I used to live in the U.S for 9 years, San Antonio, Las Vegas and been around the States. Back in 1993, the internet wasn't yet available so the only way to get products were pretty much through your local NAPA,PEP,Autozone and mom and pops. Just like this forum, the main brands of oils discussions and availability revolve around Mobil 1, Valvoline, Redline and the only exotic oil on the board is the German Castrol. Even redline oil are hard to find in San Antonio and Las Vegas, only mom and pop stores carry redline in Vegas.
Right now I live in a third world country Indonesia,where the people are either stinkin rich or dirt poor. Everytime a new model of car is announced, you are bound to see one on the street by the following week. There's this place call The Automall, I mean it's not like the Sam's Super Car Lot in the U.S, I mean this is like a proper mall, all the cars are indoor and fully a/c with a food court on the top floor. Guess what types of car that one could buy? You can get a cheap MPV for $10,000 upto Bentley Continental GT, and I can't even believe this, a Ferrari Enzo that cost aroun 1.5 million U.S!!! All under one roof.Who says that you need special qualifications to own an Enzo, in Indonesia, no such B.S, got the dough, drive her home.Oh yeah, there's also Bentley Arnage in Green, Blue and Black, just pick your color. Porsches?Lambos?EVO9?Ferraris?Got that covered too!!!Oh yeah, under one roof!!
Now, there is this one stop shop, the most complete oil specialist store that I've ever seen in my life, the store is called TODA Racing and they sell all brands and some brands I didn't even know exist!!!! So as you can imagine, I was like a kid in a candy store! Not just oil but all sorts of brands of brake fluids, ATF, PS, Motorcycle,Autoglyms(where in the U.S can you walk in and buy Autoglym or 3M professional car care or Meguier's Professional line, I can't find them in Pep or Autozone?),CRC(can't even find CRC in Vegas or San Anton), Permatex.
Here are some oils that caught my eyes: IGOL SYMBOL CERAMICS 5w40 or 5w30 for $45 gal. IGOL Process Compact 5w30 for $52 gal. IGOL SYMBOL Ceramic Racing Oil 10w60 for $60 gal BP VISCO i think it was the Visco 9000 but definitely the top line 0w40 for $60 gal, TotalElfFina Pearl Full Synt $30 a gal, Shell Helix Ultra 0w40 for $40 a gal, Motul 300V all grades from $50 to $70 a gal,ADNOC Full Synth 10w30 for $45 a gal, AGIP Racing Oil for $35 a gal, AGIP Full Synth $24 a gal, ELF Excellium Full Syth $24 a gal, MUGEN RACING Spec Vtec 0w40 $90 a gal, TRD Racing $100 a gal, some Italian brand that I've never heard of $46 a gal, and there are hundreds other such as Aral, Hi Tech, Fuchs, Sikolene, Maxima, EOS, some Japanese brand I don't know the name coz all the writings are in kanji, some australian some small german companies. Also you don't have to go to mercedes benz/bmw/toyota/honda to get OEM Oils, ATF, PS, Brake Fluids, it's all under one roof. I just realized that the selection for oil brands in the U.S really sucked compared to a third world country. It's so boring discussing the same brand over and over again, every new thread is either about Mobil1, Amsoil, Redline, GC,or the other run off the mill brand like valvoline, penzzoil, boriiiing!!!!
And the funny thing is that Mobil1 is overpriced here because of all the ads and endorsements in the newspapers and automotive magazines. A quart european formula of 0w30 or 0w40 is $15!!!!!!!!!where as in Autozone is what, five bucks! And some of the Mobil1 is repacked in Singapore but costs as much as the one from the U.S.And the redline is cheaper than mobil1 because no ads or endorsements.I might try the Redline 10w30 but I've tried redline in my 1998 C230 merc back in Vegas and used it for 4 years so no suprises for Redline. I love the Igol though!!!!Too bad you can't find it in the states.
Man I spent hours in that store, can't decide which oil to choose, I don't want to use Redline, Mobil1 coz they are like a dime a dozen back in the states. So I decide to try some exotic brands. First I tried the Motul 300V 5w30 fo $40 a galon, very happy but now hard to find. Then I switched to IGOL Symbol Ceramic 5w30 but then also hard to find. So since I was happy with Igol, I tried the IGOL Process Compact 5w30 for $56 a gal, couldn't be happier, been using it since. Where in the heck in the U.S that you can find IGOL or the brands that I have mentioned. This forum just running round in circles Mobil1-Redline-Castrol-then back to Mobil1 again, boring dude!!!!!!
Right now I live in a third world country Indonesia,where the people are either stinkin rich or dirt poor. Everytime a new model of car is announced, you are bound to see one on the street by the following week. There's this place call The Automall, I mean it's not like the Sam's Super Car Lot in the U.S, I mean this is like a proper mall, all the cars are indoor and fully a/c with a food court on the top floor. Guess what types of car that one could buy? You can get a cheap MPV for $10,000 upto Bentley Continental GT, and I can't even believe this, a Ferrari Enzo that cost aroun 1.5 million U.S!!! All under one roof.Who says that you need special qualifications to own an Enzo, in Indonesia, no such B.S, got the dough, drive her home.Oh yeah, there's also Bentley Arnage in Green, Blue and Black, just pick your color. Porsches?Lambos?EVO9?Ferraris?Got that covered too!!!Oh yeah, under one roof!!
Now, there is this one stop shop, the most complete oil specialist store that I've ever seen in my life, the store is called TODA Racing and they sell all brands and some brands I didn't even know exist!!!! So as you can imagine, I was like a kid in a candy store! Not just oil but all sorts of brands of brake fluids, ATF, PS, Motorcycle,Autoglyms(where in the U.S can you walk in and buy Autoglym or 3M professional car care or Meguier's Professional line, I can't find them in Pep or Autozone?),CRC(can't even find CRC in Vegas or San Anton), Permatex.
Here are some oils that caught my eyes: IGOL SYMBOL CERAMICS 5w40 or 5w30 for $45 gal. IGOL Process Compact 5w30 for $52 gal. IGOL SYMBOL Ceramic Racing Oil 10w60 for $60 gal BP VISCO i think it was the Visco 9000 but definitely the top line 0w40 for $60 gal, TotalElfFina Pearl Full Synt $30 a gal, Shell Helix Ultra 0w40 for $40 a gal, Motul 300V all grades from $50 to $70 a gal,ADNOC Full Synth 10w30 for $45 a gal, AGIP Racing Oil for $35 a gal, AGIP Full Synth $24 a gal, ELF Excellium Full Syth $24 a gal, MUGEN RACING Spec Vtec 0w40 $90 a gal, TRD Racing $100 a gal, some Italian brand that I've never heard of $46 a gal, and there are hundreds other such as Aral, Hi Tech, Fuchs, Sikolene, Maxima, EOS, some Japanese brand I don't know the name coz all the writings are in kanji, some australian some small german companies. Also you don't have to go to mercedes benz/bmw/toyota/honda to get OEM Oils, ATF, PS, Brake Fluids, it's all under one roof. I just realized that the selection for oil brands in the U.S really sucked compared to a third world country. It's so boring discussing the same brand over and over again, every new thread is either about Mobil1, Amsoil, Redline, GC,or the other run off the mill brand like valvoline, penzzoil, boriiiing!!!!
And the funny thing is that Mobil1 is overpriced here because of all the ads and endorsements in the newspapers and automotive magazines. A quart european formula of 0w30 or 0w40 is $15!!!!!!!!!where as in Autozone is what, five bucks! And some of the Mobil1 is repacked in Singapore but costs as much as the one from the U.S.And the redline is cheaper than mobil1 because no ads or endorsements.I might try the Redline 10w30 but I've tried redline in my 1998 C230 merc back in Vegas and used it for 4 years so no suprises for Redline. I love the Igol though!!!!Too bad you can't find it in the states.
Man I spent hours in that store, can't decide which oil to choose, I don't want to use Redline, Mobil1 coz they are like a dime a dozen back in the states. So I decide to try some exotic brands. First I tried the Motul 300V 5w30 fo $40 a galon, very happy but now hard to find. Then I switched to IGOL Symbol Ceramic 5w30 but then also hard to find. So since I was happy with Igol, I tried the IGOL Process Compact 5w30 for $56 a gal, couldn't be happier, been using it since. Where in the heck in the U.S that you can find IGOL or the brands that I have mentioned. This forum just running round in circles Mobil1-Redline-Castrol-then back to Mobil1 again, boring dude!!!!!!
