Better oil than Valvoline for new engine?

[slipnfall]

Hi Folks, I'm at roughly 1100mi on my DE rebuild and am considering switching oil around 3k. The oil has been changed twice since then(gas flooded into oil before I got it running, and again at 500mi). I have always used Valvoline 10W30, mainly because it's not the 'bottom shelf special', and it's reasonably priced; sometimes WalMart has 5gal's on sale for $6-7. I assume you get what you pay for when it comes to oil? Anyways, I'v noticed that the oil is very black, even a couple days after the change, so I'm wondering if Valvoline is doing a good job. I guess I'm sorta stuck between two rocks when it comes to oil. I don't like the expense of a full synthetic, but if it will help prolong the life of this engine, it's worth it. However I still like the peace of mind changing oil at 3-4k. The next best up at my local auto store is Mobil 1 petro, but it's almost $19/gal. So what oil would you recommend I use, and when(if at all), should I switch? Using OEM filters BTW. I know there are plenty of technical oil threads, but I'd just like a straight forward answer. I should note that I drive reasonably hard, and will be in NM climates. This is a daily driver BTW. Also I need to be able to find it at local autoparts stores.

Thanks for any input!-Slip

::edit:: 1gal containers at walmart, not 5gals! ::edit::

[SMoKeM240]

mine does the same thing, i changed mine alot and its always black.. i have around 1500 miles on mine, and when do i switch to synth

[skatanic28]

i've been using valvoline durablend for the last few years. its pretty reasonably pricey, and no problems with gunk/sludge so far that ive seen.

[jgtc_s14]

i use amsoil it stays the light syrup color for like a month. its been like 4 months now and its pretty black time for an oil change

[sanioll]

just use mobil 1 0w-40 if u got a turbo was it like 10w-40 or 20w-40