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Date:         Fri, 23 Feb 2007 06:23:03 -0500
Reply-To:     Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Mike S <mikes@FLATSURFACE.COM>
Subject:      Re: Oil is Killing our Cars?
Comments: To: "mike ." <mwmiller@CWNET.COM>
In-Reply-To:  <C203D8D7.4607%mwmiller@cwnet.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed

At 02:33 AM 2/23/2007, mike . wrote... >I like Mobil 1 better, a true synthetic. Castrol is, I believe, >formulated >from a natural base, much cheaper to do, but costs the same.

Yes, and no. The article is talking about Castrol GTX, which has always been a petroleum based oil. You're thinking of Syntec, which used to be a Group IV (polyalpha olefin-PAO) basestock (same as original Mobil1).

Several years ago, Castrol changed to a Group III (hydrocracked petroleum) basestock, without any notice, and without any decrease in price. They did it because it's much cheaper, so they make more profit. Mobil complained to an industry advertising arbitration board (not, as is frequently told, a court of law) that Castrol should not be able to call it a "synthetic." The industry arbitrators, marketeers all, saw an opportunity and took it. Now the public has no easy way of knowing what is truly a synthetic oil (i.e. started out as something which isn't oil), and the industry can make greater profit by selling cheaper basestocks as "synthetic."

Group III oils are very, very good. But they're also much cheaper to produce than Group IV synthetics. At equivalent cost, I'd stick with a true synthetic. I simply won't buy Castrol anything anymore, due to their disingenuous marketing. Shell Rotella T Synthetic 5W-40 is about $15/gallon at Wally world. It's a diesel/gasoline rated Group III oil, at a reasonable price.


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