I'd like to say that Castrol GTX & oil filter fo $10.99 on sale at Pep Boys right now FYI (saw a commercial today).
And I am also a self-taught "shade tree" mechanic (meaning I have done stuff as hard as pulling my tranny, etc.), but I have no formal training and have never done it as an official job but I was in parts & service in jobs so I have been around the auto repair thing plenty.
And Steve I too am a self-taught computer guy and it is true that many who hold certs are paper MCSE's, etc...funny that I work in computer industry but do have an ASE auto A/C cert & never been a mechanic LOL.