low-use oil change intervals

[David Pertuz]

My Fiat (yeah, I know, it's not an SE-R, but we like the list traffic, don't we) doesn't get driven more than about 1000 miles a year, so oil changes are based on time intervals rather than mileage. Or they would be if I didn't suck at getting stuff done when I should get it done. Right now it's got oil that doesn't have mroe than about 2k on it but it might be two years old now. I do, at least, practice proper warm-up and cool-down (it's a turbo) and make sure it has enough (it wouldn't be a Fiat if it didn't leak, after all). I've only driven it a few times so far this year - a couple of short drives in the city, and a trip out to the western burbs a couple of weeks ago to meet a friend. I want to drive it up a North Shore burb tomorrow night for a concert, but am angst-ridden about my non-oil-changing. I've got new oil (Shell Rotex or whatever that's called) and filter, but I have to track down a 12mm allen-head socket before I can do the job.

Question: just how bad of an old-Italian-car owner am I being? Do I suck completely, or only partly?

I'm probably really just looking for validation of what I want to do anyway, which is drive the car tomorrow. 

David
Chicago