ok my 68 coupe has a newish 302 in it....it originally came with a 289 but the previous owner bought a long block and had a speed shop build him the 302 to drop in a year or two ago....

do u think these guys were wise enough to use synthetic or switch to it or whatever...??? its got about 8 thousand miles on it according to the guy....what kind of oil should i get for it...i dont know whats in it right now...it needs an oil change just because i dont know when the last time it was changed and i want to take PRE-cautions....not wait til something bad happens.

 

I would recommend a synthetic oil with a Wix filter. Redline, Amsoil, Royal Purple and others make a quality oil. I'm using Royal Purple in my Mach simply because I can get it at the local car parts place and don't have to go through a dealer. Royal Purple is rated on the top, so it must be pretty good stuff.

 

alright, how much do you think i should get?

 

If you go through a dealer, it's usually cheaper by the case. However, if you don't want to spring for that much right now, your car holds 5 quarts with the filter change, so get 6 so you have some to add if she burns a little. Royal Purple is around 7 bux a quart, whereas Amsoil and Redline are closer to 5 bux,,,,,maybe 5.50 - 5.65. It's been awhile since I have used amsoil, so I don't remember exactly.

 

what weight or whatever?

 

10-30 od 10-40 will be fine. Just my $.02 on conventional oil.... there is nothing wrong with it. Here are three examples of high milage engines the have been run on nothing but conventional oil since new: My 84 Porsche 944, 178k on the clock, never been apart and runs great. My 96 Ford ranger 2.3, 171k, never been apart runs great, my 95 Explorer 4.0 138k, same as the others. Don't get me wrong, synthetics are great but modern conventional motor oil has come a long way. It's not junk, just change it regularly.

 

10W30

 

Yeah, 10-30 is probably the most popular weight, and with synthetic, the same holds true. I run 5W20 in my Mach because that is what Ford recommends. I run 10-40 dino oil in my 65. Yes, synthetic is far superior to dino oil. A little research and some studying will make you realize that. The controversy seems to be whether or not synthetic oil will last longer than dino oil so you don't have to change it so often such as every 3K miles. The synthetic guys say you can run it for 5K, then change the filter and run it for another 5K. Lots of studies have been done to say that is true. Same for the tranny and differential. No one can argue that synthetic runs cooler and lubricates better than dino. The reason I am still running dino in my 65, is that the engine tranny and differential have never been touched, and the gaskets and seals re 42 years old, but still not leaking.