oil stashes - something new?

[addyguy]

A lot of people on here have oil stashes, ranging from modest to ridiculous. For people who do this, is this something new you are doing, or have you always had a stash of cheap motor oil to do your own changes, top-ups, etc..? I would think that for a lot of people, it would be a newer thing, as engine oil seems to be much easier to shop for and buy than it used to be...being availiable at every type of store you can imagine. From what I can gather, in the past it was only avaliable at gas stations, and even then, how much oil would a small gas station have in the 1960's or 1970's? How could someone develop a stash, unless they cleared out a few stations?

 

[surfstar]

I started at the end of last year when some awesome BITOGers hooked me up with extra Buy3Get3Free M1 coupons from Pep Boys. I picked up 3 cases I think. Then picked up 3 cases of Penz Platinum when it was less than $.50/qt after rebates and 15 qts of Maxlife for Free-whenever-I-get-my-rebate. Its a big enough stash to last a year or so for the three cars it will be used on. I also stocked up on filters. Last year Bosche were FAR at Autozone, plus some Purolator PP for cheap after rebate. I never intended to have a "stash", it just happened. But its nice to not have to stop by the store and buy oil and filters before an oil change.

 

[Ray H]

I "stashed" last August when I chanced on TropArtic at Dollar Tree. This was before there was even so much as a hint that the aftermath of Katrina and the Iranians' whacko plan to go into the atom bomb business would ultimately prove that, for once in my life, I actually made something approaching an intelligent decision.

 

[ziggy]

i started to stash too, recently, as to take advantage of limited sales, adn have my own collection going. i mostly have oil filters, but as for oil, i try not too stash up too much... at least when i get my oil, its fresh. only oils i try to stach up on, are hard to find ones, like kendall 5w30, the local walmart near me, is always sold out, of supertech 5 w 30 dino, always.

 

[hominid7]

The stashes that run into the several hundreds are kinda over-kill, but to me it certainly makes sense to buy when it's on sale. My "stash" consists of 1 case i bought last night of TropArtic + 1/2 qt of Motorcraft + 3 filters. I've never owned more than 2 cases at a time, and that was prior to my time in BITOG. Explainging a large stash would likely be easier than trying to explain to friends and family what BITOG is and how i manage to spend about an hour a day on here:)

 

[Bill in Utah]

quote:

---

Originally posted by hominid7: The stashes that run into the several hundreds are kinda over-kill

---

With 5-6 cars that I change oil for, your 2 cases would be gone pretty quick! (just two of the trucks I change oil is a case each time!) Since the cost of oil is going up, I'm set for a few years with name brand oil for less than a dollar a quart... Then I'll have to suck it up and spend more $$ for oil.. And to answer the question, I have always had atleast 100-200 quarts in the stash. Been this way for many many years. Much easier to have the oil and filters on hand and ALWAYS cheaper! There is a reason for the large stashes! Take care, Bill

 

[Oldmoparguy1]

I've had an oil stash since before I could drive. We had a family business, trucks, tractors, cars, a crane. There was always 2 or 3 barrels of bulk oil around. Usually Gulf Pride, sometimes Shaffers. After the business closed, I had to drive 35 miles to an autoparts store so always bought 2 or 3 cases. It just wouldn't feel right if I didn't have enough oil for at least 3 or 4 changes.

 

[01rangerxl]

Oil was available at stores like K-Mart back in the '70s according to my dad. He says he bought lots of Havoline and Quaker State there. He isn't much of a stasher, but he did have to maintain multiple vehicles back then, so buying as many as 10-15 quarts in one trip would not have been unusual.

 

[BrianWC]

Oil's been in many places as long as I can remember. Sure, most people bought it off the rack at the gas station back in the day, but I can remember my family's little general store stocking cans of Quaker State. My dad always kept QS with him because his cars always seemed to burn oil. I started my own stashing when I was nursing my wife's eclipse along on Pennzoil HM while I feed my Saab M1. I'd have leftovers of each and stash them until I could use them up. Usually only amounted to 4-5 qts of oil, though. Post Katrina I started stashing in earnest.

 

[sprintman]

Started a stash last week. Found a case of 4 jugs of the obsolete Havoline Energy 5W30. Great technology not used in their current oil line-up. hope to find some more for long term use in our Outback.

 

[toocrazy2yoo]

Bump [ May 12, 2006, 05:19 AM: Message edited by: toocrazy2yoo ]

 

[RogerKlugerAus05]

Sprintman Can I ask how much you payed for the Havoline 5W-30? This is the oil I would have used by choice in my Toyota and Hyundai but now have several jugs of M 1 10W-30 bought on offer at Repco. I have 2 years supply of Mobil 1 and then, hopefully, there will be more choice here in Australia of 5W-30 or even 5W-20. Roger

 

[TallPaul]

I started driving in 1974 and always did my own oil changes. I never bought oil at a gas station. I don't remember if I bought it at Kmart, but Sears and Wards (remember them?) sold oil and I would buy it at a drug store that also sold auto parts. I recall cases of oil stacked in the aisleway.

 

[Zaedock]

I have 370+ quarts now, but I have many vehicles and equipment to maintain. I've been stashing oil for years, way before signing into this forum (although, this forum has made me much more edu-macated on oil). Alot of my oil stash was purchased for < $1/qt. Some is even SM GTX, Havoline, and various syn blends. The rest is Chevron Delo400 SAE30 and 15W40 I picked up for $.99 a gallon. I feel lucky to have found that deal.

 

[BrianWC]

This thread caused me to do an inventory last night. I have 110 quarts plus about 30 quarts of various additives plus gear and 2 cycle oils.

 

[Kestas]

TallPaul, it sounds like we're about the same age and grew up in the same environment. I used to get my oil from either K-Mart, Sears, M-Ward, or the best deals were Merchandise Mart... remember them? I started stashing in the early 80's, when it seems that every manufacturer started coming out with rebate offers. Some of these offers were too good to refuse. I don't think I paid any more than 69¢ per quart through the 80's and most of the 90's. Some deals were as low as 29¢ per quart. I never passed up a deal and acquired a huge stash which is since gone. Hastings air and oil filters were only $1 each after rebate..... sigh!..... I miss those times.

 

[TallPaul]

Merchandise Mart rings a bell. Going remember Naums, Yankee department store, Corvettes department store (not that any of these sold oil). Oh and the drug store/ auto parts store was Perry Drug. And I recall going to Murrays way back in the 70s. Never was a stasher until last years AZ clearances came along.

 

[Gary Allan]

I can't pass up cheap oil. Still I don't have too big a stash. About one or two changes per vehicle ahead of schedule. Since there's 6 cars in the extended fleet (all taking like filters)and one doing 50 mpd commutes and one doing 80 mpd commutes, you're never far from either a time or mileage OCI. Even at 6 months each, you're looking at close to 60 or 70 quarts/year. Two 4.0 jeeps = 24qts/year 2.5 jeep = 8quart/year Taurus = 10-12 quart a year Neon - up to 20 quarts a year (probably 3-4 month OCIs plus consumption) Caravan - 10 quarts a year I don't think that I have that much oil in inventory.

 

[sprintman]

RKAus05 I pade $120 for four five litre jugs which is d@mn cheap. Monday I'm going back to buy the remaing box of four jugs. To good an opportunity to pass up. Had a long chat with the operations manager at the distributor. He just can't believe they dropped this oil after all the technology that went into it not to mention the multi-million dollar marketing campagn. Strange company Caltex.

 

[RogerKlugerAus05]

Sprintman Wow you have done a good deal! I agree with the ops manager I cannot understand why they dropped the oil. I did e-mail Caltex to ask where I could buy the 5W-30 as it was listed on their web site months ago and they replied saying the oil was formulated for use in Falcons and Commodores but that Ford and Holden changed the oil spec for those cars thus that formulation was discontinued. Srange old world. Roger