I have 1964 corvette,1951 ford rebuilt orig eng and 1951 ford rebuilt 351w which each get about 100-200miles a year.they are driven,or least eng started every 3-4 weeks year round. how often should I change oil and coolants?
If they were my cars, I would change the oil every year and the coolant every two years.
With todays lubricants and coolants, once every 3 years should be more than enough… Others will say once every year whether they need it or not but that would be a waste of resources and money…Once started, these vehicles should be driven for at least a half hour to completely warm them up. This will keep condensation out of the crankcase. If you don’t intend to drive the cars, don’t start them…
You should really talk to owners of classic cars that are driven very little in a year. I’d change the oil once a year.
Modern coolants are much better than what was available when these cars were designed and built. I’d suspect you can go 3 to 4 years with coolants available now.
Differential lube, trans fluid, power steering, and brake fluids are things I’d change at the same interval as the coolant.
Unfortunately fluids deteriorate just sitting there. Hoses, and belts do too. Driving the cars more might be better for them and won’t change the fluid change intervals.
I’d suggest adding fuel stabilizer at every fill up. Modern gas breaks down faster than fuels from the good ole days.
It would depend on the storage conditions. If stored in a garage that has more or less constant temperature and you are not in a wet area (Think Washington State) I would go with one per year. If you don’t have a good storage space, I would go for twice a year. Just how expensive is it to change the oil. That is likely overkill, but hey, oil is cheaper than a new 64 Vet.
Hi,
I am the tech manager at Fram and Prestone and also the owner of several classics. I change coolant every two years and change the oil once a year using Mobil 1 oil and a Fram extended guard filter. Pricey yes, but the cars are worth alot when well maintained