Hot Rod Engine Oils

“Ed Pink Racing Engines uses BR30 Break-In Oil in every engine that we run on our dynos, and I use Driven HR3 Synthetic 15W-50 in my ’29 Highboy Roadster. I recommend this oil to anyone who has a vintage performance car. It is the best insurance for long engine life that you can get.” - ED PINK, Ed Pink Racing Engines

WHY USE HOT ROD OIL?

Modern API certified oils are designed to protect catalytic converters. Driven Hot Rod Oil is designed to protect your camshaft. We sell hot rod oil with high levels of ZDDP additive to protect your engine to deliver the chemistry that classic cars, muscle cars and historic cars need. Because these cars are not daily drivers, our hot rod oil also delivers storage protection additives to guard your engine from rust and corrosion. These additives also prevent dry starts. It’s developed specifically for older cars, and no other oil provides this unique combination of lubricant chemistry.

Modern engine designs and oils have done a great job of reducing emissions and protecting emissions control equipment. However, modern oils have wreaked havoc on older engines. The reduction in emissions in modern cars has coincided with a reduction in traditional anti-wear additives (i.e. ZDDP) in modern oils, and that is bad news for your flat tappet camshaft.

As stated in the book Lubrication Fundamentals, “In heavily loaded applications, flat tappet cam followers operate on partial oil films at least part of the time. Lubricants with anti-wear additives are necessary if rapid wear and surface distress are to be avoided. The oil additive Zinc dithiophosphate (ZDDP) is to provide anti-wear activity for the camshaft and lifters.” Simply put, you shouldn’t use oil designed for modern engines in older style engines.

Because our Driven hot rod racing oil with zinc is designed specifically for older style historic car and hot rod engines, it also features US military specification rust and corrosion inhibitors. These unique additives fight the formation of rust and defend against corrosion while your car is in the garage or storage. Pictured to the right are the results of a 1,000 hour severe storage simulation test. The surface treated with Driven Hot Rod Oil showed NO rust or corrosion.

When your car sits in the garage over the winter, our oil fights corrosive wear and rust. When you fire the engine up, it protects your engine from excessive cold start wear. And when you put the pedal to the floor, Driven Hot Rod Oil protects your camshaft from scuffing. No other oil provides this level of protection in the garage, at start-up, and on the road.