Oldest unopened oil in your stash?

[ProbeGT]

From left to right:

Castrol Edge 5w30 API SM/CF, dated L1012C1 (is it 3/2011?)
Quaker State Ultimate Durability 0W-20 API SM, date unknown, possibly oldest
Valvoline NextGen API SN/SM, dated 6521214 H1 (is it 8/2011?)

All my cars call for 5w30. Found the 0W-20 many many years ago at a dollar store, not many cars called for it back then and I guess there was a surplus. I thought that maybe one day I'd buy a new car that could use it. Didn't happen. I think I will mix the 0W-20 with some 10W-40 and run it in my Jaguar. 1/1 or 2/3 ratio? The Jag calls for a heavier 5w30.

 

[Owen Lucas]

That's not my experience on either point. I'm a "hoarder" and got all this for basically free (and the Carquest fluids were 100% free), all the WM stuff was about 10cent/qt, and now I'm up probably a grand on top of it having sold less than 5% of it. Already paid for every drop of oil I've ever purchased in my life, and will ever need for the rest of my days. I'll sell 95% of it, make a nice return, and have enough oil to last until I'm elderly.

Motor oil will last probably 20 years easily if stored correctly. Maybe 30. But cars requirements probably change by then. And I'll be at the end of my life anyway so it won't matter.

Before this big score I was using up SJ rated motor oil in my recent few oil changes to use it up. The SJ was implemented in 1997 and surpassed in 2001. So the oil I used this summer was over 20 years old, and looked and performed just fine. Of the 20-25 qts. I used, I poured each out into a clear jug before use to inspect for any visual separation or contamination. I had to throw 1 out for water contamination. That represents a 5% failure in a 20 year storage situation. I never had a single one leak in storage either. So, not bad, not bad at all.
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That is an insane amount of oil to hoard, kudos. Seriously though, do you own a mechanics shop?

 

[ProbeGT]

That is an insane amount of oil to hoard, kudos. Seriously though, do you own a mechanics shop?

It's not insane at all, it's actually rational economic behavior. Stock up in times of plenty, use/sell during a shortage and protect yourself from inflation. I would have done the same if I had the storage capacity. I, too, took advantage of many rebate offers in years past and accumulated a stockpile (~20 gal) at rock bottom cost. If there ever is an oil crisis I will consider selling some for the right price. If not, I will slowly use it all. Either way I won't have to pay for motor oil ever again. I will only buy more when it is free or nearly free (after rebate).

 

[Accent Abuser]

I have some old Valvoline SN 20w-50. No idea exactly how old it is but my guess is at least 5 years old. I doubt sealed oil will go bad, even 70 year old Quaker State looked about as good as you'd expect in a VOA on project farm.

 

[ARCOgraphite]

I had one quart of unopened 10W30 Quaker State red bottle HM with Slick 50. That was good oil for my ODPE.
I think I used it in my old Snow blower before I traded it in. Now I just have a few bottle and jugs of "leftovers" with a few oz in them for top off - or maybe a "Springime flush" of the push mower or snow blower.

 

[Brons2]

Yeah that SJ motor oil is quite a valuable asset in the barter economy some people are imagining. Let’s see, J, K, L, M, N, N+, P. Only six classifications behind the curve. Maybe they can use it to lube bicycle chains when we’re all riding bikes, after the big one.

Motor oil is terrible for lubricating bicycle chains, if you are a serious cyclist. It picks up way too much dirt. You need a much lighter oil for a bicycle chain. I personally use dry lube, which is a wax and teflon lube in an extremely light carrier fluid. The goal is to get it between the links where the frictional wear occurs. This lube runs very clean and my chains last a long time, but it must be reapplied frequently, which is ok with me.

If you're just taking laps around the neighborhood twice a month, motor oil is probably fine.

And to answer the original question, the oldest oil in my stash is now from 2015ish. I recently used the 2010 era MC5000 5w20 SM, mixed 3 quarts of it with 4 quarts of WM closeout Quaker State High Mileage 10w40 SN Plus. Worked fine in my app that calls for 5w20, but that I use 10w30 in normally. It actually ran quieter than the current mix, which is 5 quarts of the 2015 era 10w30 Chevron ProDS FS, 1 quart of Miles Syn 5w30, and 1 quart of Castrol GTX Classic 20w50.

 

[Lubener]

Oldest in my stash is an unopened quart size blue "can" of Kendall 20 or 30 weight non detergent, I don't remember which.. Service SA. I also have an opened can of Kendall 20 non detergent which I have used in my compressor.

 

[CharlesInCharge]

That is an insane amount of oil to hoard, kudos. Seriously though, do you own a mechanics shop?

Crazy like a fox! lol. Nothing insane, and completely rational. What is "insane" is our JIT mentality of only buying what you immediately need, in small packaging. It's inefficient, wasteful, and time wasting behavior. It's smart to buy way more than you need for the future to hedge against inflation, hedge against shortages, and to sell/trade off as needed.

This philosophy has been quite successful for me overall. In fact, thru barter and selling, I've more than paid for every drop of oil I've ever used and will ever use, probably paid for many years' worth of gasoline or insurance costs, and I still have thousands of quarts left to sell/trade, and hundreds of qts set aside to keep for my own personal needs for the next 10-15 years....

 

[Owen Lucas]

Crazy like a fox! lol. Nothing insane, and completely rational. What is "insane" is our JIT mentality of only buying what you immediately need, in small packaging. It's inefficient, wasteful, and time wasting behavior. It's smart to buy way more than you need for the future to hedge against inflation, hedge against shortages, and to sell/trade off as needed.

This philosophy has been quite successful for me overall. In fact, thru barter and selling, I've more than paid for every drop of oil I've ever used and will ever use, probably paid for many years' worth of gasoline or insurance costs, and I still have thousands of quarts left to sell/trade, and hundreds of qts set aside to keep for my own personal needs for the next 10-15 years....

Man you're running this hobby like a business and that is great!

I agree JIT is garbage and so is Lean Six Sigma. I'm no expert on it but looks like a system based on being able to subdue your suppliers and run things as cheaply as possible.

 

[Wheel366]

I have a few quarts of Amsoil ATF (prior to them having Signature and OEM). Got it probably back in 2010. Also have a quart or 2 of Amsoil Transaxle and manual trans lube. I forget what it is actually called but it is from the same time frame or maybe even before when I had my pathfinder. Could have been from 2004 - 2005. I also have a random half quart of Mobil 5?W-30 conventional oil from my wife's 2000 Civic.

 

[Franz]

I have a lot of old unopened oil in my stash and it got me curious as to what you guys have saved up.

I have about 20 quarts of API SH 5w30 Amoco Gold that I bought off Facebook marketplace and I have a couple old round bottles with a copyright date of 1985 of Quaker State 10w40 made from "Pennsylvania grade crude oil".

Hi ! I´m a collector of oil bottles interested to sell some for $10 a quart and ship it to PA please contact me!

 

[Franz]

Hate to break it to you but AutoZone and Advance Auto do clearances. I could care less how long “oils shelf life is”. I still have late 80’s Amoco and Ames brand motor oil still sealed to use. Rebates are a pain also as Astro14 said. If you want to pay full price for oil: go right ahead. I now have over 550 quarts of oil and selling some today

Hi ! I´m a collector of oil bottles interested to sell some for $10 a quart and ship it to PA please contact me!

 

[53' Stude]

A lone quart of SM Valvoline nextgen 5w20