If you have fuel and spark then you have the fundamentals, so it could be some 'subset' of these that's the problem . . .

Does any cylinder fire when you are cranking? Is it totally dead? (Totally dead would tend to indicate fuel mixture / timing badly wrong / insufficient or intermittent spark / electrical problem / air supply).

The ether spray is a good idea, and don't you love the stuff? (Over here we have a brand called 'Start Ya Bastard'). Just beware that you tread cautiously with ether based sprays. I took the eyebrows off my son when his engine backfired while using the stuff. We'd been cranking it for a few seconds so the ether built up quite a bit. Hell I laughed. HUGE blue flash and thunderclap explosion! He couldn't see what was so funny about it though. . . .

How old is your fuel? If stale then replace it.

I don't know how timing could vary through an overheating instance, but timing out of whack would make for difficult starting also.

Next - you say the coil is sparking but suggest you check that spark is getting to each plug ok. Cleaning plugs is a bit 'what if' so consider fitting a new set if all else fails. Just a couple of dud plugs can prevent starting.

I reckon have a chat to the guys that towed you, see if they did something that may be causing the problem. I don't know if coolant could have 'blocked' your air filter but that's another thing to check. Best of luck.

I'm about to order a front windshield weatherstrip for my '51 Coupe . . . .

According to the Steele Rubber catalogue, there is a different Part Number for a 1951 Coupe (2465 or 2495) compared to a 4-door sedan.

Steele's catalogue states 435178 is the Weatherstrip p/no for the Coupe, and 435754 for the 4-door sedan.

However Packard Parts and Accessories List (1948-54) states 435754 for Coupes 2465 and 2495.

Can anyone tell me why Steele differentiates between Coupe and 4-door models? Is 435178 correct for Coupe, as they suggest?

IF there is a difference, then it seems the Packard Parts Listing (which says 435754 is OK for Coupes 2465 and 2495) must be incorrect?!

My email to Steelerubber days ago hasn't been answered by them, which is a bit sad . . . Me living in The Antipodes (bottom half of the planet earth!) means that if I make a mistake and order the wrong bit, it will take weeks to send it back and get another - And you can guess who will pay the freight cost!

Can someone please help me with this?

That theory about excessive speed of water through the radiator is a myth even though it comes up often. The speed of coolant through a heat exchanger or the source of the heat does not effect of the efficiency of cooling (within some very wide bands). However what can happen is removal of the thermostat can reduce the resistance of the water flow from the pump which may can cause the pump to cavitate preventing the water from flowing.
The thermostat is there to speed up the warm up time of the motor and to maintain a constant water temperature particularly in cooler weather.
If the car is over heating its not the thermostat unless of course it has jammed closed.

Quote:John,

When doing lengthy posts, especially for a one finger typist like me, it's best to save it somewhere before you preview or post it. Reason being, I think, is that PackardInfo times out after a while, then when you try to post your post what it does is log you in again.

Regarding the pic size, that's probably the reason it's not uploading.

See you at Kangaroo Island.

Back from Vegas and trying to play catch-up. Currently there are 1,400 emails in my inbox. So for anyone sending emails to me, please give a a day or so to respond.

Vacation was wonderful, and I didnt turn on a computer for 5 days. I also must report that there is no Whiskey left in the city limits of Las Vegas. I was asked to leave so they could restock!

The best way to maximize the value of a Packard is not to customize anything. For the people looking to buy a Packard, any customization would detract from the value. Just my

G'day Fellas, I have now driven a further 120 miles or so, approx 75% highway and the rest on hilly curvy roads. The car is performing very well and to the level I originally was expecting after fitting the Pertronix electronic kit. She pulls strongly and I haven't detected any pinging at all, but have yet to check what impact this has had on mileage. I'm expecting more consistency at least, and hopefully an overall improvement as I seem to be driving with lighter throttle than before. I haven't tried fiddling with the initial advance but will do so in the near future. I set it at 10 degrees BTDC but I'm not sure how accurate the timing marks are and therefore, how much if any I should go beyond. I'll experiment with the advance using the pinging under load method and see where it takes me, but I certainly don't want to overdo it and damage anything. By the way Jack, I told a lie earlier as my spare distributor is a #1110865 - sorry for misleading you. Cheers, John

Had Discovery Channel on this evening and there was an episode of "Ultimate Car Build Off" on that was located in Detroit. The testing of the cars was done within the shadows of the Plant property.

Removing the thermostat could make the car run hotter. Without the restricted flow of the thermostat, the coolant will flow too quickly through the radiator and not have a chance to cool.

Jim and I were contemplating the idea of putting together a PackardInfo "Un-Meet" in 2011. A possible location for this would be Laughlin, Nevada. This is a gambling and river sports destination near where Nevada, Arizona, and California come together and is located on the Colorado river and reasonable close to Lake Havasu. The area has several reasonable prices casino resorts/hotels (typically more affordable than Vegas), and has been the site of many car events.

Best time of the year would be November. The weather then is very nice, and it would a welcome warm up for the East Coast folks.

This is in the extreme early concept stages, so we are just floating the idea to see if there is interest. We were thinking that any profits generated from the event would be donated to the Proving Grounds.

Any takers??? If there is, then we will start asking for volunteers that can help with the planning and execution as I am just a schulb with a computer, and that is not my forte. This would be a club agnostic event and we would welcome help from all.

I am sure Jim can articulate all of this better, so look for a follow-up from him.