Black gold, Texas Tea

Just a quick story... My aunte came to visit me back in the '70s. Uncle John had passed on about six years before. He typically maintained the family vehicles. Aunte Sally said, "You haven't seen my new Buick", which was now three years old. Her tire seemed a bit low, I also asked her when was the last oil change? I was met with a blank stare, "Never!" she said! 63,000 miles and never an oil change! I took her car to the quick lube and the oil came out like black crude. She now has over 80,000 and running fine. A something to say for American engineering!
 
I've seen the insides of engines that went too long between oil changes. My only conclusion is "YOU CAN'T FIX STUPID"
 
i knew a girl who would rather change engines than change oil (also thought the redline was a target rather than a limit).
Yea I met a fellow who said he never added oil to his A in over 20 Yrs. He was right. Some one added a zerk fitting to the block where we would add a fitting to check for oil pressure. So every time he went for a ride he gave the old engine a shot of grease and away he would go. True Story. Iceman

LOL
 
If you use non detergent oil just save your old oil in jugs ---label them, after about 5 years stop buying new oil except to top off and start using the oldest jug---except for the bottom 1/2 inch of sludge ---I have seen this done, I went to a garage sale and saw all the jugs labeled on the shelf and asked about it.

Actually I have used both oil and filters from cars I have changed oil on, one customer had his oil changed every year on his "modern car" --that he didn't drive much, some years it was only the miles to and from the shop, other years it was 100 miles ---it was just too much for me to waste it, the car that got the used oil outlasted my ownership, I sold it with something like 800,000 miles on it. ----these cars had a dual filter, the housing contained both a "full flow" and a bypass filter.

For our model A the oil change interval needs will be different, much depends on your mixture control, if you run a rich mixture (plugs keep burning black, need a hotter plug, got to keep changing them because they carbon foul, only get 12mpg or even less)---then 500 miles may be too much ----then others who run a thermostat to get the engine up to temp quick, have no problem keeping a stock heat range plug burning clean,drive far enough and fast enough to get the oil hot, get fuel mileage in the 20s and have a good filtering system 2000 miles may be too soon---as has been mentioned oil testing may be the way to know what your real needs are ---yes oil is cheaper than bearings ---but changing too often can cost as much as bearings too
 
Bob & I worked for Volvo, he bought a new 122-S & for 10 years used only drain oil & filters taken from New Volvos at their first 500 mile service! Bill W.
 
Morning, got some good laughs here, thanks for the info too. No harm, no foul Larry, but I will come clean, I was hoping to hear that I would not have to change the oil as often. My Coupe is a daily driver and I change the oil every 7 or 8 hundred miles. I'm sort of new the A Game, just three years and I'm more at home with a hammer in my hand than wrench. Thank you lord for the Barn.
 
a good laugh is needed we dont need to be walking around with no stinking smile and miserable and can still discuss A's at the same time..
thanks for posting
 
Back in the 1970s I dated a girl whose father swore that same thing, oil changes were just a ploy to make us buy oil unnecessarily. He and the daughter were both driving 10-year old beaters, Olds 88s. The romance did not last long enough for me to know what the lifespan of their cars was, but his argument was not convincing.

I have always changed oil more often than the manufacturer's recommendations, except when I had a '71 Duster slant 6 that used oil so fast it always looked clean. I bought cheap oil in two gallon containers, topped it off twice a week and just changed the filter every 6 months.........
 
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