1964 Help what type of oil

[Ezdarryl58]

Need help i have 1964 tbird landau with 41.000 original miles was my grandmothers. What type of oil should i use? As im trying to restore to as my finances allow

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[31Express]

Need help i have 1964 tbird landau with 41.000 original miles was my grandmothers. What type of oil should i use? As im trying to restore to as my finances allow

In these older engines I prefer Shell Rotella T4. This is a 15W40 conventional (not synthetic) that contains a decent amount of zinc--which 60's vintage engines appreciate. Been using it for years--and periodic oil analysis on a variety of engines has shown no issues as long as oil change intervals are reasonable. Hope this helps!

 

[Dj-Dan]

I use 10w 40 but that is the style oil I like in older cars. I definitely will not use synthetic.

 

[CHUCKIE]

In these older engines I prefer Shell Rotella T4. This is a 15W40 conventional (not synthetic) that contains a decent amount of zinc--which 60's vintage engines appreciate. Been using it for years--and periodic oil analysis on a variety of engines has shown no issues as long as oil change intervals are reasonable. Hope this helps!

I agree 100% with Ez, also add 3oz of Zinc additive at each oil change

 

[64ZCODE]

Agree with using the additive. I'm running Mobil 15w-50 full synthetic in my '64.

 

[Tomo66]

Hi its very important that you use a 10/40 oil with zinc additive older motors have flat bottom lifters these need the xtra lube from the zinc to prevent damage to the cam lobes

 

[64ZCODE]

By the way, the Mobil 15w/50 full synthetic has the zinc additive.

 

[10izboy]

Need help i have 1964 tbird landau with 41.000 original miles was my grandmothers. What type of oil should i use? As im trying to restore to as my finances allow

The Rotella T oil referred to in this thread is actually designed for use in Heavy Duty trucks. It will work in your car however you can also get zinc additives in any commercial well known brand. The specific additive is called Zinc dialkyldithiophosphate, commonly referred to as ZDDP. Within this family of additives an oil formulator will use a mixture of primary and secondary zinc additives to get the desired level of wear protection both short term and long term. Heavy Duty trucks have much longer oil drain intervals than passenger cars, thus the formula is biased more towards zincs that break down more slowly.
A passenger car motor oil is more suited to your car, however as mentioned earlier either will work satisfactorily.

Change your oil frequently, (as a minimum follow severe service recommended for your model) this includes both mileage and length of time and you will be fine. Buy whatever oil is on sale, (again stick to brand names, not "special" oils and you will be fine.

Several of the comments referred to which viscosity grade to use, and I would agree with the suggestion of using a 10w40 or a 10w30 oil. The lower number viscosity oils such as 0 W 20 or 5 W30 are designed to give better fuel economy to meet CAFE standards and not necessarily give optimum engine protection. If you drive a lot in high temperatures go for the higher viscosity grade (10W40), if not use the 10W30 as this has less polymer in it which directionally should mean fewer deposits.

Hope this helps.

 

[OneAmongOthers]

I use Lucas hotrod 10w 30 motor oil. Comes with the high zinc additive already in it. I also add in every other oil change a bottle of marvel mystery oil. Great stuff! Just pulled off my valve covers the other day and the valve train along with the top of the head is nice and clean.

https://lucasoil.com/products/hot-rod-high-performance/hot-rod-classic-car-10w-30-motor-oil

Give it a try! I have had nothing but great results with it!

 

[64ZCODE]

I've had really good results with Lucas products. I've used their octane booster for years, it's the only one that seems to work.

 

[larry64]

what is the preferred oil type/weight for a 64 w/390 engine 6.4 ltr

 

[FoxyRoxy]

I use Motorcraft 10w40 with a bottle of Lucas oil stabilizer. I'm not sure of the zinc content

 

[rponfick]

I have seen rave reviews on Valvoline VR 1, which has high zinc content, and is designed for flat tappet engines. And, it is not designed for diesel engines.