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Spring is here and time to do the regular maintenance before starting up the engines. Every year I get a different story on the type of oil I should be using on the old stock 68 hemi. I have even heard that some guys are putting diesel oil into their big blocks. Some say to add a ZDDP additive. What oil is everyone using? Maybe we can come to a consensus and help each other out. Any help would be appreciated.

I like Shell Rotella-15W40 in all older, non-roller cam equipped engines. It's formulated for heavy-duty diesel engine use, so unlike most motor oils formulated for normal gasoline passenger-car engines, Rotella still contains zinc (ZDDP).
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Zinc additive will work, so will diesel oil. Accel brand 10W-40 SF is available through NAPA, Fastenal &, soon, Amazon(used to be stocked by Wal-Mart, but no more ). SF has zinc. True racing oil has it, but the additive package is dead by 1500 miles. There's some sepecialty oil Brad Penn, Comp cams, ect with zinc.

My 1967 Hemi GTX had the engine rebuilt by noted Hemi engine builder Larry Shepard. The only oil he puts in his engines and tells customers to use is Pennzoil 25w50. You heard it right. It is the only oil that he will guarantee his engine builds with. Additionaly he says to add a 12 oz. bottle of ZDDP additive, by leaving a half of qt. of oil out. I looked up the specs on this Pennzoil and it has twice the Zinc and Phosphorus of anything else. Compare it to Valvoline 20w50 VR1 racing oil. He also uses the NAPA Gold 1515 oil filter exclusively. He has been build Hemi's for 35 years so I will go with his advice. My car is in a heated garage all winter so starting it is never a problem.