Just your basic oil and filter change, please., And no thanks, I'm past the days of doing it myself. Options

[914Next]

So I don't put that many miles on my '73 but do change the oil once per year. I'm beyond the days of doing it myself. Just not worth the hassle of the mess and disposing of the oil.

I do have a very trusted independent service garage where I take my car for all service work. But it takes a bit more effort to make an appointment and drive the car out there since it is 12 miles away. And I'm not sure they even really want to mess with a simple oil d and filter change. Would be much easier to just zip down to a trusted oil change place and do it there. Am I making a mistake taking it to an oil change place and risking that they mess something up?

[ConeDodger]

So I don't put that many miles on my '73 but do change the oil once per year. I'm beyond the days of doing it myself. Just not worth the hassle of the mess and disposing of the oil.

I do have a very trusted independent service garage where I take my car for all service work. But it takes a bit more effort to make an appointment and drive the car out there since it is 12 miles away. And I'm not sure they even really want to mess with a simple oil d and filter change. Would be much easier to just zip down to a trusted oil change place and do it there. Am I making a mistake taking it to an oil change place and risking that they mess something up?

True story, a few years back, I planned on attending a PCA autocross weekend at Marina California. The car, a Boxster, needed an oil change. I was working all week so no time to do it myself. Friday, I took it to Jiffy Lube down the street. I noticed a lot of filling and checking going on, but the tech didn't approach me with questions and didn't state any concerns when they charged me and gave my keys back. I then drove the car to Marina with no problems. Saturday morning, I was in the second group and when it came my turn for my run, I gunned it and let out the clutch. Behind me as I came off the line was the biggest cloud of white smoke I had ever seen.
I left the course and limped it back to the pits, horrified that I had probably blown the engine and spent +- $10K. I opened the back engine lid and discovered oil everywhere. Upon closer inspection, I see the dip stick has been jabbed through the plastic tube going to the block. I instantly guessed what the guy had done. He kept checking it and because he had kinked and tore the plastic tube, it kept coming up dry. Let's just say, he put a shitload of oil in the car. I had to go to a service station in Monterey and have them drain it and refill it.
Bottom line, they don't screw up every oil change but if someone can screw up an oil change, it will be one of the oil change places.