Oil Change in Daily Driver v. Oil Change in Project Car

Do you use the same oil as your daily driver or splurge on a high-performance or synthetic for your project car? Do you let the mileage go a little longer between oil changes on your daily driver?



If you are a DIYer, tell me what you do.

I use the same oil brand (but different weights) for both my cars. Pennzoil Platinum. It’s a group IV oil at low price. I use 5W-20 in the Mustang, 5W-30 in the Bronco. I use Motorcraft filters most of the time. I’ve had good luck with Purolater Pure One filters and K&N oil fiters (the nut welded to the end of the filter was genius). For the family TR6 we use regular dino Castrol 20W-50 (doesn’t leak as much) and Crossland filters

There should be no difference, although a very old car (60s-70s) does not need the latest spec oil.

Oil changes in project cars should be done on a time basis, since you do not accumulate very many miles on them. I would change once a year on a project car. On my daily driver it would be mileage driven, such as 3000-5000 miles depending on the drving pattern.

So much depends on what you are considering a “project car”. For my older muscle cars that are run on the street, I use straight weight 30 and I change it in the fall, just before storage. None of them accumulate enough miles to warrant a mid-season change. By changing in the fall, all of the particulates and acids are flushed out so the parts aren’t basking in it during the long “off-season” here. I have a couple of more modern sports cars that get the recommended oil and are changed on the same schedule.

My daily drivers go 7k-10k miles between changes.

Years ago Valvoline sold oil with the tag “Racing Oil”.Anything to it?

“Project car” could be a 1968 VW Bus you are painting flowers on to a 2005 Corrvet you are trying to double the horsepower.

In short you service each car according to it’s needs.

There should be no difference, although a very old car (60s-70s) does not need the latest spec oil.

How do you find oil that’s NOT of the latest spec?? There might be some old stock around that Wallmart is still selling, but when it’s gone everything oil you can buy is of the latest spec…(at least the multi-weight oils).

I don’t have a project car (waiting for my youngest to finish college). But if I did there would be no difference in oil. Just buy a good oil and good filter. My daily commuter I tend to keep for 300k+ miles…so I want to keep it lasting that long with the least amount of problems…great way to do that is using high quality oil and filters and change frequently.