Congrats! If you end up needing any parts, aside from the big national vendors like Kanter and Max Merritt, there is a guy on this forum named AL down in Alabama who has an extra '55 Patrician with every factory option- he only removed the AC.

The can of carb dip looks familiar... I have the same one.

For the thermometer, if it's the one with a blue background and white edging (slightly different from Kev's), there is is this one on Ebay:

http://cgi.ebay.com/PACKARD-THERMOMETER-_W0QQcmdZViewItemQQhashZitem1c1e5aebe8QQitemZ120768359400QQptZLHQ5fDefaultDomainQ5f0

My dad has one in perfect shape because our last name is Packard, but it's on his wall, not mine.

Mal, does the fender welt run the length on the '37 as well?

Sorry about the thread hi-jack!

Well, based on straight door handles and no slots in my wheels, looks like my car is an early '37. Sure wish I had the original VIN. The gent I bought the car from had bought it without a title, then put the title (and VIN plate) from a parts car onto my car.

Well, I'm doing some back-reading because it's too hot outside to do much else. Kev, if you're still interested in a project like this, or anyone else is, there is the entire front suspension (including segments of the frame!) from a 1937 Junior Packard on the Tuscon craigslist.

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That's my fault for procrastinating! By the time I was able to put the word out, I didn't have a way to do it. West, I have your business card, but I don't know where it's at. There will be another chance one of these days, I'm sure of it.

Cutting the floor board for the car today, as soon as I get a little more motivation (coffee) in my system. I'm not going to bolt it in because I'm hoping to find someone to do the body work in the near future.

I put the flex hose in Friday, and promptly discovered that I have a fueling issue. The car would start and idle promptly and smoothly, but as soon as I put the car under any load, it would sputter and die. I initially suspected vapor lock, but repeated the test when the ambient temp was about 70 instead of 95, and it did the same thing. I took a marine gas can and plumbed it to the fuel pump, car works great.

The power seems a little a low, and it still smokes a lot, but it runs really smooth. I'm hoping the more I operate it, the smoother it will run. I've put about 20 miles on it so far. I did lose two hubcabs though! They were probably not restorable anyway, but it was still annoying. I believe they came off on my parents driveway, so my dad will keep an eye out for them. The car has been christened however- my wife decided Evelyn was a period correct and appropriately elegant name.

Edit: The fuel starvation is caused by a cracked fuel pickup tube. The car I took it from was so rotted out that I removed the tube from the trunk. The brass line had some pitting, but was pretty decent. When I put it in my tank, I had to bend it slightly, and it cracked. I sealed it up with some Bill Hirsch miracle putty, but that was clearly insufficient. When I'm working on the car full-time again, I'll solder or braze the crack, or perhaps put on a new piece of tubing.

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Pat,

I was going to put the word out on the forum, but in the chaos of moving, I didn't get a chance until Thursday or Friday, and when I went to go update the forum, it was down. That's how it goes, I guess. My last name is Packard, and there is sort of a family interest, so I'm planning on coming back to Dayton (and Warren) with my dad in a few years.

If I'm in your neck of the woods again, I'll look you up!

Made it safely to Idaho with some stops in Ohio and Wisconsin. We looked at America's Packard museum in Dayton, OH on Saturday. Some beautiful cars! And it made me feel good to see what mine might look like some day. I even noticed a few things missing on my car, like the piece of metal under the grill that directs air to the radiator.

On Sunday, we visited Henry Stellings in Prentice, WI. He restored a number of cars over the years, and had some parts I was interested in. He has a freshly rebuilt motor that I was interested in, but it was worth more to him than I was willing to pay. My engine runs just fine, but I'm looking for an uncracked spare, just in case. I was able to find a couple of things I was looking for. I got front fender braces and a radiator support that has an unmolested set of fender mounts. Also picked up a pair of rechromed bumper ends and a NOS trunk locking trunk handle. I don't think the bumper ends are right, they have hexagons. My understanding was that the hexagons were only present on the 120s.

I also bought a spare wheel. Interestingly enough, it has slots around the perimeter. Henry was pretty sure it was off of a 1937 115c convertible. Mine do not have slots. Backspacing, profile, and hole pattern are all the same. It will work fine for a spare, but my dad was following me in the car yesterday and said that my right rear wheel was wobbling a lot. Maybe it's bent, and if so I'll be looking for a wheel that looks exactly like mine, not just quite.

Mal, I had a package from you when I got to Idaho. Many, many thanks my friend.

Going to put my flex line on today as well as a fuel filter. When I drove the car yesterday, I had some surprisingly vapor lock-like symptoms. I'll put the fuel filter on to rule out rust from the tank, and test drive it when it's not 95!

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I don't have 3.103. Wonder if mine is missing, or something different was done by Packard for my year. Thanks for the picture!

It's alive!!!

Drove the car out of the shop today under it's own power. I brought it to the water so I can flush the block.

Anyone have a picture or description of how the clutch pedal return spring is attached? I think it goes on the throwout fork, but where from there?