The Oil Hall of Fame

[Volvohead]

Ok, here's a fun one. Cast your votes for an oil "Hall of Fame".

List only ONE oil, across your entire experience of using motor oils, that stood out from all the rest and was special, and which you still look back at wistfully, even if you can't use it anymore, it is obsolete or now substandard, or it is no longer available. No justification or rationale required, other than how you remember it when you used it.

My vote is for Kendall GT-1, used for many years into the late '70s. To me, it was the original green uberoil that made everything run smoother and stronger. Nothing since has ever given me that kind of glow when I poured it in.

 

[TR3-2001SE]

The original Mobil 1 25,000 mile oil in cans. What a great oil it was at the time and somewhat misunderstood. It cleaned out my MGA so well I got worried at all the stuff comming out when I drained it.

 

[Dominik]

The German Castrol (green) 0W-30 first widely available long drain euro oil in North America.

 

[oakfloor]

Amsoil ATM 10w-30 beats everthing in most every test.

 

[farrarfan1]

Mine would have to be the $.88 a quart Havoline Synthetic from Advance Auto in my garage.

 

[eljefino]

Tech 2000 (what it was called back then) 10w30. 74 cents a quart in 1999.

What I used on my first self-performed oil change that got me into wrenchin'.

 

[addyguy]

I never used it, but when I worked at W-M in the auto center, I always thought the synthetic Pennzoil with 'Penzane', and how it was 'space oil' was a neat idea.

What oil do I miss? Cheap Formula 3 Havoline. We used to sell this at W-M, and it was always about 25% cheaper than other oils, so it was a great bargain. I ran it in a couple of cars I had, and it always worked well. Its hard to find the new Havoline these days, and now it is priced up there with the 'primo' oils, so its not a great bargain anymore, even if I could find it. However, I did find two bottles of it on clearance at a C-T a few weeks ago, so I have a nice 'reminder' of this oil in my stash....don't actually know if i'm gonna use it.....

 

[WOOCHOW]

Fullbore straight 50wt oil I used to use in dirtbikes in the 1970's. Anyone remember Bultaco, OSSA, or Montesa? How about Puch?
that oil was so thick it would barely flow at 80 degrees! (or so I remember)

A close second would be any Oilzum product. What a great name for oil!

 

[m2200b]

49 cents Chevron Supreme now sadly already 59 cents Chevron Supreme.

 

[Frank D]

My choice would be the first oil I ever used. It was Valvoline 10W-20-40 back in 1971 when I got my first car. Being that I was into drag racing and most of the drag cars had the "V" on them, Valvoline is what I used. It could be had for 59 cents a quart back then in Strauss Auto.

 

[castor]

i second kendal l, in any grade. it had so many EP additives (i think) it smelled like gearbox oil
btw WOOCHOO, i had 2 puchs, a 150cc scooter and a 250cc split single 2 stroke motorcycle. i think the bike was marketed as "sears allstate" in usa

 

[Dominic]

Valvoline Maxlife - Cheaper than durablend, more synthetic in it, and seasonally free with rebate

It's been my favorite oil for sometime even though now I'm switching to synthetic. Maxlife fixed my Mobil1 valve chatter too.

 

[Gary Allan]

Delvac 1

By far the most bulletproof, widely available, oil on the planet. I've only ever seen one UOA where the stuff didn't shrug off the insult of mechanical issues.

It's not for everybody

 

[little bob]

eljefino

Was the Tech 2000 by Drydene? Used their Tech II Turbo in mid 80's until mid 90's...really liked it.

Later heard that Dryden Oil was bought by Castrol some years back and bran disappeared.

 

[BlazerLT]

Esso XD3 Synthetic

For less than US$3.50/quart for a full PAO synthetic with a TBN over 12.2, this stuff is the steal of the century.

 

[carock]

Redline 10-40, the stuff that instantly made valve and bearing rebuilds obsolete for my racing Lotus.

 

[ComancheDude]

X2

My vote is for Kendall GT-1, used for many years into the late '70s. To me, it was the original green uberoil that made everything run smoother and stronger. Nothing since has ever given me that kind of glow when I poured it in

 

[jsharp]

My others are already posted. Original M1 and Original GT-1 so I'll have to say the original Castrol GTX. Millions of imported cars and motorcycles lived on the stuff for years.

 

[tw_oil]

Sperm Whale ATF.

Unfortunately the poor bloody whales couldn't multiply at the same rate as automatic transmissions.

Fortunately we now have alternatives.

 

[PRND3L]

quote:

---

Originally posted by jsharp:
I'll have to say the original Castrol GTX. Millions of imported cars and motorcycles lived on the stuff for years.

---

Agree there. This is 'the' oil that stands out in my mind. Probably it was just a combination of Castrol's advertising and that it coincided with my intro to DIY wrenching. Took me years to unbrainwash myself (I remember believing that GTX wouldn't be a good oil for my pushrod V8s

), and now Mannix comes along and starts it all over again!