Slumlord444;  Interesting points you make re the filters & oils for your everyday drivers & then that you use Ford filters & "Race" oil for your T-bird.. Is the Bird primarly used for racing?..  


Paul

Mine was converted to spin on for my grandfather by my father back in the mid 70`s and it takes the FL1A filter perfectly.  I still use Motorcraft FL1A filters but seriously looking at the decal wrap to make them look like the older filters as it seems every time the filter is installed it always stops with the spanish text facing upwards that you can clearly see from under the hood.

1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

I strictly use motorcraft filters myself, ive used wix before but got away from them after I had 3 of them seize up on the motor and they had to be removed with a hammer and a screwdriver.  I went back to running the OE brand filter for the car and those problems that came up with Wix went away.  Wix might be better now but when I tried them years ago there was something with the rubber seal that even with oil in my cases locked them on too tightly.

For oil I run valvoline in everything.  I used to run Pennzoil but I switched long ago.  People dont understand that when it comes to oil, there are only a handful of refineries that produce motor oil.  What makes the oil different from brand to brand is their unique additive package that the refineries add in.  If they dont want to add unique additives then they all have the same basic additives.  I go with Valvoline cause their oil has in my opinion a better additive package that helps reduce wear and helps the oil coat bearing surfaces longer helping to reduce dry start ups.  For my '56 being a solid lifter engine I like you run the VR1 racing oil for the extra zinc.  I used to run 20w50 but have since reduced it down to 10w30 as I can source 10w30 easier now locally than I could 3 years ago where it was either 20w50 or straight weight oils.  I also like you change my oil every year regardless of miliage.  I need to send my odometer out to Bobs Speedometer shop and get it rebuilt though, the tenths work fine but the miles dont work.  Once I get that fixed I will actually try to drive the car more and will follow the 2,000 mi oil change interval for the engine.

In the name of importance, it is good filter then good oil.  The filter is more important than the oil is in many aspects but it also means you dont want to chinch running the cheapest oil you can find with the bare bones basic additive package.

1956 Ford Fairlane Town Sedan - 292 Y8 - Ford-O-Matic - 155,000 mi

I have no preference on choice of brands.  I stopped by O'Reillys and asked for a Fram Ph8a or a Wix 51515 as recommended by you guys and they had neither...  So I bought an Autolite FL-1a, the only one they had..