Includes before and after restoration pictures.

https://www.hemmings.com/classifieds/cars-for-sale/packard/160/2117190.html?refer=news

"The original interior is there and is intact"!

I have the exact same wheels and tires as David, run at 34psi, very good ride.

I have a set from Coker with wide-white tires mounted and center caps for my '49. Holding up well. Didn't cost all that much more than a reproduction set of large hubcaps and trip rings.

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Here's what I did for the 12V bulb conversion:

The 6V bulb numbers are listed in the Owners Manual and Wagner has an interchange chart from 6V to 12v:

https://www.fme-cat.com/Docs/4102.pdf

I bought brand-name bulbs from Sylvania rather than the cheap imported stuff. Got most on Amazon.

For the taillight bulbs, I bought the bright 50cp 1157 dual filament bulbs from Speedway Motors at $4. Work best through heavy glass lenses.

Test post

Howard,

Could have gone with a 12V solenoid but I have 2 spare 6V and would have had to come up with the relay mechanism of some sorts. Counting on the VAG unit to work as advertised.

Here's the demo video of the VAG R10/R11 12V to 6V converter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LYKOa4VCzPc

As a summer project on my '49 Club Sedan, I'm converting it to 12 volt. The car is not a complete restoration but maintains the spirit of Packard with the original drive train, completely original body and interior. I need to upgrade to 12 volt to meet my driving needs.

Currently, the car has a clock that is broken, a speedometer that is broken, a windshield wiper motor that works poorly, gauges that are "directionally correct" but not accurate and taillights that even with the alternator are not as bright as current cars and are hard for some to see. The cost of getting all the old stuff fixed is equivalent to the conversion with no added benefits.

The car has already been completely re-wired with an American Autowire fuse panel kit and has a 50 amp 6 volt GM alternator with dual Optima 6 volt batteries. The ignition will be converted from the current 6 volt Pertronix unit to 12 volt by changing the pickup coil in the distributor and the ignition coil. The conversion should be reasonably easy except for having to pull the dash. The new components are a set of Autometer electronic gauges and speedometer that are the exact size to fit in the dash in place of the clock and speedometer (pictured). Also a 100 amp GM 3-wire alternator is a bolt-on with the current alternator bracket. A Newport electric windshield wiper motor is a direct fit in place of the vacuum unit. The headlights will be replaced with 12 volt Halogens and the taillights with ultra bright bulbs to shine through the thick red glass. One 6 volt part that will be maintained is the 6 volt OD solenoid. I purchased a 12V to 6V OD voltage converter from Vintage Auto Garage (pictured). It's a one-piece unit that also replaces the OD relay.

My long-term goal is to fit the car with air conditioning so it can be comfortably driven year round in sunny Florida. I'll place the progress on a Project Blog on one of the Packard forums.

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I had heard so many stories about Packards overheating, I was careful to try and get the block in my '49 as clear as possible during the rebuild short of having to hot-tanked. After the engine was removed from the car but before it was completely disassembled, the water pump was removed along with the cooling tube and casting plugs (welch plugs/freeze plugs) and the holes that might cause excess water to get inside the engine were plugged. Took it outside and used a power washer to flush water jackets. This took quite a while but was able to get most of the loose scale out of the block. The cooling tube was in good shape and it was cleaned inside and out before being re-installed. New casting plugs were installed as well as a new water pump, new radiator hoses and a 180 degree pellet thermostat and the radiator was flushed. Since the car is back on the road, I've had no trouble with overheating. Don't trust the 70 year-old temp gauge so after a few good runs I checked the head, block and radiator with a non-contact thermometer several times and never gotten over 180. The real test came a week ago when I was driving back from a show in Sarasota, there was a wreck on the Sunshine Skyway bridge. I was going 5 MPH for half an hour in mid-80s heat and the only overheating that occurred was myself. I'm confident that if your car is properly tuned and all the components are clean and operating properly, there should not be an inherent overheating problem with your Packard.

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