I don’t recall it activating. Nor did the check engine light. So perhaps there is some modicum of oil remaining below what the dipstick can indicate.
Of some modest concern is whether or not low oil pressure indicators are of the same stripe as modern oil pressure gauges, which spare the expense of a sensor by merely simulating what the oil pressure should be in the ECU.
I’m not saying you can’t fix an older car if you know how/enjoy it/are attached or that new has to mean legitimately brand spanking new. You just need to look at it as a whole was my only point. My Camry only needed 1200-600 a repair but when calculated out over the course of 12-24 months it was about $350 per month to keep her running. Once the wiring harness on the engine went out it wasn’t a net gain for me to keep the car since it didn’t mean anything to me and the cost for the engine repair was the same as the down payment on a second vehicle. My truck was cheaper if I bought new once I deducted the 0% interest, maintenance package, and overall lifespan as compared to what a used one was going for and I’ve paid it off and paid for the next one (assuming there is one. I’m attached to it so will probably fix it when it goes down). My husband’s car on the other hand would be 2x as expensive new so he got a low mileage vehicle.
Theoretically, the bottom of the dipstick is “one quart low” so it may not be that bad. Being a little low can definitely make older hydraulic lifters noisy. I’ve got an '05 Mazda3 and I, um, have heard that somewhere (under my hood).
I’ll put some of Wally-World’s finest Super-Tech in it and we’ll see how it goes.
Which brings up my question. How much difference is there between cheap, conventional oil and expensive, conventional oil. Conventional, mind you, not synthetic.
No idea. Don’t expect this oil (nor filter) to have a long working life since there are almost certainly some metal shavings in circulation, so cheap seems appropriate.
EDIT: Looks like Mobil “Super” High Mileage is $14.16 and Chevron Supreme are $11.77 vs Super Tech at $11.44 or Super Tech Synthetic at $17.47.
As long as you meet the weight and minimum API rating in your owner’s manual, all you’re paying for is better detergent and additive packages. The API rating is two letters (currently SN) and you want one that’s equal to or later than yours in the alphabet. Like my old VW wanted API SF oil (burned into my memory) - so anything after that (SF, SG, SH …) would work, but SE or SD would not meet my car’s spec.
As long as you change your oil at the recommended interval, cheap (but up to spec) oil is ok to use.
I’ve run the yellow Pennsoil in my '00 Celica since 1st oil change, changing it every 5-6k miles. It just passed 260k a week ago. Last mechanic who opened up the valve cover said “I’ve never seen one this clean”. Changing it on time, checking/cleaning/replacing the PCV valve, and running a lot of highway miles counts for everything.
Might be an interesting experiment to cut open your filter and examine it for metal.
Auto Shop needs some of that fancy metallurgical analytical equipment so we can check what kind(s) of metal is in our oil. Also x-ray equipment to look for stress cracks. 
We’ll have to agree to disagree on that one; fixing a car (yourself or an ethical mechanic) is always provably cheaper than buying new or low-miles used. Note that I did not say “fix it at a dealership”.
For me the cost of the injuries outweigh the savings.
My optimism has been dampened. Added about 2qt of oil and the noises are little changed.
Not sure quite how representative the sound is with cellphone and the mic at the steering wheel. Driver’s window was open for better sound.
I’ll grab codes some other time, my cheap 'zon code reader willing.
That sounds an awful lot like a shot engine mount. The noise would get worse with increasing RPM if it were an engine problem. This sound sounds like something becoming resonant and clacking.
I don’t see a CEL, is it illuminated? If not, codes will likely not show anything. You’d need a true OBD-II scanner like the Autoenginuity (which Automotive needs).
Edit: Comparing the noise to the one that Brandon posted seems to indicate the same sort of bearing issue as that of the Lemons car. Good news is that there are a few people with experience in fixing this! 
Negative. CEL and oil pressure light illuminated obligingly on startup then similarly extinguished as is usual.
Wouldn’t a shot engine mount induce some vibration into the chassis?
I think I’ve posted this before:
Another one:
I’ll confess! I’ll confess!! Whatever you need me to confess to, I’ll do it! Just stop the torture!
That, in my opinion, is classic “lower end noise”. The bass profundo culminating in a mid-range clatter? Big end rod knock. I think the reason it’s “going away” when the RPM gets higher is that you had a relatively healthy engine until starvation ate the bearing, so once you get the oil pumping hard enough with enough RPM, it manages to fill the over-sized void where bearing material SHOULD be, and begins to operate “more normally”.
I would not start the engine again.
I would drop the oil pan, pull rod caps (the one furthest from the oil feed is the most likely victim), and assess the damage. IF you’re lucky, you could get away with new bearings (in my opinion, from behind the keyboard, that is unlikely; you will need a crank, and/or rod(s)). But there’s only one way to be sure, and that is visual inspection and/or quantitative measurements.
This is a tall order at my house with the vehicle parked in the street. The urge to fire sale the vehicle as a project car is growing stronger.
Yep. it’s a heck of a lot easier with a lift. Wonder where you could find that…
Seriously, you could probably talk someone into towing/trailering it in to DMS for minimal cost, where assessment would be much easier.
Or you could figure it’s already FUBAR (Fouled Up Beyond Any Repairing–what did YOU think it meant?) and drive it in for assessment. Obviously, that COULD make it worse/more costly. But if I’m right, and your crank and rods are already beyond usefulness, it won’t really matter until it becomes more catestrophic (i.e. actually throws the rod).
3rd option:
Engine blow @ DMS Picnic!
Not the one I’d use. Mine certainly isn’t G rated.
In all seriousness I think we (I used that term loosely) could get it to the space pretty easily & drop the bottom end.
