What Oil

[GT350AUS]

What a oil is recommended for use in an original 32,000 mile 428??

What oil is recommended for use in a rebuilt engine with 5000 miles?

[The Going Thing]

I prefer Brad Penn. I presume you have a flat tappet cam. The Brad Penn/ Penn Grade is the odd green oil. You won't have to buy the zinc additive either.

[GT350AUS]

I'm is Australia so we don't have that oil being sold here.

I'm more after the recommended weight of the oil 10w 40 or 20w 50 etc for an original 32000 mile motor?

[Royce Peterson]

I would use Valvoline Racing 20W-50 in warm weather. If you drive in winter maybe a 10W-30 VR will be more appropriate. Look at the recommendations in the owners manual for best results and use a brand of oil that has ZDDP in it if you cannot buy Valvoline Racing oil.

I'm is Australia so we don't have that oil being sold here.

I'm more after the recommended weight of the oil 10w 40 or 20w 50 etc for an original 32000 mile motor?

[427heaven]

This has been touched on a few times over the years so I will give my overview of parts for our cars. Not to come off as a smart ass but lets go back 50 plus years ago and look at what was being used then. These cars with these engines 289, 302, 351, 390, 428,  were produced in the millions upon millions. They didn't require special anything... 30 weight oil was the standard back then, and this is when these cars were used on a regular basis and went 100,000 miles relatively trouble free. Now most of our cars are used on a infrequent occasional basis which is even better for longevity. So a quick answer would be what ever is on sale at your local auto parts store. Many people like to run 20 dollar a quart racing oil, 20 dollar a gallon race gas, race plugs, carbs, tires you name it because it is expensive they feel it is better. Street cars don't need these items but if you feel it is necessary to buy the race stuff it will possibly make you feel better but these cars wont run any better in stock trim. Just my 2 cents.....

[rhjanes]

I use 10W40 in a Vavoline, year round here in Hot Texas USA.  I don't use the racing oil, just regular 10W40.  The racing oils leave out a lot of the detergents because, hey, racers change their oil after most races so sludge buildup isn't an issue.  My cars sit....more than they should.  So I want a higher detergent.  For a time, I was using Shell Rotella (Diesel) oil as it has high detergent (diesels love to dirty their diaper...I mean oil) and also had the Zinc.  Well here in the USA, they dropped the zinc in the Shell.  SO, back to Vavoline for my yearly oil change.  I found that my local store also has a Lucas Oil additive which is high Zinc.  It is the pint of "Lucas Break In additive".  It's not cheap and you should allow for the pint it will add to your oil capacity.

Just another option. 

Also, not sure if you have NAPA auto parts stores in Australia, but the NAPA branded oil....read the fine print.  "Refined by Ashland Oil Refinery".  Ashland IS Valvoline.  So when I was saying "Vavoline", it is the NAPA branded.

I've also used the Castrol High Mileage oil as some reports had it testing well. 

[Bigfoot]

I'm running exactly what Royce offered as advice. Used the VR1 for a long long time. It has the Zinc and you can buy it discounted in 5q bottles.

[oldcanuck]

I run Shell Formula 10w40 and add my own ZDDP so I know it is in there.

Usually Redline or one of the other brand name ZDDP additives. I use Shell since that what the PO ran during his ownership, and he believed the PO told him the same thing. I also like the detergent package that Shell has.

I'm sure some of the specialized oil distributors contents are accurate, but like a friend schooled me long ago.... I don't trust them, I'll put it in myself and then I know it's in there. I certainly could not disagree with him.

[FL SAAC Team Leader]

+ 1

We use Mobil 1. synthetic 15W50 that  has zinc in it

Once a year oil change

This has been touched on a few times over the years so I will give my overview of parts for our cars. Not to come off as a smart ass but lets go back 50 plus years ago and look at what was being used then. These cars with these engines 289, 302, 351, 390, 428,  were produced in the millions upon millions. They didn't require special anything... 30 weight oil was the standard back then, and this is when these cars were used on a regular basis and went 100,000 miles relatively trouble free. Now most of our cars are used on a infrequent occasional basis which is even better for longevity. So a quick answer would be what ever is on sale at your local auto parts store. Many people like to run 20 dollar a quart racing oil, 20 dollar a gallon race gas, race plugs, carbs, tires you name it because it is expensive they feel it is better. Street cars don't need these items but if you feel it is necessary to buy the race stuff it will possibly make you feel better but these cars wont run any better in stock trim. Just my 2 cents.....

[gt350hr]

   VR1 20-50 is a good "off the shelf" oil available most anywhere.  Engines already "broken in" do not require the same high levels of ZDDP as the camshaft has already been broken in so a lower zinc level oil can be used. "Original " engines ( still running AS BUILT) were "designed" for 30 wt conventional oil and at 32,000 is what I would look for. Hotter climates can use 40W. IF you can't get a "single weight" oil , 20-50 is the closest thing. Oil for a non racing application is pretty straight forward. "I" stay away from synthetics except in "modern" ('85 up ) engines built around the 5-20 style oils. I have used Mobile 1 without ANY issue. The particular brand is user choice. Oils are blended to a "specification" strictly adhered to so there is little difference but it does vary a bit in thermal viscosity change.
"Race" engines have more stringent requirements.

[shelbydoug]

Mobil 1 of today is not the Mobil 1 of the '70s. It has been reformulated and the ZDDT content reduced. You need to read the contents on the can. I think that the 20-50 is the "old" zddt content, whereas the 10-40 was reduced.

I found that STP in the blue can contains a substantial quantity of the stuff whereas the 10-40 was reduced.

After suffering a couple of cam lobe failures I suspect that maybe the issue is that you don't really know at what point the cam is entirely "broken in"?

You are better off with too much rather then too little. It was reduced in content in order to protect catalitic converters which tend to get contaminated by the zddp from blow by. If you aren't running a cat, then you can't hurt the engine with too much but you can hurt it with too little.

You need one can of the blue STP per 5 quarts of oil.

You will see the stuff when you change the oil. It will appear as a grey residue floating on the oil.


You do not want to run racing oil on the street. The main difference is it has no detergents in it and a street car needs them.

[FL SAAC Team Leader]

We dont like to add additives to the oil, just cant gauge what results you will have one it's in.

We have used Mobil 1 15W50 for years on our 428s it has 1200-1300 levels

Want to go higher? Use their racing oil

Ranges from 1600 to 1850. We dont use it , we dont race.

Mobil 1 of today is not the Mobil 1 of the '70s. It has been reformulated and the ZDDT content reduced. You need to read the contents on the can. I think that the 20-50 is the "old" zddt content, whereas the 10-40 was reduced.

I found that STP in the blue can contains a substantial quantity of the stuff whereas the 10-40 was reduced.

After suffering a couple of cam lobe failures I suspect that maybe the issue is that you don't really know at what point the cam is entirely "broken in"?

You are better off with too much rather then too little. It was reduced in content in order to protect catalitic converters which tend to get contaminated by the zddp from blow by. If you aren't running a cat, then you can't hurt the engine with too much but you can hurt it with too little.

You need one can of the blue STP per 5 quarts of oil.

You will see the stuff when you change the oil. It will appear as a grey residue floating on the oil.


You do not want to run racing oil on the street. The main difference is it has no detergents in it and a street car needs them.

[deathsled]

+ 1

We use Mobil 1. synthetic 15W50 that  has zinc in it

Once a year oil change

Zinc is important to maintain testosterone levels in your engine.

[shelbydoug]

YES, 20-50 HAS MORE ZDDP. I need to review what I've got in there right now. It might be  10-30 Mobil 1? It's a new engine (less then 100 miles) and has a road race pan on it.

With the oil cooler, pan (8 quarts) and oil lines it's either 10 or 12 quarts.  I know it needed more zddp so it's probably 10-30. I've got to read the tag on the engine. I need to review. It  may be the Pantera that has a 12 quart system? I think so. I believe that's a 10 quart pan?

The Granatellis wouldn't lie to me?

I think it was 400 units of zddp added per each can of STP  blue. That isn't on the shelf in California. You can't buy it in California. It causes cancer there.

It has to get shipped in. Everything causes cancer in California. I'm glad I'm in NY. It's much less cancer prone.


I have a long history of Mobil 1 going back to the '70s. Other then the reformulation caution, I'd recommend it to all.

The best oil of all time was Wm Penn, Pensylvania grade but although the brand still exists, the blend doesn't. That stuff was black coming out of the can. You could hear the dead dinosaurs roar if you listened closely enough. Your hands would be black from handling it.

For me it didn't cause cancer, just brain damage.

[FL SAAC Team Leader]

Yup, lmao !

"The zinc and phosphorus ingredients appear to be most effective when they are used together. ZDDP/ZDTP is one of many additives that are put into conventional motor oil to improve its lubrication qualities." 

Tech 101: Zinc in oil and its effects on older engines | Hemmings Daily
https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2012/10/18/tech-101-zinc-in-oil-and-its-effects-on-older-engines/

+ 1

We use Mobil 1. synthetic 15W50 that  has zinc in it

Once a year oil change

Zinc is important to maintain testosterone levels in your engine.