I took the car for a spin after sitting for a few weeks. It was about a 30 mile trip with no problems. I just went outside to park it at a different spot and it wouldn't sustain the idle. I had to give it gas to keep it from stalling. No warning light came up. I finally parked it and check the oil and it was below the ADD line. My oil pressure never dropped. Is this the reason the car acted up? Is the engine damaged now?
I'm thinking the oil leaked through the seals after sitting for so many days and it was all burnt while driving. Finally leaving the engine with very little by the time I got home.

 

it isn't good but it isn't a big deal either, below the add line is a quart or so low out of 5 quarts in the system. i doubt the oil level and the engine performance were related.

 

If the car sits for long periods, it is an excellent candidate for synthetic. Mobil 1 has extra seal conditioners that will help keep the elastomers "live" and prevent hardening and potential leakage. The synthetic itself will keep the seals (and all other areas) cleaner so the conditioners can work.

That's not to mention all the other benefits of synthetics.

If you're really concerned, you could drive the car out to me, take the bus or Metra back, and I'll evaluate it thoroughly. I'd let you know when I'm finished...

 

Hold on,hold on.When you say you "finally parked it and checked the oil",did you check it immediatly after shutting it off?if you did a good portion of the oil was still up in the top end of the engine.Check it cold,but at any rate,if it ain't rattling or banging,you didn't kill it,but you sure did it no favors.

 

I had a 73 350 Nova that burned about a quart a week . Did not care about the motor, so i would just put oil in from the used oil barrel . Ran it real hard for about 15k befor it quit , beat a few stangs like that too . You will be fine .

 

You couldn't be too low if your oil pressure didn't change from normal. Correct?

 

WRONG ANSWER

 

few years back i had a chevy 4x4 the used alot of oil. round trip to work and back was less than 80 miles. i'd get home and pour 2 quarts in one day and 1 quart in the next then back to 2 quarts. finially rebuilt it and replaced a few bad pistons and it stopped using oil. point is it ran on 3 quarts at times and the bearings still looked pretty good all things considered.

 

Well that was not very informative. Why don't you go into detail with your reply, instead of writing in large caps.

 

What did me in was that I never changed the oil filter . It got all gumed up from the used oil , the pickup was restricted too. Got to love the beat'in a SBC will take