Of the cars I've seen, I tend to prefer the black lines on the side trim. It seems to look more finished. How would you go about adding them? Paint pen, marker?

Thanks Kev. The RC1 cross-referenced to a pressure type cap that didn't fit. I'll call up Max Merritt and see what they have.

I added coolant until it was full. To my surprise it took almost a gallon. I'm a little concerned about that. It could be air bubbles that have worked their way out I suppose....and the cooling system capacity is essentially 5 gallons. So hopefully that's all it is. There're no signs of leaking. The exhaust has never smelled like burning coolant either.



Changed the oil today too. The car has only driven maybe 100 miles since the engine was put back together. But I wanted to change it out for fresh oil and filter before I start taking it longer distances, in case there were more metal particles from new parts bedding in. Oil was dark like I expected, smelled a little weird.

The original Purolator canister was swapped out earlier for a RA Engineering aluminum housing that holds a modern filter:






For oil I put in Valvoline VR1 10W-30, the same stuff I just used on my Panama. While I had it up on jack stands I took a look at some other things. The rear leaf springs have been making a ton of noise, and I saw the rear shackles had zerk fittings. So I greased both sides. Not sure it will help....the leaf springs look dry between them.






I also dove more into potential causes for the vibration under acceleration. All the tranny bolts were tight. Couldn't feel any play in the driveline. But the rear U-joint had a zerk fitting on it so I hit it with grease. Took 3 big pumps before anything squeezed out of the joints.



The front also had a zerk fitting but it was not on the U-joint. Instead it looks like it was on some sort of a slip yoke fitting. This driveshaft is not original because the previous owner had an overdrive unit installed at the rear. I hit this zerk with grease also....this one took 5 pumps before it was full.






No idea if any of this worked because the battery is dead. And I loaned out my charger to a friend that still has it.

Got the yearly oil and filter change done today. In the past I used Shell Rotella 15W-40, but talking with the guys at NAPA apparently both Rotella and Chevron's Delo no longer have zinc in them. I'm not sure how accurate that is because info is hard to come by, but these guys all have classics and muscle cars and generally know their stuff. Anyways I decided to try something new with Valvoline's VR1 line, which is made for classic car and does have zinc. Not sure that zinc is that critical to our engines, but I figured why not try it out.



My biggest concern was that it would drop oil pressure running a lighter oil. It didn't. Fully warmed up the pressure sits at ~32-35psi @ 55mph, 20psi at idle in neutral, and 15psi at idle in gear. Engine seems a bit quieter but I'm probably just imagining that.

Did a solid 15 mile drive to check everything. 30mph winds made it interesting. I need to do some work to the steering system. But nice views of the valley.

When I asked shops around me about arcing the shoes, they looked at me like I was from outer space. Nobody had a clue of what I was asking for. So I put the shoes and drums on and left it at that. As far as I know they are working fine.

I'm also curious about how to check kingpins. Bushings I would assume look for wear or cracking in the rubber. But these old cars are different from newer ones that I'm used to.

-Kevin

Crossing some things off the list for this car. Checked the coolant level and was surprised to see it low. No leaks anywhere.



I'm wondering if it's leaking from the cap when warm. When I went to put the cap back on it failed. The tabs on the cap are so rusty that I can bend them with my finger. It looks like a non pressurized system. Would Napa have a part, or is this something that needs to go through a Packard supplier?

Maybe try the chalk test? Never done it on a smaller tire, but on off-road tires I run a band of chalk across the tread and drive the vehicle forward and reverse on a level surface. Look at where the chalk was rubbed off and adjust the tire pressure accordingly. Tire pressure is good when it wears off evenly.

It really shouldn't make a difference. I believe they are the same formulation. The stuff that comes in paint can can be either sprayed or applied with a brush. Either way should work.

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Such a fun position

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I was just going to post this exact kit, you beat me to it. The brake pliers make working with the springs easy and safe. I found the Harbor Freight set to be inferior to nicer brands (I used my neighbor's set previously....Snap-On I think) but they do work. I currently have the HF set because I'm cheap. Find a video online that shows how to use them properly. One end to remove the spring, the other to put the spring back on.

It's been a crazy busy week, so my wife and I took some time for a lunch date. First up was washing the car for the first time in 6 months. Looks much better



I'm loving the new interior






Beautiful and sunny, high 60's today. So windows down and cruise through town and the country






Ate at a local joint called the Red Horse Diner. A cool place that used to be an old service station, from what I understand. Has some old restored fuel pumps outside. The inside is covered top to bottom in signs, neon, and memorabilia



Birds of a feather. Another local with a hopped up SS parked next to us. Lots of people inspected the cars on their way out the front door.