In the classic car hobby, you will hear more discussion, debates, possibly flat out rivalries over oil types, weights, additives and duration. While we will not be discussing specific oil types in this piece, we do want you, the new Corvair owner, to know what your options are regarding available oil filters and the importance in changing them.
The old rule was, under normal driving conditions, to change your oil and filter every 3 months or 3,000 miles. Whichever came first. With today’s modern cars and modern synthetic oils, a “maintenance minder” will let you know in real time “remaining life” of your oil. Those of you who daily drive EV’s may have thrown out your filter wrenches and drip pans when you made the switch.
As most of us only drive our cars on the weekends, to events, parades, meetups etc, we may not keep a close eye on how many miles or months it’s been since that last change. A good rule provided by Richard Finch in his book, How To Keep Your Corvair Alive, is to check the dipstick periodically or before each drive. If the oil on the dipstick isn’t straw or amber color, change it!
When the time comes for an oil change, a new Corvair owner will be surprised to find that their Friendly Local Auto Parts Store (FLAPS) may not have their filter. They may also be surprised to find the associate behind the counter give an inquisitive look when you ask for Corvair parts.
Fear not! There are options out there for oil filters. Whichever you decide to choose is up to you.
- Wix: 51038 (The filter you will most likely find on the shelf at a chain auto parts store)
- AC Delco: PF4 (These are no longer manufactured and will be “old stock”)
- Fram: PH4 (50/50 chance this will be on the shelf at a chain auto parts store)
- Hastings/Baldwin: LF/215
- Purolator: L20014 (These are no longer manufactured and will be “old stock”)
- NAPA Gold: 1038 (crosses to Wix 51038. Exclusive to Napa Auto Parts and should be available in store).
- Clarks Generation II: designed specifically for the Corvair
Oil, regardless of what you decide to put in your engine, can be found just about everywhere. Filters can be a little more tricky. We hope that you found this oil filter reference helpful.
Have a tech tip? Corvair story? Article? Cry for help?! Send them to sfbacorsa@gmail.com and we will share them in a future email newsletter.
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