Has anyone found a good source for replacement body panels and/or floor boards for rust repair? I read a couple of threads about Classic 2 Current Fabrication. The main complaint was that the strengthening indents were not deep enough and the mounting holes were shaped different. So far, I have been leaning toward using them, but was curious if someone found a better alternative. I purchased some replacement rocker panels on ebay several years ago that were molded straight. I don't know if anyone has used these and gotten them to look OK, but I think I got burned in that deal. Trying not to repeat past mistakes.

Hey guys,

I have a couple of questions, some are curiosity, some are ignorance. Just noticed some things on my car.

1. I know where the engine number is. On a square section to the left of it, it appears there is something engraved there. It's hard to see on my car, but I think I see 076. Anyone know what this number is?

2. On top of the cylinder head, my car shows 428408 above the 288. What is that number? Also, my car says its a 288 STD 327 AT. I know what the 288 is, but what about the rest?

3. On the front of the cylinder head, by the fan, is a metal tag attached with two screws. I think it is a number, but mine is hard to see. What is it?

4. On top of my intake manifold, there is a petcock (like the drain on a radiator) that I can open and close. What is it's purpose? I would take a picture but the camera is out of commission.

5. When first starting my car, a "cloud" of light blue smoke hangs in the air. Is this oil burning or typical of an old car without emission controls?

By the way, my car is a '51 200 with ultramatic trans.

Thanks in advance!

The '51 to '54 service manual on this site has the info. <url>https://www.packardinfo.com/xoops/html/downloads/servicemanual5154/Engine_IX.pdf</url> I believe it starts on page 24.

I think I read somewhere that they should be adjusted every 20k miles. I can't remember where. Maybe the service manual or the owners manual.

I think there might be a wire diagram in the '51-'54 service manual I have. I believe all four years had the same colors. Unfortunately, the wire is all pretty much black. Hard to see any tracers. Maybe if I crawl under the dash there will be some good wire. Definitely not in the engine compartment.

Thanks for the tip! I didn't think to look at supplies after getting "sticker shock" on the full harnesses. A 10' minimum per color isn't too bad. Do you or anyone else know which tracer pattern is correct for a '51?

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I'm torn...I'm more of a purist, but when it comes to wiring, I'm not so sure. The wiring in my '51 200 is terrible. When I first got the car, I was able to get most of the electrical items to work (radio, heater fan, tail lights, etc). Now a lot of things are no longer working. I have a feeling it is the wiring. Under the hood, I have been replacing wires with thick gauge modern wire, but I don't like the look of it. I saw recommendations for Rhode Island wiring and others, but reproduction harnesses are very expensive.

I do not want to convert to 12v.

Any suggestions where I can find cheap wire harnesses, reproduction wire only (replace on my existing harness where needed) or other suggestions? I may have to just stick with the thick modern if there are no cheaper alternatives. Problem is my hardware store only has so many colors so it might get confusing as to where the wires go.

Any suggestions?

I just throw mine up on 4 jackstands. I jack up the front first so it doesn't roll, install the stands, then jack up the back by the differential. When you have as many tranny problems as mine, you get quite fast at it!

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OK so to clarify, his is the 2967th Cavalier built, not the 2967th Packard built that year, correct? Each model of car would have a body number with a 2967 indicating the 2967th car of that model, not total production, unless of course they made less than that amount of that model.

[quote]
The 2672 denotes a 1953 Cavalier and the 4967 denotes that it is the 2967th Cavalier built (numbering started at 2001). quote]
Did they always start with 2001? My '51 has a body number of 2492 3195. Would that mean it was only the 1,195th model 200 built at that point?

This might be a stupid suggestion, but did you check the antifreeze/water ratio? I had a car that overheated because someone put in too much antifreeze compared to the water. I don't know if this would be true on a straight eight though. The car that was overheating was a 4 cyl.