Kev,

Looks like it's happening again. Just getting, in effect, a blank screen.

Tuesday 11th November 2008

Made a couple of thicker wooden tracks for the front seat so the seat is elevated slightly from stock. Did this in the garage at home cut a length of square timber to size, marked and drilled the bolt holes and cut the slotted hole with a jig-saw. Next chased around for a 6V 'flasher' can with 3 terminals to use with the new wiring harness in the '41. First tried the local Repco shop, Australian auto parts chain - result no 6V flasher cans. Then a specialist auto electrician, Tibby Rose - same result. Last Performance Engineering, a specialist volkswagen repair business - same again, although the guy said he might have one but wasn't prepared to search for it as he was too busy at present!
!!!!!!!!!!!

Anyway, arrived at the workshop late morning and started by taking out the metal pedal/steering column plate and cleaned it up ready for painting. Then looked at the headlight buckets one of which has some rust around the edge but is still serviceable, I think. Need to discuss this with Wade, but because he wasn't in today will catch him tomorrow about this and some other matters.

Next was modifying the front kick panels so that the courtesy lights, rather than hanging from the lower edges of the dashboard, were fitted into stamped holes located perfectly in the lower structure of the body bracing there. Now, I'm not great when it comes to fabrication type work, but I understand the best way to do things like this is carefully by measuring at least twice and cutting once. So there was a LOT of measurements taken on the left kick panel as well as carefully eyeballing it and the holes it clips into and the hole in the structure where the courtesy lamp body will sit. Back to the bench and careful marking on the fibre back of the kick panel to find the centre of the hole to be punched through the fibre and upholstery. Wade has a great punch set of various sizes up to 1" as well as a few custom made punches for larger sizes, Determined the 1" size would be perfect for the job at hand and a couple of good solid whacks later - a nice hole. Back to the '41 then my jaw dropped, somewhere between the measurements and marking them on the back I'd turned the kick board around! After I picked my jaw off the floor of the '41's cabin what was there to do? Why carry on of course, but this time cut it in the correct position! Didn't have another kick panel so this customised one with a 'ventilation hole' will suffice to start with. This time managed to cut the hole in the correct place! But on trial fitting the light and the kickboard found the hole needed to be larger because the bezel and glass won't clip through the depth of the fibreboard and upholstery. And as well I had to cut a square piece out of the top of the fibreboard to accommodate the tail on the body of the light. Accomplished all this then turned to the right side kickboard and I'm pleased to say I did learn from my earlier mistake.

It'll be good to see Wade back tomorrow. Although even he couldn't have saved me from my self inflicted SNAFU!

And David(flackmaster),

I've just realised I haven't asked you to do the same. So could you please include your Packard/s in the Owner Registry together with pic's, any known histories and how you came to acquire the cars?

G'day rennenga,

Your first post, so welcome to Packardinfo a great Site. Could you please include your '35 Eight/Super Eight in the Owner Registry together with a pic, any known history and how you came to acquire the car?
Again -

Monday 10th November 2008

After yesterdays run up to the Twin Lakes Classic Car Club's Show and Shine at Wyong Racecourse arrived at the workshop early this afternoon to find Wade fixing, of all things, an electric paper shredder! He's a man of many talents! And I will post some pic's of the Show and Shine in the General Forum once my PC is fixed.

Anyway, once Wade had finished his office machine repairman impersonation we turned to Kevin's '35. Earlier in the morning Wade had drained the old fuel out, over 40 litres (Approx 10US Gallons), and replaced it with fresh fuel. The old fuel didn't have particles or debris in it but was discoloured and didn't smell right. I then assisted Wade in replacing the left hand sidemount spare. Remaining work on the '35 is re-installing the carb, adjusting the idle, re-installing the air-cleaner, re-installing one horn trumpet and re-installing the right hand sidemount spare. Wade then plans to drive the '35 for a couple of days to start running in the re-built engine and to ensure it is running properly before Kevin comes and picks it up.

Turned to the '41 with Wade checking the behind dash wiring in the car for any matters still requiring attention. Located the cross dash wires up behind the upper lip of the body dash frame so they weren't hanging free. Then to the newly installed demister tubing. To ensure it wouldn't interfere with the wiring, radio or anything else a couple of plastic cable ties were enlisted to hold the tubing up to the steering column bracket at the firewall and near the centre where it was tied to the cowl vent drainage tube. Next was the wiper motor. It had a small piece 'broken' off what turned out to be the, and this is my terminology, return to rest switch and there was also a bare wire here. First Wade unscrewed two terminals and then de-soldered the bare wire from the wiper motor housing. Wade made up a short section of insulated wire and soldered this to the 'return to rest switch', cleaned up the rest of the switch re-installed it and soldered the new wire to the wiper motor. Result, the wiper motor works with low and high speeds and returns to rest when switched off during a sweep cycle. What more could you want? Strange you ask but I'm still looking for wiper blades for a '41 120, so that's what more! And Wade is going to mount a relay to run the heater motors, radio and turn signals from, rather than have them all routed directly through the ignition.

Next, as all the leg work that could be done outside the car on the dash was now complete, was re-installing the re-woodgrained, re-wired and cleaned up dash in the '41. First step was carefully laying it face down on small sheets of rubber foam, then wrapping it in bubble wrap and taping this protective shield together. The tail of the harness not connected to dash instruments or controls was coiled up outside the wrapped dash structure. Next was transporting it, and it could be described as "the mummy" from its swaddled appearance, from the bench to the interior of the '41. Then, with Wade on the left side and me inside the cabin guiding the right side, manouvering of the swaddled dash and clearing cables and wires managed to replace it from whence it came. Almost the hardest part of this was removing the bubble wrap and foam from the dash itself. The tape used to stick it together was very effective and resisted mightily when we tried to remove it.

Then came the part Wade had been dreading, and I'm glad he told me this after it was done, threading the new wiring harness through the firewall. Because the location of the access hole in the firewall for the wiring harness is right up behind the instrument cluster it's not exactly readily accessible. Combined with a 'hood' as part of it's structure where it enters the engine compartment it tends to catch most of the wires fed in, rather than help funnel them through! And Wade also said later he thought the new harness might be slightly thicker because he thought the insulation on modern wires was marginally beefier than that from days of old! So, with Wade on his back under the dash and me armed with a pair of long nose pliers on the engine side of the firewall, the process commenced. With Wade feeding wires through and me gripping them as they emerged into the half light of the workshop it was a slow process. Through the course of it a couple of breaks were taken so Wade could catch his breath as it's surprising the amount of energy you expend while lying on your back fighting with things in confined spaces. There was juggling of wires side to side, pushing over, up, down, to the sides, whatever gave a clearer path for the next wire. At the end of it Wade and I were mightily pleased, especially Wade with his unspoken misgivings about the process.

Another thing I'll mention was young Mat, packard34 on Packardinfo, arriving to pick up a spare crank that Wade gave him for his '34 engine re-build. He also told us his '55 Caribbean is now registered for road use but there are a few things to do to it before he takes it out on the road. Pity I forgot to take a pic of Mat and his brother Scott while they were at the workshop. But with my current pic upload problem, posting pic's is really neither here nor there at the moment.

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Brian,

Understood.

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John,

We were around most of the time, went to view the auction items and the vendors tables set up in the 'betting ring'. After the auction and lunch I went off to take pic's of some of the cars. Speaking of pic's I can't download/upload them yet because I've still got a PC problem. Don't know about the others. And again, congratulations on your trophies.

Kev,

Having trouble getting into the Owner Registry at the moment. Is there something preventing me access? If this continues I will have to relinquish the title bestowed below! And being Obsessive Compulsive regarding this topic that could have dire consequences as I need my fix at least daily!
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G'day all,

John, Annett and the '40 110 were at Wyong today where they gained two trophies, one for best dressed in the period of their car and the other, I think, for most original car. John, please correct me if I'm wrong on the award. Apparently the carb is no longer acting up so they drove up yesterday, stayed the night and went to the Show & Shine today.

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Mat,

Congratulations, there was some discussion today at Wyong whether you get would there but this explains your absence. Instead, bring it to the Christmas run to Vickery's winery next month. See you there!