Specialty Oil Brand

Status
Not open for further replies.
A few years ago there was a UOA done on I believe a Chevy Caprice with 5.0L using either 5W or 10W 30. The OCI was very extended and the results were off the charts good and people questioned if the TBN was correct because it was still so high. The oil was from Texas Refinery

http://www.texasrefinery.com

and the oil was:

http://www.texasrefinery.com/assets/pro-spec-multi-viscosity-synthetic-blend.pdf

I talked to a very nice lady at Texas Refinery back then and she was very polite but also very matter of fact in stating that you can not put a better oil in your vehicle at any price. I very much wanted to try this oil, and still do, but you have to purchase in lots of either 24 or 48 quart quantity so I never pulled the trigger.

This is certainly something you are not going to see in many home garages. I wish I could find the UOA aforementioned.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
That might be hard to find in Canada, though Partsource does do some weird things.
wink.gif



Yeah I love trotting out that pic now and then
wink.gif
 
I believe we overlook the tremendous capabilities of the off the shelf offerings when we search for that boutique/specialty oil.

Having cash cow oils in their catalog allows Shell, Mobil, and Castrol the luxury of bringing us outstanding products like Euro ACEA A3/B4 oils at relatively low cost.

Even Castrol TWS at $10/liter and M1 racing oils benefit from the economy of scale from their respective companies.

My gut feeling is that you can pay more for a boutique oil and not really get more in the bottle.
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Yeah I love trotting out that pic now and then
wink.gif


I do show it off on occasion when people say BITOGers are nuts about oil. That's someone else altogether.
wink.gif
 
Originally Posted By: GSCJR
Yup, I get my Eni from PartSource

I haven't been there for a while; I wonder if the local ones here carry it. One started to carry Liqui Moly oil, or is it Lubro Moly when it's sold here - well, whatever it is.
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: Garak
That might be hard to find in Canada, though Partsource does do some weird things.
wink.gif



Yeah I love trotting out that pic now and then
wink.gif



Yeah, I wasn't expecting to see that, great picture.
 
Originally Posted By: SilverC6

My gut feeling is that you can pay more for a boutique oil and not really get more in the bottle.


I agree with you 100%

However nobody needs metallic paint or racing stripes on a car either, but I can understand people want them.

I can understand that people want a good but different oil. As long as it meets some good specs, I would use it. If it comes from a small batch plant on the other side of the world then it has a certain mystique. For me in Oz, that would be something like the Sinclair full synthetic dexos rated oils.

https://www.sinclairoil.com/sites/default/files/PDS.Passenger%20Cars.Arctic%20Fire%20Full%20Synthetic%20dexos1™%20Motor%20Oil.pdf

I like the green Dino symbol, and so would my young son. Doubt it would be any better than the SynPower DX1 that I can easily get from the local shop though. Just rarer and cooler.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: SR5
Originally Posted By: SilverC6

My gut feeling is that you can pay more for a boutique oil and not really get more in the bottle.


I agree with you 100%

However nobody needs metallic paint or racing stripes on a car either, but I can understand people want them.


Yeah but at least you can look at the metallic paint and stripes and appreciate them. The only way an oil is going to get you "appreciation" is if you leave the bottle left out and prominently displayed in your garage so the neighbors can see it. Or get a window decal...
 
Laugh ! .... All you probably need is a window decal and maybe a T-Shirt to wear to the local hot rod or car show. Then you can just have M1 or Castrol Edge in the sump. Last time I went to a car show they didn't request a UOA on entry.

I emailed Sinclair to see if they would post their merchandising to Australia, I wanted a Dino t-shirt for my son, but they didn't answer. I'll take that as a no.
https://www.sinclairoil.com/products

The other oil I would like to use is Royal Purple, simply because it is dyed purple, and that would be fun to pour in. A bit of a one off pleasure.

Anyway, I'll probably stick to my regular Castrol / Shell / Valvoline / Penrite brands. I'm using the Ferrari approved Shell Helix Ultra right now, not because of the Ferrari logo on the bottle, but because it's the least expensive MB 229.5 oil in Australia. That will do me (and the cool Ferrari logo is just an added bonus).
 
Originally Posted By: Merkava_4
If you want something super special that nobody on this board has in their car, go with Conklin.


Yep Conklin, the company that sells everything from "animal products" to motor oil. My wife's uncle was a distributor back in the early 80s and she had that oil in her car when we got married. Her uncle then went on to be an Amsoil distributor so that's what he pushed later on.
 
Originally Posted By: Garak
Originally Posted By: GSCJR
Yup, I get my Eni from PartSource

I haven't been there for a while; I wonder if the local ones here carry it. One started to carry Liqui Moly oil, or is it Lubro Moly when it's sold here - well, whatever it is.


Has anyone done a VOA on an AGIP ENI iSINT XL4AM oil? Is the synthetic a Group 3 or Group 4? My local parts store has a very good price on all grades including 0W-20. Appears to be refined and packaged by Cabot in the US. Any using can give some feedback?
 
I haven't come across one, but in any case, it couldn't hurt to ask the company for some particulars. They may be forthcoming, they may not be. As for base stock, unless they advertise or tell us or someone runs a very expensive test, we won't really know.

If it's a good price, and meets your specifications, I'd say run it. Walmart Canada, Canadian Tire, and Partsource are way too interested in pushing $50+ a jug synthetic and $28+ a jug conventional from the big names, and giving us their stupid little sales. A good price on a brand or tier that is more obscure in Canadian retail is a good bonus.
 
Originally Posted By: rfitz69
Hello All,

I am looking for your opinions and recommendations for a good specialty type oil brand that is not considered one of the big oil brands (Castrol, Mobil, QS, Shell etc) that you would get at a big box store. I know this is very vague but I am looking for something along the lines of a Royal Purple type somewhat niche brand that would be used and recommended by the DIY auto enthusiast community. I have been looking at brands such as Motul, Amsoil and Redline as potential brands. I am not looking at a specific grade but more at the brand. I live in Canada and would appreciate your feedback.

Thanks in advance.


The brands you mentioned, RP, Motul, Amsoil, Redline are "niche" branded oils and your engine will never know the difference on which one you pick from the bunch or the bunch from huge companies that all carry the same API approval....

But, to answer your question, my vote would go to AMSOIL as they are the ONLY one to produce test results of their oils against others using industry standard tests. I know people knock those tests but bottom line is no one else does it, nor can because they cant beat Amsoil, the true innovator in the industry, started in 1974 and a small tiny company compared to someone like Motul.

I dont use any of the above oils, just answering your question if I did and why.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: alarmguy
nor can because they cant beat Amsoil, the true innovator in the industry, started in 1974 and a small tiny company compared to someone like Motul.


That statement doesn't really make sense. Al was the first to get a synthetic oil API approved. He was not the first to make a synthetic oil. Standard Oil, of which the biggest component is now reflected in XOM, was started in 1870.

You want to read a nice history of innovation, I'd suggest looking over this:

http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/company/about-us/history/overview

World's first fluid catalyst cracker, world's first commercial production of alkylate, the invention of butyl rubber, 3-D seismic technology....etc
 
Originally Posted By: alarmguy
But, to answer your question, my vote would go to AMSOIL as they are the ONLY one to produce test results of their oils against others using industry standard tests. I know people knock those tests but bottom line is no one else does it, nor can because they cant beat Amsoil, the true innovator in the industry, started in 1974 and a small tiny company compared to someone like Motul.


Isn't that 180 degrees away from reality?
 
Originally Posted By: kschachn
Originally Posted By: alarmguy
But, to answer your question, my vote would go to AMSOIL as they are the ONLY one to produce test results of their oils against others using industry standard tests. I know people knock those tests but bottom line is no one else does it, nor can because they cant beat Amsoil, the true innovator in the industry, started in 1974 and a small tiny company compared to someone like Motul.


Isn't that 180 degrees away from reality?


All one needs is to prove its 180 degrees from reality, no one ever can, only heresy, marketing and meaningless words.
Question from the poster, out of smaller "boutique companies" which would you choose and why?

Answer, Amsoil, why? The ONLY one of the companies that back up their claims with test results which includes their competition. That is why.

I only wish to god, when people debate oil, real test data with a whole bunch of brands compared equally would be presented as proof but none ever is, just theory and marketing. Again, at least Amsoil runs tests of their oil WITH THEIR COMPETITION and publishes the results. THE ONLY company to do this.
 
Last edited:
Originally Posted By: OVERKILL
Originally Posted By: alarmguy
nor can because they cant beat Amsoil, the true innovator in the industry, started in 1974 and a small tiny company compared to someone like Motul.


That statement doesn't really make sense. Al was the first to get a synthetic oil API approved. He was not the first to make a synthetic oil. Standard Oil, of which the biggest component is now reflected in XOM, was started in 1870.

You want to read a nice history of innovation, I'd suggest looking over this:

http://corporate.exxonmobil.com/en/company/about-us/history/overview

World's first fluid catalyst cracker, world's first commercial production of alkylate, the invention of butyl rubber, 3-D seismic technology....etc


Maybe re-read my post. I do not claim to have said anything you claim I said!
 
How about Cen-pe-co oil? See them a lot on the sled pulling circuit, don't know if they make any engine oils other than stuff for diesel engines.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Similar threads

O
What oil and viscosity would you recommend for a 2025 GLI
Replies
18
Views
2K
TiGeo
MattLawz
Teton Motor Oil
Replies
13
Views
977
Glenda W.
M
How much difference does oil really make?
4 5 6
Replies
106
Views
4K
cheesepuffs2
C
Oil Recommendation for Ferrari 328 GTS
2
Replies
23
Views
638
f355spider
B
Adding a cheap quart in addition to 5qt/liter jug
Replies
18
Views
677
RyanY
Back
Top Bottom