You are correct, there have been no lubricated related failures I am aware of on a 3800 and indeed I know of very few on any platform. It is a rare thing indeed.
That said, Im going to take exception with the statement that as long as you change your oil, you'll be fine. PLEASE PLEASE dont take this as an attack, bash, or anything like that, its nothing more than just a friendly debate, so please dont let it become anything more than that.
There is more to motor oil and just changing it regularly. You have to understand which motor oil works best in your engine with your driving conditions and style. You could take two identical Grand Prixs that are the same in each and every respect down to how they are driven, how far, how often and so on and it is likely one particular motor oil will work really well in one engine and have lesser results in the other.
The goal of any maintenance program is to maximize engine life while minimizing maintenance costs. And just changing the oil on a regular consistent basis doesnt take that into consideration nor may it be the best approach for all situations.
Scotty,
I do agree with you that you need to take into consideration the type and amount of driving that you do. But look back at your first statement: "there have been no lubricated related failures I am aware of on a 3800 and indeed I know of very few on any platform." The majority of cars nowadays are designed to last under most conditions. These cars are bought by people that goto JiffyLube, get the cheapest oil change, and do it whenever they get around to it, usually over the recommended oil change interval. And these engines hold up just fine.
Based on this, and me and my wife not driving in harsh conditions, I change our oil as I said before, every 3000 miles and with Valvoline 10W30. And I feel that this method would work great for most of the people on the board.
Again, I do agree that you need to consider how you drive, how often, temps, etc. But for our daily drivers vehicles, the above method work very well. Now if I ownded a show car that only got driven every couple weeks. Or if I had an 11 sec GTP that I took to the track on the weekends, I would consider looking into other oils. But this is not the majority of people on these boards. Most of the people on these boards, and that we talk to, drive their cars. While they may drive them hard from time to time, if they are setup properly with correct mods, they will not be subjecting the engine to any kind of conditions that warrant expensive oils with prolonged oil changes and expensive oil analysis.
Again, this is my opinion, and I always appreciate a friendly debate. And believe me, I have crunched the numbers. I know what it costs me to change my oil. And I know what it would cost me to run extended oil drain intervals with Amsoil. And I can do it cheaper with Valvoline oil from walmart and change it every 3000 miles. Call me old school, but this is what works for me. And I believe that this method will also work for the majority of other people that are going to read this and not cause premature engine failure.
Shameful I know, but I'm part of the old timer crowd.
I wouldn't use anything but the GM stuff, however, you know me.
