What kind of oil should I put on my 1997 honda civic?

It has 134531 miles and I'm not sure what kind of oil I should use? Btw just bought the car

You'll find a million opinions on synthetic vs organic, or heavy weights in the winter, lighter in the summer, yada yada. At the end of the day, being consistent is the best thing you can do. Changing brands/weights/etc. From oil change to oil change is worse than using one oil versus the another. Most people will vote Castrol GTX 20-50, but Mobil 1 is good also and use 0W40 based on higher mileage (which using a light weight oil decreases resistance across internal components) in my opinion.

Separate Facts fron Friction:
http://www.consumersdigest.com/automotive/motor-oil

Read this well written article: How to choose the best engine oil
http://dealnews.com/features/A-Guide-to-Selecting-the-Best-Motor-Oil-for-Your-Car/568237.html

I've used two brands: Castrol full synthetic 5W30 is great for all seasons here in hot and cold a$$ state of Texas, should be great for anywhere else, unless severe cold or elevation ail you. Hope you find peace with the amber goodness. I'm running Royal Purple 10w-30 full synthetic motor oil, Royal Purple synchromax manual gear oil, and 75w-90 full synthetic Royal Purple gear oil for the more high performance cars.

Read another article, it may answer most of your questions about oil:
http://www.carbibles.com/engineoil_bible.html

Good luck and hope I've given some ideas to choose one. HTH

Anything API certified of the weight recommended in the owner's manual. It's not a big deal.

Use the exact weight that Honda recommends which is SAE 5w-30. It will take 4.2 quarts with oil/filter change. The brand of oil is your choice. All major brands are excellent. I personally use Pennzoil and have never had an internal engine problem in over 40 years. I do suggest you purchase a High Mileage oil for your civic. So just buy 5 quarts of SAE 5w-30 conventional oil in the brand of your choice and a quality filter such as Purolator, Wix, Bosch, Motorcraft, etc. Avoid cheap filters. I see no benefit whatsoever to using a synthetic other than extended oil change intervals but it will not hurt. Change your oil every 5,000 miles and this car will run for years to come.

For your 1997 HONDA CIVIC 1.6L 4-cyl Engine Code You would need:
4 Quarts of SAE 5W-30 Signature Series 100% Synthetic Motor Oil (ASLQT)
1 Absolute Efficiency Oil Filter (EA15K20)

Peanut oil