EXHIBIT 5.1

                               September 29, 2004

Wilshire Enterprises, Inc.
921 Bergen Avenue
Jersey City, NJ 07306

Ladies and Gentlemen:

You have requested our opinion, as securities counsel, in connection with the
registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Act of 1933, as amended, of an aggregate of 750,000 shares of the common stock,
par value $1.00 per share (the "Common Stock"), of Wilshire Enterprises, Inc.
(the "Company") on a registration statement on Form S-8 (the "Registration
Statement"). The shares of Common Stock to which the Registration Statement
relates are issuable pursuant to the Company's 2004 Stock Option and Incentive
Plan and the Company's 2004 Non- Employee Director Stock Option Plan
(collectively, the "Plans").

We have examined and relied upon originals or copies, authenticated or certified
to our satisfaction, of all such corporate records of the Company,
communications or certifications of public officials, certificates of officers,
directors and representatives of the Company, and such other documents as we
have deemed relevant and necessary as the basis of the opinions expressed
herein. In making such examination, we have assumed the genuineness of all
signatures, the issuance of all shares for the consideration provided in the
Plans or for services rendered to the Company, the authenticity of all documents
tendered to us as originals, and the conformity to original documents of all
documents submitted to us as certified or photostatic copies.

Based upon the foregoing and relying upon statements of fact contained in the
documents which we have examined, we are of the opinion that the shares of
Common Stock offered by the Company pursuant to the Plans, when paid for in full
by the participants in accordance with the Plans (to the extent that payment is
required pursuant to the Plans), will be, when issued, legally issued, fully
paid, and non-assessable.

We hereby consent to the filing of this opinion as an exhibit to the
Registration Statement and any amendment thereto and to all references to this
firm contained in the Registration Statement.

                                                    Very truly yours,

                                                    /s/LOWENSTEIN SANDLER PC






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