Oil for Classic Car

Pennzoil motor oil
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 10w30 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, Mobil 1 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 Conventional 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?
 
Welcome to the forum, RamblerMatt. Here's another vote for Rotella 10w30. My second choice would be Castrol GTX or High Mileage GTX.
 
I would be running GTX High Mileage 5w30 in this. There's no need for anything special, just a solid, serviceable oil.
 
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