Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

clan chieftain · Joined: 05 Apr 2008 Posts: 2041 Location: Motherwell

Oil for older cars..20/50 or SAE 30 are becoming harder to get now off the shelf unless you want a cheap 5 litre can at £3. I havent seen Duckhams 20/50 or CastrolGTX for ages. Comma do a Classic oil. I suppose its just a matter of time before the blue antifreeze gets phased out as well as many cars now have the long life red antifreeze, Sign of the times probably or a gentle way of phasing us off the road. Crying or Very sad

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The Clan Chieftain

ukdave2002 · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 4276 Location: South Cheshire

I don't buy the theory that its a way of getting us off the roads, its just simple supply and demand economics. As demand declines products just move from being supplied by mainstream outlets to niche specialists, and yes price will go up as production volume's decrease.

The more folk we can introduce to our world the larger the demand for these products will be, with more competitive interest in supplying them.

Have a look at Morris Lubricants website, they have all sorts, even oils specially for steam engines!
Very Happy

http://www.morrislubricants.co.uk/scripts/default.asp

exbmc · Posted: Fri Jan 08, 2010 11:02 pm Post subject: oil

I always use Millers oils, good quality stuff. They do a classic range too.
millersoils.com
We also use their classic sae30 in the engine and gearbox of a 1957 Ruston narrow gauge loco. www.steeplegrange.co.uk if you like that sort of transport too!

Ashley · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1426 Location: Near Stroud, Glos

I use fully synthetic 5/40 in my Bentley and my Bristol because I researched the advantages is has over conventional oil and then checked with Chemists in the big companies.

1. It stays stuck to the insides of your engine for longer so gives greater protection on start up.

2. It is thinner when cold so gets everywhere quicker on start up.

3. It withstands higher temperatures and pressures than conventional oil so is better at protecting the tops of bores, camshafts and tappets and voiding seizures in engines with marginal cooling systems.

4. It's thicker when hot so helps maintain oil pressure.

5. it is less inclined to dissolve in petrol so protects flooded engines better.

6. It reduces friction and therefor decreases fuel consumption and increase power, but not by much.

BMW did extensive tests with a 328 some years ago and after 1,000,000 miles found the engine was still in spec.

R-R announced that with any one of their engines, if it was used after a rebuild, it would probably never wear out again.

That did it for me!

Ash

peter scott · Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 7216 Location: Edinburgh

Ashley · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1426 Location: Near Stroud, Glos

I expect you had to dig to find the information as well.

Says a lot for the communication skills of the "creatives" in the marketing departments of oil companies.

Ash

Jim.Walker · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 1229 Location: Chesterfield

The economics of using fully synthetic oils in older engines puzzles me, except where Manufacturers specify nothing else or (maybe), when exceptionally high annual mileages are concerned.

My highest mileage car has run on Duckhams 20/50 for well over 100,000 miles and now with over 150,000 miles on the clock runs as well as ever and never needs topping up between oil changes AND the oil pressure is up to spec. If I had used fully synthetic oil (although it was not available when I bought the car) I would have spent enough to have bought several reconditioned engines. So have I lost or gained economically?
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Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

Ashley · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1426 Location: Near Stroud, Glos

The_Boy_Richie · Joined: 04 Jan 2010 Posts: 45

You could still get the Duckhams 12/50 at the autojumbles last season.
Appears that the prices range from about £12 upwards.

Last time I went to Moss I picked up 5 litres of Unipart 12/50 for the same price.

47Jag · Posted: Sun Jan 10, 2010 2:28 pm Post subject:

Ashley,

Where do you get fully synthetic for £2 a pint??

Art

Ashley · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1426 Location: Near Stroud, Glos

Here:

http://www.jeclarke.co.uk/

dalbuie · Joined: 24 Dec 2007 Posts: 408 Location: Gullane

I found a good report on oil a month or so back from Castrol, a copy of which is below.

http://www.volvoclub.org.uk/castrol_with_zddp.shtml

Castrol Classic oil is far cheaper than their synthetic oils and yet they push the classic motorist towards their cheaper classic oils. Why would they do this if it wasn't the correct oil for the job?

buzzy bee · Joined: 23 Nov 2007 Posts: 3382 Location: South Cheshire

Hi

I can second morris oils. Knowing the company, and the descendants I can't see them getting rid of oils suitable for older things!!

Cheers

Dave

Jim.Walker · Joined: 27 Dec 2008 Posts: 1229 Location: Chesterfield

Some Castrol information goes further than recommending the cheaper/older oils. They also state that fully synthetic oils are not suitable for older cars!
_________________
Quote from my late Dad:- You only need a woman and a car and you have all the problems you
are ever likely to want". Computers had not been invented then!

Ashley · Joined: 02 Jan 2008 Posts: 1426 Location: Near Stroud, Glos

But Rolls-Royce do recommend them for all their engines after a rebuild.

IMO the evidence clearly shows the benefits of fully synthetic oils and if you can ever get through to a proper chemist in an oil company and ask the right questions, he'll tell you that, but the marketing depts seem to contradict them.

The fact is that most of us don't do huge mileages and all modern oils are far better than the originals, so if you don't use fully synthetic, you're unlikely to be able to show that wrong oil choice was the reason for any problem, if you have one, so I'd do what ever you like and not worry about it.

Ash