Duckhams

[Bluebell]

In my childhood Duckhams supplied a lot of motor oil to the boatyards of the Norfolk Broads. This little known product “Adsil” was also sold to ease saw blades on damp wood. I remember as a kid Ernie and Alan Royall using it on timber for their wooden boats.

I found this one today in the garage - must about 50 years old!

[Timbo]

There is in fact an old bottle of Adsil still in amongst the 'gubbins' that was found wedged at the back of one of Royal Tudor's lockers!

[SPEEDTRIPLE]

Back in the 80s, i used to mechanic for a sidecar racing team, with my mate Dave as pilot, and Andy (who is still racing slidecars) as passenger. My mates name was David Carnell, and his father, Ron Carnell, was the competition manager for Duckhams Motor Oils. Needless to say, i used to have a lot of Duckhams clothing, T shirts, jackets, overalls, etc etc. My shopping bill for clothes back then was remarkably small.

[JanetAnne]

What amazes me is that, after 50 years, it's still clean!

50 weeks in my garage and it would be covered in dust, shavings, grinding sparks, dented, knocked over, flicked with paint and varnish and probably rusty! 

 

[Bluebell]

Probably says more about me than I would want to admit to😇

[Turnoar]

Was Castrol “liquid engineering” promoted by ***** cats, tigers etc, or was that Duckhams? I suppose given there hasn’t been an oil crisis since the 70s could be the reason you don’t see the adverts on the telly these days? My dad used to keep the old gallon cans to put the old oil in... and pour into the odd wasps nest and set fire!

[Bluebell]

1 minute ago, Turnoar said:

Was Castrol “liquid engineering” promoted by ***** cats, tigers etc, or was that Duckhams? I suppose given there hasn’t been an oil crisis since the 70s could be the reason you don’t see the adverts on the telly these days? My dad used to keep the old gallon cans to put the old oil in... and pour into the odd wasps nest and set fire!

 Yeah liquid engineering was definitely Castrol. Castrol was owned by BP and subsequently bought Duckhams.

[ChrisB]

Duckhams were the first to produce a multigrade engine oil and the name "Adsil" is still used for a range of high performance (clear I believe) protective coatings. When I worked for Courtaulds Coatings (International Paint) we lived in constant fear of cross contamination between divisions that silicon could get into regular industrial finishes. We would not even allow silicon cleaners in the offices and certainly not silicon lubricants in the plant.

I always understood that is why GRP should be waxed not silicon polished. Waxing reduces the need for "Grinding Back" should the substrate ever need painting.

[BuffaloBill]

Duckham's was my oil of choice for my motorcycles back in the day.

A bit of Castrol R in the petrol tank too made for a great smell when

going down the road!

[ChrisB]

Nothing like the fragrance of "R" in the tank. I used to put it in all my sport cars, smelt like the racetrack. Pretty sure it was vegetable based.

[Poppy]

56 minutes ago, ChrisB said:

Nothing like the fragrance of "R" in the tank. I used to put it in all my sport cars, smelt like the racetrack. Pretty sure it was vegetable based.

Castor oil

https://www.motorsportmagazine.com/archive/article/july-2000/55/castrol-r

[Cockatoo]

When I was a kid we used to drink a pint of "Duckhams"

A pint of Abbott with a Coke top! It had that distinctive swirly appearance of the oil :)

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