Again been many years since I have had to do this, as years ago good used sending units were about 5 to 10 dollars each and everyone wanted to unload them. Worked on many cars and I seem to remember doing this once. What you can do (I think) if you have enough clip leads or wire. Is, bring the sending unit to the front seat, where you can connect it up as if it was in the gas tank, but with you looking at the gauge. The gauge acting as the ohm meter. Now you can move the arm up and down, and sideways slowly to see if you have any open spots. It doesn't take much. Or if the wiper is lifting off of the wire. Or if you have an extra battery and gauge you can do on your bench. I seem to remember opening one of these up at one time. It would have been for a prewar senior model. I think I remember bending the wiper just a bit to make up for sideways slack in the arm and bushing. Burnishing the contact with a piece of business card and some sort of solvent, probably brake parts cleaner, but not for sure. Then I believe this unit used a couple of rivets to put the top back on. Also just thought, make sure the arm is not hanging up on only one position.

It has been a number of years, but you may have a small dead spot. Take the unit out and you will need an old fashioned pointer ohm meter. Put it to ohms. Attach one probe to ground, and the other to the positive or where the wire connects. Move the float by hand and watch the ohm meter needle, watch for any sudden movements. While moving the float up and down, also a bit sideways to check for any open areas. I have in the past just bought an already rebuilt one, can't remember from where. Thanks.

I can remember some years back being at a Packards International event. The speaker for the evening was Lyman Slack. There was an article about his speech in one of the quarterly publications. He was there! He stated that the main problem was Packard being unwilling or unable to purchase extra manufacturing facilities and supplies at the time. I did a Google search for Lyman Slack, and sure enough he is in the book The Fall of Packard. From about page 53 to about 100. I am not sure how to transfer the location to here for all to see. But it looks like it is books.google.com/books?id=7d11a-EPzwMC&pg=PA53&lpg=PA53&dq=lyman+slack&source=web&ots=jbjBXg

Also I might add, if your time is worth about .25 cents an hour you will just love grinding, sanding, straightening, filling,and plating over and over again. Then again this Caswel system might be magic. If you get it and it works good please let us know. Thanks again.

Since I restore and collect many old cars and jukeboxes, I purchased many years ago from a local firm here in Valencia California called Brooktronics a Brush Plating system. Over the years I have done many small, and smaller parts in Nickel, Brass, and Chrome plating. And with much good results. Have not tried these tub systems as I have not heard better than average results. And, I can tell you as the part gets bigger, the more you need a professional that you know and trust. You want to ask Caswel on the fill of the copper. If it is not a high fill you will be replating copper over and over again for days. Each time you plate with the copper you need to sand off excess using something straight under the sandpaper to take off only what is on the flat surface. And not sanding into what you are trying to fill. Then nickel, then chrome. Now the problem you may have with the chrome is on smaller parts it is fine but on any kind of large part you cannot get the coating think enough to last any length of time. They call it the build. So you need to check again with Caswel about the build on larger parts. I live in the Los Angeles area, and in years past there was a plater on every block. But, with all the state laws in the past few years just about all have closed shop, and there are only just a couple left that can do any kind of good job. I can go to either one of these places, see samples of their work, talk with the owner and tell them exactly what I want them to do and not to do. Especially as far as grinding or sanding the part. Some jukebox people have used Courtesy Metal Polishing in your neck of the woods in Villa Park, Illinois. I have not used them but others have. If you want their number let me know. Thanks

Memories, many homes in the Hollywood Hills, Mulholland Drive area had not been built yet. So many trails for young men to follow, ocassionally go through a long dark drainage pipe.Pretty scary for a ten year old. Lots of frogs and polywogs in the shallow water. My good friend Ted Ancona, followed you to Hollywood High about seven years after you. I went on to (yep the snob school) Beverly Hills High School.
A bit of reminiscing, living in Beverly Hills in the mid sixties, to the early seventies. Just about every legend remembered now lived in Beverly Hills. My day was not complete with out passing Groucho wearing his berret, and smoking a cigar. I would say good morning many a time, and he always smiled, waved his hand, and tipped his hat. Charles Boyer lived two doors down. Bill Cosby at the end of the block. Up the street was Lucille Ball's house. By this time no Packards. Plenty of Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Jaguars,Cadillacs,and convertible Lincoln Town Cars. Many a time Jack Benny would drive his Rolls Convertible down Sunset Blvd. with his apricot ascot flapping behind him. Growing up in Los Angeles in the fifties,sixties, and seventies, was wonderful. A transition from a large, but still very rural city, to todays nothing but contrete, and anything worth while torn down. No more trails to follow above Lake Hollywood. Cannot hike to the Hollywood sign anymore. At one time me and a friend nearly pushed one of the letters down. They were in bad shape at the time. Enough of this.
Hope Packard12 Fan remembers this also.

Used Grundy for four cars for about twenty years no problems.

Can't speak for other years. But, my 1940 180 limo is a dark blue. Can't remember if it is Packard Blue or not. But I do remember it looking almost black on the paint chip. Yes when painted on the car it is a dark blue in daylight and looks black at night in the dark. After seeing Fred Mauck's 180 limo in original Wilshire Green I knew I didn't just want a black car. But I did want it formal looking, hence dark blue in day and black in the evening for formal events.

I know that a professional paint dealer can come up with a PPG paint. Or custom mix it from PPG numbers. Good professional paint dealers will have books with data, dating back at least to the late forties if not earlier. Don't skimp, go to a paint supply shop that good body shops use. The paint is expensive, but well worth the money. If they do care they can also guide you to the proper primer to use etc. Don't use the cheapest paint or primer. Ten to fifteen years from now you will be glad you spent the couple hundred more.

As said above why go to 12 volts. Looks like you will have enough to do in regular restoration. So it cranks a bit slow when starting. Only problem with 6 volt is if the car has been sitting awhile, it is better to have an electric fuel pump or just before cold starting put a bit of gasoline into the carburetor. Once warmed up will start fine. I use 6 volt Optima batteries and have an old tungar charger if needed to keep them charged. For a modern hidden radio you can get a converter. It actually sounds and looks great as the 6 volt system slowly cranks a large 8 or 12 cylinder up to speed to start, kind of like an old prop airplane.