Dear Tom and Ray:

Please don't think this is a crank letter. This is for real. I have a friend who has a 1979 van with over 110,000 miles on it, and he's never changed the oil! He put something on the filter that holds a roll of toilet tissue, then he just changes the roll of toilet tissue every so often and adds a quart of oil. It's still running well and it doesn't burn any oil. I'm not a mechanic, but I can't fathom anything like this. -- Howard

Tom: It IS hard to believe, isn't it? I mean, that a guy would actually change a roll of toilet paper. Our wives have never heard of another instance of this taking place anywhere in the free world.

Ray: Actually, the device you speak of is called a Frantz oil filter. Frantz is a little company out in California someplace, where all the other wackos are. And the device does exactly what you say. It uses a roll of standard-issue (preferably unscented) toilet paper as either a primary or extra oil filter. The oil gets filtered through this roll, which Frantz claims filters out dirt and small particles better than traditional oil filters.

Tom: And we know people who claim it works, too. But who really knows? The kind of people who would use a device like this to extend the life of their engines are probably people who are extremely finicky and careful about their cars in the first place. They probably drive them gently and do a lot of regular maintenance. And who knows whether the car is still running because of that stuff or because of the Charmin next to the engine block?

Ray: We have to assume that the major automotive companies are familiar with this product, and continue to believe that modern-day oil filters and regular oil changes are more effective ways of increasing the life of their engines. But we'll keep our eyes on the Wall Street Journal.

Tom: And if we see Ford, Chrysler or GM make a hostile play for White Cloud, we'll assume Frantz is onto something.

Spending a little money now on "preventive maintenance" can save you big bucks down the road. Find out how by ordering Tom and Ray's pamphlet "Ten Ways You May Be Ruining Your Car Without Even Knowing It!" To order, send (check or money order) to Ruin, P.O. Box 536475, Orlando, FL 32853-6475. You can also order online.

© 1996 by Tom and Ray Magliozzi and Doug Berman Distributed by King Features Syndicate, Inc.

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