Oil for Classic Car

Personally, I'd use a 10W30, and if you find that your oil pressure is lower than you'd like, move to 10W40. If it's a mild cam, it likely doesn't have anything too wild for valve springs, so you shouldn't need a high-ZDDP oil or additive. Any quality oil should be fine.
 
In my classic Beetle I use Valvoline High Zinc racing oil 20W-50. I’d probably go with a high zinc oil in a classic. Maybe 10W-30 or 10W-40 or even the 20W-50.
 
xW-30 or xW-40 depending on what kind of oil pressure it has. Any modern motor oil will be light years better than what was available when that motor was designed. Personally, I would use a name brand full synthetic and drive it. This was not a high performance engine and it originally had a low lift cam with low pressure springs, so don't worry about super high ZDDP levels unless it was built high pressure valve springs (doubtful).
 
Well, I am a fan of Rotella in a classic car. Good ZDDP levels, no worries about catalytic converters, inexpensive. I change it based on time, not miles, so, inexpensive is a consideration.

Full disclosure, the Packard engine is coming out this spring for a rebuild due to a rod bearing failure. That’s due to an overheat, and soft Babbitt bearings, not an oil problem. I’ve got a couple of jugs of Rotella T6 bought on sale for when she is back on the road.
 
I use plain old 30 wt in my 65 VW bug in summer and winter. Only take 2.5 qts. No filter other than a rock catcher so 2K changes is what I do. I too would use 10-40 Castrol GTX in that motor you have.
 
I would use either Mobil 1 or similar synthetic oil in 10w30 or 10w40
Todays synthetic oils are high quality products
 
Amsoil Z-Rod is what I use in my 59 Ford with a 352. Also, M1 15w-50 is well suited to classics to get some oil pressure.
 
First of all, there are many recent topics asking essentially this same question. Doing a forum search is the best way to get a comprehensive overview of the subject. That said, Mobil 1 0w-40 and Mobil 1 15w-50 are two good choices. I’ve been using one or the other of them for about 25 years; in my own classics, and in customer’s cars in the restoration shop I worked at. Never any oil related issues and no measurable wear.

I wouldn’t recommend a diesel oil, or any Dino oil over those two M-1
products.
 
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Another vote for Castrol GTX 10W40. Now available as SP.

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RamblerMatt said:
I have a 64 AMC Rambler Classic 550 with a 287v8. I just bought it, it's motor was rebuilt with a mild Cam. What kind of oil and weight should I use?
Click to expand...
Nothing special required. Pick a good 10W30. Like Quakerstate.

Not 5W30. Rebuilt a Buick GS 340 a couple years ago.

She was happy with a chevron mulitifleet 10W30 now going to QS.

Hopefully you got good lifters, many are absolute junk.
Does mild mean sleepy factory grind with around 100lb seat?
 
I would be running GTX High Mileage 5W-30 in this. There's no need for anything special, just a solid, serviceable oil.
 
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