In 1988 at 18 years old I ordered and purchased my first new car. A 1988 Mustang LX Notchback 5.0. Yeah it only had 225hp but it was a pretty fast and fun car! Wish I would have kept that car! and yeah I changed my oil in it every 3000 miles. 5000 in my Ranger.
Exactly.
The 3000 mile oil change is at least as old as the early 1950s. I have owned two Advance Design (1947-1955) Chevrolet pickups. These trucks did not have an oil filter installed at the factory, but had plugged ports in the engine block for an add-on filter. The add-on filter changed the recommended oil change interval from 1000 to 3000 miles. These filters were bypass units - not full-flow - so there was minimal risk of oil starvation at cold start. My Frantz aftermarket filter (still making bypass systems today, BTW) used a roll of toilet paper as the filter media.
I go every 6,000 for the Quick Lane Works package, and still have a lot of oil life index showing usually. Back in the Jet Age, my dad and most folks would get the oil changed every 1000-1200 miles, usually at a service station on his way to or from work. There were no self-serve, gasoline-only or convenience stores in my area at the time. It took only about 10 minutes and there was no multipoint inspection-interior vacuum etc. such.
I understand that and if you go back even further engines had external valve trains that oil dropped onto from a tank. But by the mid 60s manufacturers were no longer recommending 3000 mile oil changes. When Jiffy Lube arrived on the seen in the early 70s that had a large add campaign implying that your engine would self destruct if you weren't changing the oil on 3000 mile intervals.
I understand your point now. It seems likely that the introduction of PCV systems enabled longer OCIs. I think that was ‘66 in California, and a few years later for the rest of the USA. I didn’t get a license until ‘79, so I have no recollection of oil changes before then.
Every six months...Full synthetic Ford. 20 model with 10k just to be safe. Cheap insurance.
