "Volkswagen?" I also let her know that I cleaned her store out of their entire 20 quart stock of GC and she seemed hurt.. but oh well. Maybe I'll go back to that store for filters soon Was a fun day though. Many people thought I was a complete freak. Including my neighbor.. "wait.. you bought how much?" I also told my friends later at a party, which by the way another girl was listening and also became intrigued and invited me to go with her to the store to pick something up. Not only does GC protect your engine, it impresses all the girls!

 

[blupupher]

quote:

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Originally posted by spool32: Doh, i missed out on the rewards card. Good suggestion though. I wonder if since I bought a pile yesterday that they might still honor it. I saved all the receipts. ...

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Yes, they will, but only once per reciept.

 

[SWHeat]

Well I guess that saves me from doing a Phoenix "run." I had some time in September. Oh well. I started looking in August. My personal business took me and will take me to San Diego until the end of the year. No real reason to go to Phoenix now. There is one store in the San Diego area that still has a few quarts left that had 30 when I arrived. (no, I will not tell). I left most of the leaky ones. hehe. They guys in the AZ stores there knew about GC. I got a case from the "back" once as the guy said he just found it and it was all they had left. I was/am doing the rewards card thing (have two of them now) and could have cashed in on a couple more cards, but when I hit a big stash sometimes I couldn't help myself. I fly to Alabama frequently. There are quarts there, but I can't take them back on the plane (flammable). So now I have a small stash at a friends house. If he only knew what he had in his garage! I will be moving to Alabama someday, so until then.... I'm have about 2000 miles on my first run with this oil. I drive a 2000 Prizm (Toyota 1ZZFE engine). Actually I have two of them, but will be selling one prior to moving to Alabama. My gas milage has increased with this oil. I think the M1 was thinning out of 30wt range quickly here in the Summer heat and the VVT-ti was not working as it should. The previous Summer I had better gas milage, but I was running 10W-30. This past summer I was running 5W-30 which had some consumption (for the first time with this engine). No consuption at all thus far with the GC. Also, temps have finally fallen below the 100F range the past two weeks which has been nice. This engine really likes this oil and that is all she is going to see from now on. The "newer" of the two is almost done with the rinse phase of the Auto-RX treatment. Then GC will be used.

 

[vad]

quote:

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Originally posted by SWHeat: There is one store in the San Diego area that still has a few quarts left that had 30 when I arrived. (no, I will not tell).

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San Diego is full of AutoZones. A couple of months ago during my search the most of the bigger stores I visited were still have some Green on the shelves.

quote:

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Originally posted by SWHeat: I fly to Alabama frequently. There are quarts there, but I can't take them back on the plane (flammable).

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Are you sure? I'm going on a trip abroad and was planning to take a case of the Green with me. Castrol SLX is super expensive outside of North America.

 

[SWHeat]

VAD I called the airline to make sure and that is what they told me. I didn't want to get to the check in line or the security line and have it be pulled. I bought five quarts (another punch towards another reward card) and thought about just putting it in my carryon bag. I just didn't want the hassle of losing it if they screened it and said no way. So, it sits in AL waiting for me. Most of the AutoZones in San Diego are micro ones from their merger with Chief Auto Parts. The Chief stores were small. I learned very quickly that they didn't stock the 0W-30. So, that eliminates about 3/4 of the stores in the area. Only the larger ones carry it. So, I then called first to find out what size store they were before hunting them down. I wasted about an hour before my flight before I realized this fact. I just drove right past a couple because I knew it just wasn't there given the size of the store and floor layout as seen through the windows. The micro ones were all layed out the same.

 

[vad]

I'm gonna call my airline... BTW, here's a letter from Blackstone Lab: "Dear Sir or Madam: The product being sent in our oil sample container is new or used lubricating oil. It is not hazardous, flammable, or toxic. The average flashpoint of used engine oil is 380F. Used transmission fluid or lube oil has an average flashpoint of 340F. The minimum flashpoint for all oils we receive is 250F. The postal regulations for Hazardous Material (DMM Issue 56 C023.4.3) indicate that: "For air or surface transportation without restriction, if the flashpoint is above 200F (93C). Mailable combustible liquids must be properly and securely packaged to prevent leakage.""

 

[vad]

Well, Transportation Security Administration doesn't allow motor oil on board. Bummer...

 

[SWHeat]

Agreed. Not cool. I thought about mailing it to myself via UPS. However, since I will be there eventually, it was not worth it.

 

[Big Fred]

Where can I find some in the Woodbridge/Northern VA area?

 

[SWHeat]

CG is only sold at AutoZones in the USA. Check out AutoZone dot com for a location near you. The "green" GC is almost gone. Production stopped in Jan 2005. However, the "gold" GC is now available and is supposed to be as good. Good Luck.

 

[spool32]

Theres still plenty left, I only went to 7 stores, every one i went to had some. The least I found was 4 and most was 30. Theres probably 50 more stores in the phoenix area to hit

 

[SWHeat]

quote:

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Originally posted by spool32: Theres still plenty left, I only went to 7 stores, every one i went to had some. The least I found was 4 and most was 30. Theres probably 50 more stores in the phoenix area to hit

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Shhhhhhhh..... I can see the GC fanatic mind working.... Honey, lets go to Scottsdate, AZ for a Winter retreat this Fall.... hehehe

 

[SWHeat]

Oh yeah, we can't fly down...we will have to make a road trip out of it!

 

[AndyH]

quote:

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Originally posted by spool32: Theres still plenty left, I only went to 7 stores, every one i went to had some. The least I found was 4 and most was 30. Theres probably 50 more stores in the phoenix area to hit

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I think it has a lot to do with the area of the country you live in, as here in the cooler Mid-Atlantic area the green GC supply seems to have dried up (at least in the handful of AutoZone stores that I've visited). If you live in the warmer areas of the U.S. you may find a larger supply of green GC as non-oil-educated folks probably think a 0W-30 oil is too "thin" to work in their climate.