Smells like fish....

[280zwitha383]

Yesterday I went with my fiance to look at an RSX type S for her. We were happy to see that the owner was an Asian guy who seemed VERY meticulous and seemed to know his fair share about cars (imports as they may be). Anyway, he gives the both of us the spill about the performance and the intake he put on, v-tech, and the body kit and rims he put on along with a test drive which was fairly impressive considering the 200hp 4 cylinder engine. We get back to the parking lot and he had mentioned something about building up his Supra that he was in the middle of with the money he got from the sell. I asked him about the turbo he was going to run and how much hp he wanted and he said about 900 (the joke about the similarities between a 400hp, 600hp, and 1000hp supra all running 12 seconds in the 1/4 mile ran through my head)anyway, then I'm playing dumb asking if he uses synthetic oil, premium gas, blah blah. He quickly answers that he only uses synthetic oil (mobile 1 to be exact) and then shows me the sticker of the place that changed his oil which says M1530. Which he reads off and says, "See here it say Mobile (M) One (1, atleast in his mind) and whatever those other numbers". Now at first it struck me as odd that he said mobile one, and whatever those other numbers but I thought he just mistook the 1 meaning mobile one instead of actually being M 15-30. So I blew it off and other then that we were pretty impressed with his car. Anyhow just a few minutes ago it hit me. Who do you know that claims to be such a big car guy and has aspirations of building up his turbo powered car around 900hp DOESN'T CHANGE THEIR OWN OIL?!?!?!?! Am I off here or what? Need some input.

[Guest bastaad525]

seems to me lots of supra guys don't change their own oil....

 

 

car guys these days... aren't like car guys like hybrid Z car guys or oldschool muscle car guys.

 

 

Myself... I'm kinda crossing over... I was real hands on with my Z, but with my new car I think I'm gonna leave stuff like oil changes to a shop *shrug*.

[Gollum]

It's amazing honestly. SO MANY cars are shop built. This is the byproduct of cars being part of the "in" crowd. They got the money to burn but don't want to actually learn about what they have. Around here that's the stacked majority of "car guys". When I find anyone remotelly like you people here at HZ i try to make good friends with them, becuase they're the minority, the people that actaully know something useful that's been learned, not told.

 

But luckly this crowd seems to be fading just a little latelly. I see more and more nice cars that are well done and fewer and fewer stock hondas with an aftermarket muffler.

 

But alas, a friend of mine ones an older wrx that he's converting to STI all the way around. He has a real passion about driving. He's obsessed with figuring out the best way around a track weather grip or drift he doesn't care, as long as it makes for faster lap times. BUT, he might be able to change his oil, but he needed help for setting up aftermarket guages. He just got married and didn't have the time to learn how to make all the mods to his car himself to make it STI spec, so he had a shop do it. It's painful for me becuase it means he looses some understanding of what he has. But I like him still because he respects knowledge and cares about the craft.

 

Then there are people that have 1100HP supras that don't know how an evap system works, how to change a door window, or how to change thier intake manifold. All because it's more about the adrenaline and/or the status of having a car like that. I don't understand thier minds, so I'll never be able to truly judge them.

[rudypoochris]

Most people at my school think a turbo timer will provide better 0-60's :S

[Datsun660z]

Yesterday I went with my fiance to look at an RSX type S for her. We were happy to see that the owner was an Asian guy who seemed VERY meticulous and seemed to know his fair share about cars (imports as they may be). Anyway, he gives the both of us the spill about the performance and the intake he put on, v-tech, and the body kit and rims he put on along with a test drive which was fairly impressive considering the 200hp 4 cylinder engine. We get back to the parking lot and he had mentioned something about building up his Supra that he was in the middle of with the money he got from the sell. I asked him about the turbo he was going to run and how much hp he wanted and he said about 900 (the joke about the similarities between a 400hp, 600hp, and 1000hp supra all running 12 seconds in the 1/4 mile ran through my head)anyway, then I'm playing dumb asking if he uses synthetic oil, premium gas, blah blah. He quickly answers that he only uses synthetic oil (mobile 1 to be exact) and then shows me the sticker of the place that changed his oil which says M1530. Which he reads off and says, "See here it say Mobile (M) One (1, atleast in his mind) and whatever those other numbers". Now at first it struck me as odd that he said mobile one, and whatever those other numbers but I thought he just mistook the 1 meaning mobile one instead of actually being M 15-30. So I blew it off and other then that we were pretty impressed with his car. Anyhow just a few minutes ago it hit me. Who do you know that claims to be such a big car guy and has aspirations of building up his turbo powered car around 900hp DOESN'T CHANGE THEIR OWN OIL?!?!?!?![/b'] Am I off here or what? Need some input.

 

I would be willing to bet that M1530 = Mobil One 5W-30, As that is their best selling product.

[Datsun660z]

Oh and One more thing. I don't change the oil in any of my cars my self. (Not even The 660Z) It is just so fast and easy to have the shop next door to my work come over and pick my cars up and do the deed.

[DaleMX]

But it's so much cheaper to do it yourself when your dealing with synthetic oils. And I dont like the oil filters that those change out places use. I always use NAPA gold (Wix) filters and Walmart bought Mobil 1. Total is usually under 30 dollars.

[2003z]

yea, most of the new car modifiers are what I call 'checkbook tuners' which are really 'credit card tuners' in most cases.

 

I change the oil myself, even on my wife's Dodge Magnum, and our Dodge dealer offers free oil changes. For me, the time to do it myself is quicker than taking it somewhere and waiting for them to screw the job up.

[240hoke]

I know alot of people who dont change there own oil. Alot of times the oil change and lube isnt very much over the cost of the oil! I dont think its anything to worry about...

[loy]

you could always be an employee of the shop and get it for a low low price. never know

[Pop N Wood]

I do all my oil changes with Walmart bought Fram filters and Costco bought Mobil dino oil. Total always comes out less than $10 per vehicle, and I can do both vehicles in less than 30 minutes. They even use the same filter. It is much easier to do it myself then to shuttle two vehicles to Jiffy lube at $35 an oil change. My local landfill recycles oil for free, so just save it up and take it in with the fall yard waste.

 

There is something to be said for shop service, especially if your car is a daily driver or with newer, high tech cars that require a lot of specialized diagnostic equipment. Some people are just intimidated about doing something wrong or spending three weeks diagnosing some problem an expericenced mechanic can fix in an afternoon. Certain jobs I always farm out anyway. Like exhaust or transmission work. Don't have the tools for transmission work, and let someone else get the rust in their eyes doing the exhaust. I've gotten to the age in life where sometimes I have more money than time.

[MusPuppis]

I change my own oil, hell, I do everything myself to my cars. If I cant do it then I'll learn. If I cant learn it wont get done. lol.

 

But, not so much in the guys defence or anything, but he may have recently bought the Supra and some dealerships offer X amount of free oil changes for X amount of time after the purchase of a used car. A friend of mine bought an 03 Taurus a few months ago and got 1 years worth of oil changes with it or something.

 

Also, its my understanding some warranty's require the dealer to do the checkups and oil changes so they can verify the owner isnt doing anything overly stupid to their car. It also simplifies things if the vehicle breaks. Granted, I dont seem any poeple willing to put a warranty onto a used car like a Supra thats almost certainly going to be driven violently.. but ya never know.

[innerware]

While most higher dollar fixes I will try and do myself (suspension, brakes, bushings). Mostly to save money. Or tune ups etc because they charge way to high for something so simple and fun. I have never liked to change my own oil. I have done it for a while. But the time it takes for me to gather my stuff (apartment living) and perform the deed and then take the oil in and have it recycled I am better off taking it to a quick change place by my work. It costs under 30 bucks, they can check my tranny fluid and diff fluid. Top off other fluids too and I'll be out of there in less than ten minutes with clean hands. I've just found that with the Z and the wifes Corolla it is just easier for the most part. Since I have the new Volvo, I will be bringing it either to a Volvo shop or doing it myself. If I bring it to a quick change place than I will bring my own filter, oil, seals for the drain plug and filler cap etc. In fact it is scheduled for a oil and tranny change monday. (new car I want to have checked out by Volvo guys just so I know) But all the tune up stuff I will do. Cap, rotor, air and fuel filter, plugs, wires. So, I'm not afraid to get dirty. I love it in fact. Just not for an oil change.

[280Zone]

I try to do all of my own maintenance and building, but of all of the tasks changing oil is the biggest pain in the arse because I don't have any place to put the old oil. I still do it but if I were to quit doing anything it would be changing oil first on my list.

[Sparky]

the only thing I don't do on my cars is bleed brakes, I HATE and I mean HATE bleeding brakes.

[dr_hunt]

I do it all, cause I want it done right and I sleep better knowing it's done right instead of wondering if some monkey butt remembered to tighten the oil pan plug or if he tightened the filter right just to name a few things.

[WickedWild]

I do all my oil changes with Walmart bought Fram filters and Costco bought Mobil dino oil.

Whatever you do, DO NOT put a Fram oil filter on your car. They are crap, their is no oil bypass in them. If you filter sits at an angle it will drain out and you will have a dry start every morning. Go ge yourself a Napa Gold oil filter or a Puralator (sp) oil filter.

[280zwitha383]

I would be willing to bet that M1530 = Mobil One 5W-30, As that is their best selling product.[/color']

 

You make a good point. After looking into it I don't believe Mobile One even makes a 15-30.

 

Also, I guess I could see what you guys are saying. On one hand I would think the guy would change his own oil to save money because he says that's why he's selling the car anyway because he can't afford to make the payments on it and another vehicle he just bought. Plus, the guy works at the little Asian nail shop in the mall and I would try to avoid the cliche but it is so fitting, he doesn't want to get his nails dirty......

[Pop N Wood]

Whatever you do, DO NOT put a Fram oil filter on your car. They are crap, their is no oil bypass in them. If you filter sits at an angle it will drain out and you will have a dry start every morning. Go ge yourself a Napa Gold oil filter or a Puralator (sp) oil filter.

 

The entry level Fram filters has a rep for having a cheaply made drain back valve, so I get the slightly more expensive one. Their tough guard model does have a bypass valve.

 

They are about all I have ever used. I know a lot of people on the web bad mouth them. But I don't see it.

[Zhadman]

What year is the car?

 

With warranties being popped (i.e. voided) left and right for simple modifications, over-revving, funny tire wear (and on and on), you're almost better off having the dealer (or a reputable shop) change your oil. When I bought my WRX the service manager flat out TOLD me to have someone else (besides myself) change the oil, and that I should keep EVERY reciept and a list of odometer readings corresponding to the oil changes. The warranty game is getting funkier every day...

 

I do everything myself on my Z (ask my knuckles... they are tired of the abuse!) and no way will I let any shop work on it (except, perhaps, for the roll cage)... But on the WRX... meh... the dealer can handle it.