<VV> Conventional vs synthetic motor oils

[J R Read_HML]

My dad was buying Buicks in the mid '50s.  A '55 Century and a '57 Super. 
He used Mobil One in both.  It was TRUE synthetic in those days.  I remember 
the '55 leaving spots on the drive.  Not sure about the '57 - but probably 
yes.  In '60 he started buying Pontiacs.  None of those left drips that I 
can recall.  I don't know that it was the change of brands (of cars), I 
doubt it since they were both GM.  I suspect that the pan gasket material 
may have changed to accommodate the (somewhat) higher end buyers of GM cars 
who wanted to use synthetic oil.  I don't know when Mobil 1 was first 
available.  Would this have been the "early" years?

On the other hand, I got my driver license in late (Oct) 1958, so maybe that 
'60 Bonneville convert (bucket seats) just was not spending much time in the 
driveway!  I DO recall wearing out a set of butyl (sp?) rubber tires in 
about 10,000 miles.

Attachments (if any) are scanned with anti-virus software.

Later, JR
'61 Rampside Standard 4/110
'65 Monza Convertible 4/140
'66 beater Coupe - icemobile 4/140

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Jim Simpson" <simpsonj@bellatlantic.net>
To: <robert.vukas@jostens.com>
Cc: <virtualvairs@skiblack.com>
Sent: Friday, January 07, 2005 5:36 PM
Subject: <VV> Conventional vs synthetic motor oils


> The "leak" issue is not quite an old wife's tale or an urban legend, but 
> it comes close.  There is a basis for it -- when synthetic oils were first 
> introduced there were leak issues.  This was a result of the oils not have 
> the proper seal swelling additives.  That's been taken care of decades 
> ago, but the memory lives on.  Lots of these things stay around because of 
> some old-time mechanic's story or an article in a 1960 issue of Popular 
> Mechanics.  Long obsolete data!
>
SNIP
>
> Jim Simpson, Group Corvair