There were a lot of vendors with neat stuff. Lots of vintage signs. Conspicuous by their absence was 30s-40s parts. The demographic is changing. The old guard is sadly fading away. In my early 50's, I feel the responsibility of carrying on the hobby. I really want to get the young folks amped up about old iron.
WTF , Randy? This is a thread for old , crazy shit that was marketed back in the day. Edit: that is Rusty Bones
Does anybody remember the additive called “Slick 50”? I remember seeing ads for it when I was in high school. I don’t remember much about it, but a counterman at the local NAPA telling me that their engine remanufacturer wore out a set of honing stones trying to hone a block that was “treated” with this stuff. Sent from my iPhone using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
Slick 50 reps used to set up at shows and would demonstrate with a small engine by treating it with their oil additive, running it, then stopping it, drain out ALL the oil, then run it again with no oil claiming it wouldn't damage the engine. I think Slick 50 is still on the market.
Slick 50, was an oil product with PTFE (Teflon, the stuff they coat on frying pans) added to it. I never used it, because all the advertising at the time was just a bunch of people stating that it was a miracle for them. Detractors, including the oil companies and engine manufacturers, stated that using it would void the product warranties. I did know people that used it and swore by it. There were other additive products as well, there was a chorinated parrifin product called Protec. If it sat in an engine being stored, the chlorine would corrode the metal internally, particularly the valves. Another product from the 60s, was called MolySlip. It used molydibdinum disulfate as the active ingredient, and the idea was that it would coat the bearings and the wear surfaces. Molydibdinum disulfate is still used today in heavy duty greases, so it is difficult to know if the product worked to reduce wear in an engine. I had a notice from one particular synthetic oil manufacturer, that these types of products would saturate the oil, and precipitate the additive package (the components added to the oil to increase life and combat corrosion) out of solution. My conclusion back then, was to let other people experiment with their engines. I used an SAE approved synthetic, and got all the advantages of more power, better mileage, longer life, and lower temperatures, without worrying if my engine was going to fail. Bob
IIRC,the FAA approved it(Slick 50) for use in aircraft engines.So it must have passed their testing.And I do remember those old adds. Good luck.Have fun.Be safe. Leo
I remember a guy down in central FL who ran a 6 cyl. Chevy on a little trailer with the sheet metal off and NO oil! Used to see him all over the place at flea markets and swap meets. He was selling some oil additive (I think it was "PYROIL").
Slick 50 is still in business, you can buy their engine treatment at Walmart https://www.walmart.com/ip/Slick-50...MI8-PP9fqZ4QIVgx6tBh26ZQ4pEAQYASABEgK_kPD_BwE
I ran a " water" injector back in the early 70's on a pickup with cab over camper. When I realized it only worked on high vacuum I also used a windshield sprayer pump and manual switch to the nozzle mounted under the air cleaner. Not as snake oil but I found that I could stop it over heating when towing by adding line on the top edge of the radiator with about 10 little holes drilled in it and running similar pump from a tank with water. When starting a long climb I could turn on the once in a while and cool the engine down.
I went to school with a guy that had a gadget in the trunk of his 61 Imperial, supposed to be a Gyroscope. Gyromatic or some such thing. I remember my stepdad trying to extend the life of the engine in his Lancer with an overhaul kit from JC Whitney that consisted of pellets you dropped in the spark plug holes to supposedly seal the rings and an oil additive that was probably motor honey. I had an early Bronco that the PO had put a new motor in and he swore by the Arco Graphite oil. Since that is what he had been using I continued to use it untill I could no longer find it. I sold that Bronco with 150,000 miles on that motor and still running strong when I sold it.
That is not quite correct. The FAA declared that it was FAA accepted, in other words you were allowed to use the product at your own risk. https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/pre...slick-50-are-false-and-misleading-ftc-charges Bob
Hi J-jock.Thanks for the info.It has been many years since I read that article.As time marches on,our memories get rather foggy it seems. Good luck.Have fun.Be safe. Leo
if you could bottle the methane from some of these stories you would have full tank at the ready.I am old enough to remember almost all
Remember the teflon oil additive in the 1970's? It was suppose to increase your mileage by reducing friction. I hooked up a tac to my engine and put a can of the super teflon in the oil with the engine running. The can was only about 4 or 6 oz. The engine RPM's immediately went up about 500 RPM. I tried this on 3 different cars with the same result. When I tried to buy more I couldn't find it anywhere. This was not Slick 50. WTF
you got to hand it to them good old bullshit did baffle brains and still does.if you believed it worked
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