Even today in Pakistan you can buy oil cheaply - go to a proper truck stand or some nice franchised lube shop (mohmand oil in karachi e.g.) and you can buy oil considerably cheaply - they would pour from the drum not the bottle. (its considerably cheaper)
In Pakistan its the sheer abuse that kills our engines, not cheap oils. A warm engine will have oil at correct temperature that will steam off any water formation in the oil as the engine runs. Run it cold and your oil turns into acidic cutting material rather than lubricant