5W / 50

[steveab]

Hi, I've recently become the proud owner of a lovely Chim 450. Does anyone know where I can get Mobile SAE 1 5W/50 oil from? I've tried the usual suspects; Halfords and a few local car spares shops? Someone stated that Mobile don't make it anymore? (they did seem like an untrained chimp though) Any ideas, its not too urgent since it's had an 18K service a couple of days before I bought it, but I want to get into the habit of checking the oil every week (having come from a mass-produced - hands off car). Many thanks Steve

[apache]

hard to come by I know but I get mine from an Esso garage but as these are franchises its anybodies guess

[steveab]

Cheers, Theres a couple of large Esso garages in my area. If I find another source then I'll post it. I assume this is a common issue?

[manek]

You can also get it from BP garages.

[ali d]

snap! I'm also the proud new owner of a 450 and have encountered the same problem. I rang the TVR factory and they told me that as of about 6 months ago they now recommend Mobil1 0W-40. I think 5W-50 has been discontinued so I suspect people are buying old stock.

[thegamekeeper]

i cannot understand your obsession with Mobil 1. Use oil from other companies who do not spend billions advertising their product, you are paying for the advertising. Yes Mobil 1 is good but unless you are racing the car you are wasting your money. The secret to long engine life is not to pay for advertising but to do regular oil changes.The current 0W-40 Mobil 1 passes the rings and coats the catalysts(expensive) especially if you do lots of small mileages from cold as most of you must do judging by the LOW mileages that all the cars advertised seem to have done

[thegamekeeper]

PS I bet you all wear Nike trainers as well

[Don]

The "obsession" is purely wanting to do right by the car. The plate next to the engine says "Use Mobil One"...so anyone (who is not an automotive engineer and therefore qualified to make decisions about the car's well being based on knowledge rather than documentation) is going to stick it in there...aren't they? Me. I use Mobil 1. But my dealer sticks BP Visco doo dah wibbly in it..and my Chim 450 runs just great...

[Don]

quote:PS I bet you all wear Nike trainers as well

Actually I wear Jones shoes. Ummmn. Got me there, I suppose.

[thegamekeeper]

WOW

[Dave_H]

quote:i cannot understand your obsession with Mobil 1. Use oil from other companies who do not spend billions advertising their product, you are paying for the advertising. Yes Mobil 1 is good but unless you are racing the car you are wasting your money. The secret to long engine life is not to pay for advertising but to do regular oil changes.The current 0W-40 Mobil 1 passes the rings and coats the catalysts(expensive) especially if you do lots of small mileages from cold as most of you must do judging by the LOW mileages that all the cars advertised seem to have done

I wouldnt say anyone here has an obsession with Mobile 1, but I have to agree with the gamekeeper here, this stuff burns much quicker, and my logic is any oil not being there (due to it getting past the rings)no matter how expensive/good quality, it is, isnt worth having. Regular oil/filter changes is the answer to long engine life. Edited by Dave_H on Sunday 6th May 22:23

[thegamekeeper]

I used to use 100,000mile service interval oil in my Mercedes Diesel which I got FOC from a local haulage company. This is used in 40 ton lorries and will stay in grade for 100'000 miles before they check it in the laboratory. UNBELIEVABLE. They stopped using it because it because the trucks burned oil. At silly prices per litre it is cheaper and better to change the oil regularly.Would you want to trust oil to stay in grade for 100'000 miles even if the plate near the engine said use it.Get real Don.Jones who?

[thegamekeeper]

PS I still changed it very 5000 miles. It has now done 200,000 miles and never uses a drop. MORAL/STORY?

[Marshy]

Have to agree with Don. If you're not the oily-fingered type, then, initially at least, you read the handbook, find that the grade they specify isn't available, ask the dealer, get told 0w40 is fine, yadda yadda yadda. Only when you find places like this do you discover that it might be a tad "thin" and that a thicker grade might be better. There's a discussion on this on the TVR mailing list at the moment. So, thanks, but it's not an obsession, merely an attempt to try and do the "right thing" and avoid the wrath of warranty companies and the like. I wouldn't put it past anyone to allege that "oh, you used the wrong grade of oil, sir, so we'll not honour your warranty", especially in this world.

[thegamekeeper]

OH DEAR. Lucky we got to the moon before Mobil 1. I bet you read the washing instructions in your designer Boxer shorts.I believe the BMW Z3 is nice( if you are sad )

[Marshy]

Do you have _anything_ to say that doesn't include a jibe at someone? If you really are Steve Reid @classictvr.com (as a previous post under "thegamekeeper" alleges), you're not going a long way towards impressing anyone with your people skills, and are therefore somewhat unlikely to attract people to your business. Why not impress people with your knowledge, and keep the rest to yourself? Edited by Marshy on Monday 7th May 00:30

[thegamekeeper]

Wrong tree Marshy but keep barking

[Marshy]

Ah. You just picked the same nickname as he did then.

[Don]

quote:Get real Don. Jones who?

Just saying people will follow the instructions on the outside of the tin...unless they are genuinely confident in doing otherwise.... Jones! Jones! You know. Jones!

[GasBlaster]

OK, so if the new thin Mobil One is no good, what is the best alternative? And is it permissable to 'top up' with a different grade / make? I was a Jones man too. Now into Loakes. Half-brogue Oxfords. Black.