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25 March, 2021

Total Lube Guide gives you the good oil

Choosing the right fluids for your car, and refreshing them regularly, is the best form of preventive maintenance. It makes driving more economical, safer, and the peace of mind makes it even more enjoyable. Total Oil says it’s not unusual for people to wind up with the wrong fluids in their cars — that can be irritating right through to disastrous. When you use Total, it’s not just the product you’re getting, it’s the service too.


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Total Oil NZ’s new Lube Guide will find the right motor oil, gear oil, axle oil, and brake fluid for almost any vehicle. Search with usual vehicle details or select make, model, and type from the options.

The beauty of Total Oil NZ is that we are both local, and global. Being the fourth-largest oil company in the world means we have access to the most advanced research facilities, while our local knowledge means we can speak your language too. Our customers know why we’re different — our unbeaten technical expertise and 24/7 support means you’re not just getting the best product, but the best service too.

The Total Oil NZ Technical team have been working hard to bring you the official Total / Elf New Zealand Lube Guide, officially up and running at totaloilnz.co.nz/lube-guide. It’s also available on the App Store (iOS) and Playstore (Android) to ensure you can get the right fit on-the-go.


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Our technical department consists of Tony Blackburn, Craig Foothead, and Bob Foothead, who all have an abundance of knowledge of all thing’s lubricants. 

Tony Blackburn, Technical Manager

Tony started with us back in the year 2000, having just celebrated 20 years with the company. ‘T’ has been here since the Oil Imports days, through to Oil Intel, and now Total Oil NZ. Tony has a vast background of knowledge, with years of experience as a mechanic for automotive, heavy diesel and agriculture. If you’ve got any questions, Tony is your go to guy! T has a ‘small’ addiction to cars, and when he’s not working in the office, you’ll find him working on his cars.

Bob Foothead, Technical Support

Bob, a chemist by trade, has been at the support office since 2013 in the role of Technical Support. With a wealth of knowledge up his sleeve, Bob has a passion for everything in the industry. From oil extraction and production, to specifications and characteristics, Bob is a walking dictionary of all things Total Oil. Bob is also taking the lead on our ‘Good People’ pillar, making corporate responsibility a priority to us all. Bob spearheads the Lubricant Container Stewardship programme (amongst many other things!) that pushes both us and other oil companies in New Zealand to eliminate oil container waste, for a clean, green Aotearoa.

Craig Foothead, Technical Support

Craig has been at the support office since 2018 in the role of Technical Support after 3 years in Auckland in the Operations position. Craig spearheads taking the recycling up Henderson road every fortnight or so. When not dealing with general day-to-day phone enquiries, Craig ensures safety and technical data sheets are up to date and compliant, all HSNO info is correct, compiles fleet lists and other projects like website tech info, and the great Lube Advisor. 

With the Lube Guide, you’ll be able to find the recommended motor oil, gear oil, axle oil, and brake fluid for many automotive applications: cars, scooters, motorcycles, trucks and buses, public works vehicles, leisure boats, and agriculture equipment. You’ll be able to check all our oil specifications through the Safety and Technical Data Sheets linked to each product.

Using the tool is simple: Search your vehicle with manual search or choose your make, model, and type from the selection. From there, you’ll receive lubricants recommended by our expert engineers for use with your vehicle.

If you need help, please contact the Total Oil NZ Technical team on 0508 345 678 or email [email protected]


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What else can the Total Oil NZ Technical Team help me with?

Support

  • Help desk: phone, website (chat), and email questions. From staff and customers for product applications, product crossovers and product options. 

  • Oil Monitoring Results: review of analysis and advising staff and customers of the findings if any issues are found. 

  • Fleet lists: checking over fleet lists for customers of oil recommendations made by staff. 

  • Training: technical training for staff, customers, distributors, and resellers on oil specifications and applications. 

  • Product Consolidations: review of current customer products with the aim of consolidation. 

  • Customer site visits: educational sessions, product application and review, equipment research, future planning, oil monitoring storage and dispensing.

Tools and Information

  • TDS & SDS: we maintain files for technical and safety data sheets, updating to the latest versions where available. These are routinely updated on the website. 

  • Product Bulletins: written by technical staff to advise of product changes in specification or approvals. 

  • Reference and tech library: we maintain a large database of reference materials for oils and OEM information. 

  • Lube Advisor: online website for oil applications. We are working on a New Zealand version and aim to have this live from February 2021.

Environmental

  • Oversee and manage the nationwide collection of Total drums and containers.

Research

  • Product range review: regular review of new and old products to try and cover market changes or requirements. 

  • Metal working fluids: concentration and PH testing. 

  • Trends: by product, marketing, OEM and competitors. 

  • Specialty Fluids: new marketing and opportunities.

  • Product trials.

Compliance

  • SDS & TDS updates to New Zealand H&S requirements. 

  • Product approvals: NZ Food Safety approvals both MPI and quality assurance.


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Grand Routier — in the french tradition

10 July, 2025

Sitting in Paddy and Patsy Williams’ Dunedin garage is a stunning example of one of these rare French grand routier sedans. It is a 1949 four-door Lago-Record Factory Berline sedan, to give its full name. Daughter Cath let us know how proud she was of her dad, who had been tinkering away in his garage on this car for so many years.
Without exaggeration, it has been a mammoth task. I first saw this Talbot-Lago in mid 2019. The long-nosed, sweeping, curved four-door saloon, clothed in its misty green metallic paint, was quite breathtaking. There’s more than a little English influence in it, too, harking back to company owner Tony Lago’s involvement in the Clement-Talbot-Darracq era. The long front wings and bonnet, usually multi-louvred, highlighted with artful touches of chrome bling, are typical of the era, but these were indeed luxury length. Interiors provided leather-clad, armchair-style seating and ample legroom, with touches of wood and surprising details such as dainty childproof interior locks — a far cry from today’s lozenge boxes.
Paddy, a retired civil and structural engineer, knows his way around a lathe. He has a well-equipped garage-workshop to assist in any machining tasks along with his other passion for restoring classic motorcycles.

The Great River Road

4 July, 2025

A few years ago my family, knowing my fondness for driving, gave me the book Unforgettable Road Trips: Thirty-Six Drives of a Lifetime by Martin Derrick. Most of the road trips listed take less than a day in places like Scotland, Monaco, and Australia, plus one in New Zealand. Most of these places were too far to go just for a short drive but four of them would take several days. My interest was piqued, and those four drives were added to the bucket list. To date, I have done three of them: ‘Route 66’ (USA 21 days), ‘State Highway 6’ (NZ 10 days) and ‘The Great River Road’ (USA 22 days). You can drive all of them in less time, but you could also fly over them. We wanted a decent immersion in their charms.
The great river referred to is the Mississippi. While the name conjures the deep south, the river actually starts at the bottom of the great lakes, before emptying into the Gulf of Mexico about 3800km later. The great road is more of a concept than a specific strip of tarmac, as you can drive down either side of the river on various routes. Regardless of which side you drive, time should be kept aside for detours to places such as Nashville, which is famous for something or other.