We were the guys with the green 1101 cpe rdstr. It was one of the nicest events I've been to and I've been to a lot of em. All friendly people there for the same reason. I can't wait for next year's nat'ls. Thank you, everyone involved, and everyone I met, for making us feel right at home.


Jocko

Are your intentions restoration or just a kool car? If I were in the hunt that car would keep it's nailhead, get rear fender skirts, get dropped 2-3", and a list of other body mods too numerous to mention. It's a 115 so it is pretty much the lower end of what a Packard's all about. Even so, a restored 115 is also a true Packard in feel, quality, driving, and everything else us "lifers" have come to love about em. Value? Hard to say as the standard answer is what is it worth to you. I personally wouldn't pay over $2000 but I'm assuming the worst case in deterioration that can't be seen in the pics. Still, that would be a really bichin kustom "taildragger", doncha think?

And I thought mine was questionable! I have a 29 640 Custom 8 with a 740 roadster body on it. At least that makes some sense. It wasn't uncommon for a Packard owner to upgrade to newer coachwork in those years. A new car, $3-4 grand, or a new body, $15-1800. I'm sure it wasn't done with any regularity but it happened. Sadly, yours is a pretty disrespectful application. As has been said there's only so much to it that's even useable, to another car! Now, if you want one...

I didn't read every reply and it seems to have taken the "scenic route" with regard to dates and safety beads which is just fine. Any tire discussion could lean to many aspects on the topic (no pun intended for you that are well versed in tires).

My input is related to the original topic, radial or belted. Simply adding radials may indeed lend some improvements but it can also lead to things not considered. A radial tire will add another function of sorts to the suspension. You will get the side-to-side motion that makes a radial a superior tire. A good thing? Maybe, maybe not. What I find from our customers with tire complaints is that we've all developed certain automotive habits over the last 25-30yrs. Radial inflation can be as high as 32-36psi in modern cars with low aspect ratio tires as OEM equipment. Many cars are intro'd with 60 series tires and additional inflation is required to maintain handling and ride quality. Over-inflate a belted tire and the car will wander following any tar strips or grooves in the road. It's effectively "thinner" at the all important contact patch or "where the rubber meets the road" as the ol' cliche goes. 30psi is a lot of air for a belted tire. I personally like 28 in some of the 700 or 750 17s on so many of our customers cars. Newer 16s and even 15s, same thing. The handling difference is sometimes just short of amazing just with proper inflation. Another thing that a radial can do is mask the real problem. I took a 160 for a ride recently that hand the dreaded wander lust. A full set of kingpins and some shock oil later, just what I've come to expect from such a car. These cars are old and in their day they were almost always at the top of their game in the industry, and while not sportscar handling would out perform most other makes in ease of driving (why we all like em so much!).

Those points aside, is a radial a bad thing? No. But in order to gain the full benefits of radial tires I'd recommend some add'l changes. Higher shock rates are a good start. Heavier anti-roll bars or at a minimum more solid mountings for the bars would also be a good thing. Since a radial can introduce lateral motion to the car's platform suspension changes should follow up their use. That lateral motion can serve to enhance the natural roll of the car's OEM design by getting it started before the suspension reacts. Consider how the car as a whole can be bounced from side to side just on the tire's sidewall when it's sitting still. Certainly belted tires have a similar motion but not as easy and less total movement. In motion you can feel this effect of the car 1st, then the suspension does it's thing. Bad? Dangerous? Maybe if things aren't up to par before installation. Radials offer less rolling resistance, a softer ride, lateral control and long life. All good things but like anything else the rest of the system needs to support those benefits. I'm adding radials to a 61 @#&^% that was originally eqipped with belted tires. The power steering box was upgraded to lose the slave cylinder system, a heavy duty sway bar is being installed, HD gas shocks on all 4 corners, and the alignment settings will be changed, the biggest change being another degree or 2 of caster to slightly increase the initial effort of the steering from straight on. I'm confident that I'll get the full benefit of the tires with those changes. On the other side of things my 160 will have belted tires. I'd rather have it "as it was" on roads that are generally superior to what they were back then.

If some of those ideas were covered and I missed em, sorry for the repeat, but these are the things I see in the continued discussion (debate?) of radials/belteds. Hope it helps.

From experience...

Yes the smaller left front is because of the trunion block. Several years ago I restored a car for a guy who was simply collecting parts and started a build. Car was real enough but incomplete. At the time not knowing, had gone through litterally days of adjustment, balance, tire measurment, everything to try to stop the car from pulling left when stopped. Turns out the shoes are indeed smaller and (I'd have to go measure one) the drum too may be a tad narrow. Yes it's because of the trunion block design. No amount of adjustment will relieve the left pull if all 4 corners pull equal. Not a theory, a fact. I had no paper at the time, I had Art Brummer. 99 out of 100 times he was right on the money. No matter what, even everything dead on to spec, the car will stop straight, but you'll feel the left side "pull" just a wee bit, not in the wheel, in the car. In a panic stop it will initially pull left then straighten right out. Nature of the beast.

Is replacing the wood on a '20's vintage body difficult?



One would have to define 'difficult' for a truely correct answer. Sheetmetal, paint, wood, chrome prep, mechanical, upholstery, it's all somewhat 'difficult' meaning it's something you'd have to be ready to see through. Sometimes the mindset you have going in makes a job harder or easier. DO like this type of work? If so it's not at all difficult. It's the 'Juice' that keeps us coming back for more. I do these things for a living so armed with that I'll flip you some of the best advice you can get. Don't over-think it. Look at it and replicate what's there. Just like a cabinet or door jamb in your house the wood has to retain nails or screws, end of story. The wood gets you a close shape to the sheetmetal. A simple strip of cotton type material where it might chaffe on the metal and cause a squeek. Use good glue. Don't get all anal about slotted screws being required unless it's visible in the completed car (they're not torn apart for judging!). But the last most sound advise I can give is to enjoy it.

According to the 35-41 parts book that car takes a 16 X 4 1/2 wheel. It calls that out for nearly all of 1800 series cars. According to the 42 parts book it's called a 16 X 4 wheel for the 1801-3,4 etc. Hard to specify but the common denominator has always been the 4 1/2 for the 120s and the 5 1/2 for the 160-180. If you're interested I know where there's a set of 4 perfect 16" 120 wheels. They were offered to me for my 160 but I can't use em. They are as clean a wheel as you'll ever find. I'll ask about em when I see him next (soon).

Very helpful guys. Thanks a bunch. It seems we may have the OD unit afterall. A final search of the barn 'archives' will net a yes or no but I'm told that one was purchased for this thing years ago (when they were cheap!) Again, many thanks.

Yes, THANK YOU!! I did a search, called dozens of places...

That's it. now I have a product and part#.

I'm wondering if any of you OD experts can shed some light on a project. Was the 40 160 an R-9, 10, or 11? Are there other models/makes using the same OD housings, and like Porsche/VW cros-overs do you need to know the secret handshake? I'm thinkin if it's a BW unit that it may have been "industry wide" use and perhaps we can collect up what we need. Let's hear it guys n gals. What do ya know?