This is a view of the factory maintenance recommendations for 1920s Studebakers. Please take note of the oil change intervals listed at the bottom of the page. Other manufacturers’ recommendations were essentially identical.
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Well I was going through a county historical book and along with a copy of ads for ford, Chev, and Buick, was one for the whippet. I think early 30s. Had never heard of one before. There was a corresponding article of a woman who nearly called off her engagement because she thought her betrothed was using profane language all the time like gol darnit. Discovered it was just the frustration of trying to keep the whippet running. I’m sure he bought a ford and they had a long happy marriage.
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Notice to in the Studebaker owners manual, instructions to double clutch when shifting up.
I was curious about why different gear box lube required for two wheel vs four wheel brakes. Wonder too how much the four wheel option cost.
3 pages from the 1914 Buick owner’s manual. Note maintenance required every day, week, month and yearly engine overhauls!
If Buicks were the Doctor’s car, Doc needed a full time handyman/mechanic!
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I imagine that driving a vehicle in 1920 for 300 to 500 miles was considered “Severe Service” back then, Think of the condition of most roads in 1920, almost all dirt or mud and just how long did it take to drive that many miles… They did not drive cars like we do today. And then there is the consideration of the engines also, probably a lot of oil dilution from gas and then the engine condensation…
Below is Studebaker’s first six cylinder, called the “Big Six” at 288CI. It was introduced in 1913 and remained in production until 1928.
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Look at all that free-space in the Studebaker Big Six engine compartment ! You could set up a bowling alley in there and still have plenty of room … lol … my 62 Ford Galaxy had a straight six and it also had a lot of unused space in the engine compartment, diy’er jobs pretty easy.
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I remember looking under the hood of a 57 Chevy sedan that a friend’s brother owned. You could stand under the hood with feet in the ground on either side of the engine and between the hood and grill.
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As this thread started, it’s really important to remember how often those cars in the 50’s and 60’s needed maintenance and how big a deal it was when one got over 100,000 miles. Today 150,000 miles is pretty unremarkable, at least outside the rust belt.
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Fortunately most folks don’t remember when an “oil change & lube” meant not only changing the engine oil on my 1952 but also meant oiling the air filter, the distributor, the dashpots, the windshield wiper motor, topping off the shocks and greasing the suspension, the driveshaft, the steering rack and the water pump. Additionally, there was also the regular brake and clutch adjustment.
And yeah, there was much more room under the hood and under the chassis but you were under there much more often and it was never a pleasant job.
Maybe it’s just me but I suspect that the current obsession with engine oil and oil changes is because that’s the only maintenance item that needs to be done on a regular basis. 
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I think you hit the nail on the head. It reminds me of how some stereo fans obsess over the type of wires used to connect up their speakers.
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Oil back then was nowhere near the oil it is today or oil 50 years ago. Oil change interval will increase drastically if they used a modern day oil designed for that engine. If you used that oil in today’s engines, you’d need to change it every 500 miles also.
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What 1952 car had a steering rack? Just curious.
Original Harleys “changed oil” constantly…it was literally blowing out the exhaust which was aimed at the chain…yeah, they used the heavily oil laden exhaust to lube the drive chain!
I’ll bet you it would destroy the engine in short order.
I suspect he meant tie rods, pitman arm, etc.
That peaked my “research interest”. BMW invented rack and pinion steering in the 1930s. MGs had them in cars imported into the US as early as 1951. Likely other English brands imported did as well.
Not at all. People have been restoring those engines for DECADES. You’re always better off using a better/newer/improved oil.
What motor oil is best in a Ford Model A? What about zinc? ZDDP? (youtube.com)
I was thinking the old oil in a new engine.
Once again Mustangeman is correct, mine is a 1952 MG but practically all the sportscars of that era used Rack & Pinion instead of Recirculating Ball. The trade offs were more precise steering, lower weight and cheaper to make vs more effort.
Regarding the oil (STZ), the engine factory specs were for 30 weight and frequent changes which was fine because the engine clearances were much looser than today’s high performance engines (including practically every vehicle from a Hyundai Elantra on up) which typically run at much higher temps, RPM, compression and make 3X the HP of similar old engines. So yeah, running a modern car on the old dino 30 weight non-detergent oil wouldn’t be a very good idea.
Also mentioned was the Zinc additive to the engine oils, who’s purpose was to lubricate the intake valves preventing valve recession. This oil is still widely available today in Classic Car and Racing synthetic formulations but you’d have to be mad to use it in a modern car because modern engines don’t need it, there’s no benefit and it will quickly ruin your catalytic converter, costing you big bucks.
So back to the OP, while I love the beauty and style of the old classics and have a fondness for the Good Old Days when I was “6 foot and bulletproof”, even the cheapest of today’s cars are a miracle of engineering, design and construction. Viva the Good New Days!
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Even for small engines it is a controversy on whether to add a zinc supplement. One trusted source says yes and such as only use Briggs oil. Others say don’t bother. I never have and have never had a problem. I did have one with a recessed valve that was covered under warranty but that was it for hundreds of hours. If I had a 51 Buick, I’d probably add zinc.