Re-starting an old engine

Released the screws on the timing side cover on my 16H. It has not been run since 1961. Very surprised to see clear, honey coloured oil appear. Is that peculiar?

Maybeall the particulatescause the usual filthy black colour of old engine oil - and they are all now lying in a temporary glued-on layer in the bottom of the sump and the cover - just waiting to be woken from their slumber to rise up and block the oilways and wreck the engine..

I'm still struggling to remove the lower mag timing sprocket so have not seen inside yet. But now I'm worried about the state of the inside of the engine cases.

I don't want to dismantle a perfectly good engine but ....

I was intending to fill it up with cheap supermarket oil, run it for a few miles, drain that off and then fill up with something better. Flushing oil is I believe out of fashion nowadays although Morris still sell it.

The only reason I wanted to take the cover off was to make sure the cams are well oiled before I fire it up for the first time in just over 50 years.