Chris- Thanks for the reply. I was unaware that your car had the banjo wheel but that answers the question as to whether it was offered on the 39 Juniors.
The shaft diameter on my steering column is apx 1/4 inch smaller than what purports to be a 39 Banjo wheel. There is a metal sleeve on both my wheel and the Banjo I inspected that has the grooves that slide over the steering shaft.
I am not sure whether the overall wheels were identical and the sleeves could be changed or whether there were different wheels for the different models.
If you have a spare Banjo that would fit my car lying around…drop a note. LOL

Howard- Thanks for the information. I have had the opportunity to inspect one Banjo wheel and found that the opening for the steering shaft was apx 1/4 inch larger diameter than the shaft for my 39 Six.
I also noticed that the wheel hub appears to be a steel insert pressed into the wheel.
I was curious as to whether that insert can be chilled or heated and removed / replaced with a different size sleeve.
The diameter of the sleeve on the Banjo was also a greater diameter than that of the 39 so they would not interchange.
Has anyone offered different size sleeves with the grooves to inter lock the steering column grooves to accomplish that switch?
Parts interchange on the old Packards is frustrating.

I have seen a number of Banjo wheels for sale for 39-40 Packards but no clarification on whether wheels will fit all models.
I believe Flack clarified that earlier wheels will not fit the 39 since columns were changed with change to column shifters.
Has anyone put a Banjo wheel on the Six or know if it was offered as an option.

I was contacted.by the same character in response to my search for dovetail for my 39 convertible coupe. Sounded legit initially but I am glad that I saw the scam notice.
I have had prior scam artists try to secure funds for products or to pay for items offered for sale, but these have been on eBay or Google sites.
It is discouraging that someone has targeted this site
I hope the offender is removed from membership since he contacted me by personal email from the site.f

I have a 1939 Packard Six convertible coupe that is in the midst of restoration.
I would like to replace the factory steering wheel with a Banjo if one can be found that does not need recast….for a price that is ….tolerable .
That wheel may not exist but I would prefer not to buy something that will end up hanging on the wall.

I had the chance to buy a wheel from a 38 a while ago and Flack advised that the 38 would not fit on the 39 because the column was different due to the switch from floor to column shift.

I have need talking to another vendor who says that he has a wheel from a 39-40.

Thanks in advance for any info.
What wheel will fit on a 39 .six….if any?

Don’t get me wrong , I am grateful that are people like you, Max Merritt , Kanter, Mike .Dulinski and others still doing their best to provide the parts to restore the Packards . I thank this Forum for advise no longer readily available. I even thank the internet for easy access.
All that being said, the cost for chrome work, upholstery , machine work and paint and body work continues to escalate.
I am not sure how many people are able to do all of the work required to restore a car. I am certainly not one of them but I am fortunate to have friends who can do a lot of the things I cannot do to try to keep the cost down.
A friend restored a 56 Lincoln Premier in California nearly 20 years ago. It might be better to say he paid others to do the work..and spent nearly $250,000.
It was his money and he knew going in that he would never recoup his investment,…and he ended up with something too perfect to drive.
Some people want a trailer Queen and others just want to enjoy the cars.
We have selected a marque that unlike the .Ferraris or a few other makes are no longer climbing in value.
Common sense and budget constraints sometimes do not coincide and too many cars end up as unfinished projects.
As someone said those under 50 seldom know that Packard was not some .GM nameplate.

I think that there is nothing wrong with resto- modding a car if that is what you want. It is not my business to tell someone how to spend his money.
That being said, if you are going to do something t..do it right.. it is dangerous to just bolt a bigger engine ito a car that was never designed for it and go out on the road.
A restored car is a restored car and if you wish to enjoy cruising i see nothing wrong with upgrading to halogen headlights, radial tires and electronic ignition. The purist can easily replace the parts. My radio works but I have an MP3 player in the glove box since there is only one AM station in my area and their offerings suck.
I have several old cars with drum brakes including my Caribbean and thr 39:Six I am working on now. I have no desire to convert to disc brakes or install a dual master cylinder on any of them. That being said, I do not like or trust the BTV. Every part is new but I still do not feel safe with that system in part because there are no local mechanics familiar with how it works. I may arrange for Ross to go over the whole system when and if the pandemic settles so that I can enjoy the car.
We have to admit the market for most Packards has weakened as those who aspired to own one in their youth are now dying off. The cost and availability of parts to do the cars correctly has escalated at the same time. I believe that the market value of the Caribbeans has dropped nearly 40-50% in the pat decade . Lesser models like my 39 have also dropped in value to the point where securing correct running board covers or woodgrains for the dash become a questionable expense.
I do not show my cars, I drive and enjoy them and that gets to be an expensive enough hobby.
There is a 41:convertible coupe improperly listed as a 110 in Hemmings that had over $50k invested in restoration before the restorer closed shop . They would like to sell the car for $27k but it needs at least that much more to get it on the road….much less to Pebble Beach condition. It is a car that has been dismantled by someone else with no assurance that parts are not missing..or available.
Does it make sense to get involved in such a project if you cannot expect to come close to the oulay.?
As I said originally, it is not my place to tell another man how to spend his money….but that one may end up unsold and unrestored.

I think that there is nothing wrong with resto- modding a car if that is what you want. It is not my business to tell someone how to spend his money.
That being said, if you are going to do something t..do it right.. it is dangerous to just bolt a bigger engine ito a car that was never designed for it and go out on the road.
A restored car is a restored car and if you wish to enjoy cruising i see nothing wrong with upgrading to halogen headlights, radial tires and electronic ignition. The purist can easily replace the parts. My radio works but I have an MP3 player in the glove box since there is only one AM station in my area and their offerings suck.
I have several old cars with drum brakes including my Caribbean and thr 39:Six I am working on now. I have no desire to convert to disc brakes or install a dual master cylinder on any of them. That being said, I do not like or trust the BTV. Every part is new but I still do not feel safe with that system in part because there are no local mechanics familiar with how it works. I may arrange for Ross to go over the whole system when and if the pandemic settles so that I can enjoy the car.
We have to admit the market for most Packards has weakened as those who aspired to own one in their youth are now dying off. The cost and availability of parts to do the cars correctly has escalated at the same time. I believe that the market value of the Caribbeans has dropped nearly 40-50% in the pat decade . Lesser models like my 39 have also dropped in value to the point where securing correct running board covers or woodgrains for the dash become a questionable expense.
I do not show my cars, I drive and enjoy them and that gets to be an expensive enough hobby.
There is a 41:convertible coupe improperly listed as a 110 in Hemmings that had over $50k invested in restoration before the restorer closed shop . They would like to sell the car for $27k but it needs at least that much more to get it on the road….much less to Pebble Beach condition. It is a car that has been dismantled by someone else with no assurance that parts are not missing..or available.
Does it make sense to get involved in such a project if you cannot expect to come close to the oulay.?
As I said originally, it is not my place to tell another man how to spend his money….but that one may end up unsold and unrestored.

I am hoping that someone who purchased a 38-39-40 convertible coupe at the Utica auction plans to sell parts.
The dovetail on the convertible coupe mounts to the door jamb and grabs the wedge on the edge of the door.
The units is apx 2”x 4” and has a lip that goes against the rim on the door jamb. It attaches with 2:screws. I am attaching 2 photos to show size and what the unit looks,like.( correct piece is lower unit)
If you have one to sell or swap PM are or call my cell. (814) 248-9140 and leave a message
Thanks
RJ Russell

This may be a little off subject but I watched with interest the auction in Utica and was curious as to whether the Caribbeans in that collection had been known to the Packard Community and whether the auction company or owners had the time to log all serial numbers or identifying information for future tracking.
Some time ago I inquired as to the number of remaining 55:Caribbeans and received a reply that it was believed to be around 100.
There were several in this inventory…in addition to several 53-56 models and I was mostly curious as to whether any made the registry or other dats bases.
I was stunned at how cheaply the majority of cars sold for ..and happy that it appears that most cars will end up either as parts inventory or cores for restoration rather than ending in the crusher.
In 2009 I considered myself lucky to find a basket case 55:Caribbean with a title and numberes matching engine for $15,000. It took two additional parts cars and lots of chrome and stainless from around the country to get the car back on the road.
Hopefully some who acquired the cars will be offering parts through the Forum or on eBay
to allow projects to be completed.
I doubt that Leeedy’s missing 56:Caribbean ended up in Utica but unless cars from these kinds of collections can be documented before disassembly or destruction, the trail will go cold
.
With prices dropping on many old Packards while costs of parts, chroming , interiors and other things escalate, I hope that the inventory from Utica will allow at least some of the cars to see the road again…or supply the needed parts for Restoratiom of others .
I wish I were a decade younger…..I would have been a bidder to reckon with for the Caribbeans and some parte cars.
If anyone who bought a 38-40 convertible coupe wants to recoup their purchase price quickly…check to see if the door dovetails are in place and PM me. LOL
Good luck to all who bought and best wishes to the seller who assembled this amazing collection.
RJR