What Year Did you Start Using Synthetic Motor Oil?

I still mostly use conventional Chevron Supreme for just about everything and change on 5k intervals. I don't own any DI, turbo'ed, or other types of fancy rigs that require synthetic. The only exception is I use whatever synthetic is on sale in the wife's Expedition... mostly as a talisman against VVT issues.

I'm pretty sure that the first synthetic oil I ever bought was Castrol Edge 5w50 for a Hitachi air compressor , probably back in the 90's.
 
I've never used a conventional oil in car. I first used 10w30 Quaker State synthetic in the mid 2000s because it came in a clear bottle and I thought that was cool lol. But the actual reason is that most cars I've had over the years required synthetic to begin with. The Tucson is the first car in a while were conventional is alright to use, but I'll just stick to what I've been doing over the years. Besides, Kirkland Syn 5w30 at $4.20 a litre is hard to beat.
 
Does hydrotreated oil count as synthetic? These would have been late 70's or early 80's in our dodge coronet station wagon. I remember the puncture spout required to open these laying on the garage workbench. I also remember that the tailgate on the coronet could open from the side or drop like a truck tailgate after the window was lowered into it.
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It was $5.00 a qt. in 1978 when I first bought M1 5-20. I believe oils like Valvoline were in the range of .45.
But it lasted1 year or 25,000 miles. A local mobil gas station sold it for under $4.00 per qt and I would buy it there .
 
Around 1985 or so ... started putting Red Line in a couple of Mazda GLCs that were used for business. Never looked at regular oil again, although now I'm using Mobil 1.
 
Does hydrotreated oil count as synthetic? These would have been late 70's or early 80's in our dodge coronet station wagon. I remember the puncture spout required to open these laying on the garage workbench. I also remember that the tailgate on the coronet could open from the side or drop like a truck tailgate after the window was lowered into it.
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I have one of those exact cans on my shelf as well, but too young to have used the oil.
 
About 1981. Mobil 1. I was using Esso Uniflo at the time. I read Mobil 1 came out in 1974. A professor in the department of mechanical engineering of the local university said they were extremely impressed by it. He said to me "if you keep your air filter clean and use synthetic oil, your engine might never wear out." That was around 1976.
Add a 160F thermostat and I fully agree. My daily-driver 1992 K1500 Suburban is 29 years old, 411,000 miles and engine, transmission, transfer case and differentials have never been opened. Oil pressure like the day I drove it off the dealer's lot. Running 160F thermostat, automatic transmission fluid lasts forever too.
Nice not having a car payment for twenty-six years.
ETA: Mobil1 10W-30 and M1 oil filter every oil change since new.
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1972 in my motorcycle. Oil and grease.
Cars a short time later.
I use Syn oil / grease in everything.
Lawnmowers, lawn tractor,motorcycles, pickup truck and cars..

No issues over 46 years.

TOMB
 
When in 2004 I bought a used 85 chev pickup whose previous owner only ran Mobil 1 since new. Ran like a champ, figured good enough for me! Two brand new Silverados since then...only synthetics. First Mobil 1, now ACDelco Dexos. Sisters 2012 Cruze 1.4 turbo only Mobil 1 since new (glad I did because GM was recommending synblend at the time...no good in that 1.4). Moms Highlander V6 with 223k, only Mobil 1 since new.
 
2001 - Brand new TDI Jetta, factory fill then Delvac 0w40 every 16,000 kms until I sold it in 2007 250,000 kms on it, still in perfect condition.

As someone mentioned above, the price delta is pretty small now (sales plus rebates) so I use synthetic in everything now whether it is required or not. I have about 4 litres of conventional remaining in my stash that I can eventually use up in my pressure washer (Honda GC160 engine), the rest of my stash is various synthetics.
 
When m1 was tri synthetic in 10w30. After was the Supertech 2000 synthetic. Started using Pennzoil Synthetic in 2006 thanks to Bitog. Used Redline oil when I discovered I was going over 150,000 miles on my Civic. Since has had no less than half the capacity filled with Redline
 
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