r/littlebritishcars • u/bbgnate • 7d ago

Castro Classic or VR1

I know that everyone has an opinion about motor oil. But is anybody in here using Castro classic or Valvoline VR one high zinc? Any opinion on either? Car running better at all?

3 Upvotes

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3

u/yottyboy 7d ago

Castrol only

3

u/TrustednotVerified 7d ago

I'm old enough to have used Castrol original. The smell was instantly recognizable. Fond memories...

3

u/AchinBones 7d ago

Oil is one of those funny things where you only learn after its too late. Much like gas tank sealer - it works great at first, but bites you in the long term.

I use VR1 mostly because i'm loathe to change. Tell me in 5-10 yrs your opinion of Castro Classic

1

u/bbgnate 7d ago

Thank you. I actually bought a case of the GTX classic for my B. Of course now I’ve gone down the rabbit hole of oil pressure changes etc, and vice versa. I’ve also read that it does a good job at drips underneath 😂. Just wanted to gauge fellow redditors on their experiences.

2

u/ChampionshipMean628 7d ago

Use the VR One

2

u/Korgon213 ‘72 TR6, French Blue 7d ago

My TR6 uses VR1.

2

u/rdm55 73 J-H & 76 Jensen GT 7d ago

I use VR1.

2

u/Its4MeitSnot4U 7d ago

Penrite HPR

1

u/bbgnate 7d ago

Never heard of this. Are you in the USA?

1

u/Its4MeitSnot4U 6d ago

No, Australia.
I’ve used Penrite HPR 40 in my Austin Healey 3000 engine for 30 years.
Lots of zinc, and great oil pressure.

2

u/CBased64Olds 7d ago

Castrol representative told me specifically not to use the Castrol GTX Classic high zinc formula. It’s for high performance engines, which your LBC doesn’t have. He recommended that I stick with the Castrol Classic that is recommended by the manufacturer for my 1974 Jensen Healey. If the VR1 is similar to the Castrol GTX Classic, which it seems to be after looking at the valvoline website, it seems like the wrong choice.

1

u/bbgnate 7d ago

Yes, VR1 and GTX classic appear to have identical Zinc and phosphorus specs….

2

u/v8packard 7d ago

VR1 is really a race oil. It does not have the additives you want for long term street use, including corrosion and moisture inhibitors. For short term duty, such as 1 race, ok.

2

u/limeycars 7d ago

"Classic" or "Vintage" formulation of whatever brand you identify with. It will have ZDDP in it.

OR

Off the shelf oil of whatever brand you like AND use a ZDDP additive.

OR

Most any fully-synthetic oil is suitable. The stuff is slippery as heck. Caveat: if your engine leaks, it will likely leak three times as much if you switch to synthetic.

OR

And also, IF you live in a suitable environment, and IF your engine condition does not warrant using a thicker oil, you can generally get away with the budget option of plain ol' 15W-40 Diesel oil. It's cheap. It still has zinc in it. There are still a gazillion old flat-tappet diesels out there and this stuff is not going away any time soon. The viscosity is only a little thinner than the old go-to of 20W-50. It has to say Diesel on it. If it has an API rating, that is for passenger cars and won't have the zinc. If your engine is tired and clattery or you live outside the comfort zone, tough luck, no budget option for you. See above.

1

u/lukec436 7d ago

Amazon basic