Love old oil commercials ....change oil every 1k

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Everything up to changing every thousand miles was pretty logical.
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With no interstate system and most driving done locally in hometown USA, I would imagine the miles did not accumulate as quickly in 1951.
 
If you have an engine with no oil filter and non detergent oil, 1K miles is a pretty long OCI. Believe it or not, there was life prior to 2008 and things were different than today.
 
In the early to mid 60"s I changed QState every 2K in my 63 Plymouth Valiant. Results: After 45K my Slant Six engine had a lot of sludge.
 
Originally Posted By: Red91
If you have an engine with no oil filter and non detergent oil, 1K miles is a pretty long OCI. Believe it or not, there was life prior to 2008 and things were different than today.


Hogwash!
 
Originally Posted By: Red91
If you have an engine with no oil filter and non detergent oil, 1K miles is a pretty long OCI. Believe it or not, there was life prior to 2008 and things were different than today.


I started working in my dad's ESSO service station in 1957 and yes things were very different back then. 1K OCI's were not uncommon and 2K OCI's were more the norm on modern cars in 1957-1961 while I was working there. Some cars had oil filters and some did not.
 
I changed the oil in my 70 Buick Skylark GS every about 3k with Havoline 30wt....she ran like banshee with a 455.....like i tell my wife's grandkid there is no sub for cubes in cars ....give me a big v-8 over a 2 liter turbo any day.....damm the gas mileage
 
Demarpaint they didn't have to change the oil in the horse and wagon
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And I really didn't think you are anywhere near being that old.
 
Originally Posted By: bbhero
Demarpaint they didn't have to change the oil in the horse and wagon
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And I really didn't think you are anywhere near being that old.


We had to grease the wagon axles though.
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I was BORN in 57 and hit the big 60 this year.....I thought I was the only old guy around....glad somebody has me beat
 
Good point indeed
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Seriously I thought you were younger than me and I'm 41 going to be 42 on 9/11
 
If I recall correctly, service interval on the old VWs was 1500 miles. Change oil, clean strainer, etc. I think the valves had to be set and spark plugs cleaned and gapped around every other oil change. I thought I died and went to heaven when I bought a GM in the mid '80s with 20k mile spark plugs.
 
My first car when I was 16 (in 1959) was a 47 chevy. I usually changed the oil by the seasons. Winter it got 10, spring and fall 20 and summer 30. The by pass filter got changed every other time. Always Fram. I actually have no idea of how many miles I put on between oil changes, but it was not over 1000.
 
Originally Posted By: Speak2Mountain
My dad knew a guy in my hometown, that brought his CAddy in every week to get the oil changed. Most times it had about 50 miles on the oil.
What's worse, back then psychologists didn't yet have the diagnosis of "OCD". In the old days, OCD meant Oh, Crazy Dummy.
 
How much did a typical oil change cost back then? And what was a weeks salary for reference? Was it like 5$ in todays value, or were people spending equivalent to 25-35$ bi weekly/monthly? I never really thought about the roads pre interstate, I guess it was all stop and go. Amazing to think about what it took to drive cross country back then!!! Anyone have any stories ?
 
Well if I remember correctly, and I wouldn't bet on that, most oils retailed for somewhere around 50 cents per quart, but I don't remember the price of filters. Of course, I figured making a dollar an hour was good wages. As far as stop and go traffic, well you have to remember that there weren't near as many cars on the road as now. Also most people , at least here in rural Nebraska, didn't drive to far to work. My job after graduating from trade school as a mechanic (and was then making about $4 per hour average) was 20 miles from home, and most mornings I only met a few cars on the way to work. And that was on a major cross country highway. Also gas was 32.9 cents /gal. and my 6 cyl chevelle got 20 mpg.
 
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