do the cost of shipping versus driving, but unlike some of the advice here seems to imply make sure you add in an appropriate economic value of the fun of making the trip and driving yourself, hard to say what will be "cheaper" in the end if you decide to drive and the value you put on it, also maybe add in some value for the memories even if you end up having it shipped from a half way point, probably won't have many memories of it arriving on a tow trailer but then again it may be a lot easier, but whichever route you go have fun with it and enjoy it, even if you drive and break down a time or two, hard to tell who you will meet and it may just not end up being the grim reaper.

Not a lot going on with the Packard the last couple months, but would figure I would do an update, worked on getting the frame completely cleaned.

Used a blaster with glass beads seemed to work well. Local greenhouse had pallets of plastic they were tossing that I retrieved from the trash pile a few years ago and used a small piece of one piece as a catch for the media, recovered quite a bit. Think I bought 2 or 3 50 lb bag and a small can probably have 2-2.5 bags left over after the last use. Recovered probably 75% plus.

Prepped it with POR metal prep, used power washer to clean it off. Applied 2 coats of POR 15 with a scotch brite scuffing between coats. That was in may, june and july too busy with house projects and work projects but I have managed in the last few days to get it scuffed ready for the final coat of POR Top Coat Flat Black. Figure the flat black will be a better match with what came out of the factory, seems like the POR 15 base coat is pretty glossy.

Starting to think about the parts I will need in the long run to complete the project. Seems like some of these senior parts are getting harder to find. Will check with the vendors on here but figure I will start a list and if anyone has something or a good lead on an item let me know. But I know I will need to replace:

1937 Packard 1500 Super 8 Touring Sedan Body 1003
1. Rear fenders (may be able to salvage passenger side, driver side is pretty rough)
2. Gas fill tube and cap
3. Fuel tank
4. Rear tail lights
5. Spare tire cover, need one side
6. Set of wheels
7. Set of hub caps
8. rear seat bottom
9. running boards, mine can probably be salvaged but if I could find better ones may.
10. Luggage rack, need everything, have one mounting bracket the other is bent pretty badly everything else missing.
11. and many others, just a start at a list, would like to avoid fiberglass parts if I can find metal decent shape ones.

After the frame gets its final coat by this weekend I guess I will start working on the front and rear end. Hopefully in the next couple weeks I can start putting parts back together.

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Had a customer come into the plant and mentioned this Packard for sale, not sure if it has been on here before or not, figured the armyjeeps.net website isn't heavily hit by those looking for a Packard but here she is. If you are looking for a Packard with a Chevy engine for 75k....

http://armyjeeps.net/Packard/index.htm

from their website
"Built at Packard Motor Car Co in Detroit, Michigan.? Delivered to Hamilton, Ohio in December 1936.? Spent its life there until I purchased it in February, 2001.? Prior to 2001, the engine compartment was converted to Chevrolet 350 V8 engine with automatic transmission and air conditioning.? The engine had 7500 miles on it when purchased and I have put 27,016 miles on it with parades, casual driving, family marriages, etc... Original door and trunk keys will lock the car for security.? It is a beautiful car!

Price: $75,000
Location: Chillicothe, OH"

have continued working on getting everything removed from the frame, finally got it down to grease and grime, worked a couple days on getting the grease and grime cleaned some and then started work on blasting down to bare metal, ma and pa got me a sand blaster for my birthday (ahhh big 40) and so far it seems to be working pretty good,

also spent some time getting my pile of bits and pieces stored in the back corner where hopefully they will not meet up with a fork lift on the loose, so hopefully next week I can get the frame painted,

probably a little break on this project for a couple weeks after that while I work on some house projects that need to get done in order to get it up for sale,

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I knew those would get comments, ha, they weigh about 190 lbs each, pretty heavy to lug around but they aren't going anywhere, your back will give out before they do

Worked last week and got the body off the frame, frame doesn't seem to be in too bad a shape. Also got the frame up on saw horses which should eliminate some rolling around on the floor. Need to get the mess cleaned up and will work this week on checking out the condition of the engine by removing the head, valve cover and oil pan.

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Thanks for all the suggestions, we will see what I end up doing with her, maybe if the engine is not salvageable I will end up parting her out, but if possible going to try to save the ole gal regardless of how upside down it is economically, besides how much value should I put on all the fun I am having taking her apart. Told my wife Saturday I don't know how long it has been since I had so much fun working, no customers asking when their project is going to be done, no deadline, all new things to learn, etc, at any rate...

Spent some time removing the fenders, radiator, etc. Will continue removing bits until I get down to the frame. The plan is once I get down to the frame, check out the engine then I will be able to tell more about how feasible it is to put her back the way she should be. So far the frame isn't as rusted as I thought it would be. Part of her history must have been in a sandy soil location as most of the dirt on the frame is sandy, maybe that allowed it to dry out better, if she was in Virginia long obviously wouldn't have seen as much salt down there.

Trying to get the body off this week and go from there.

Thanks again for the comments and suggestions.

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No relation to ole Bev, although with the Packard knowledge I am going to need maybe I need to look her up and invite her to the family reunion, if she is still kicking.

It says Dixie Races also can barely make out Lynchburg Speedway below it:

Over the years NASCAR sanctioned races ran at many of the western Virginia tracks, including Morris, Fieldale, Starkey, Victory Stadium, Ararat, Lynchburg, New River Valley, Lonesome Pine, and the twice-yearly NASCAR races at Martinsville Speedway. An early rival to NASCAR, the Dixie Circuit, based in Lynchburg, was organized in the early 1950s and raced at speedways in Southwest Virginia and North Carolina. In 1952 the Dixie Circuit promoted races at Lynchburg, Danville, and Roanoke, and in North Carolina at Henderson and Camp Butner; Pulaski County Speedway joined the Dixie Circuit in 1953. Midget racing had its own circuits including the AAA fairground circuit, the Dixie Midget Circuit, and the AAA Virginia-Pennsylvania Midget Circuit.

http://www.vaautoracing.org/oval2.htm

interesting pictures on the website, including one with a wheel flying through the air and a car sitting by the track with hood flopped up.

Couldn't find anything specifically of the Lynchburg Speedway, thinking maybe this car was a pace car or promotional car of some kind?

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A couple weeks ago I was taking my first sick day in who knows how many years and was watching recorded Gas Monkey Garage episodes. Well that caused a turn to Craig's List and the resulting project below. After finding the ole gal I hated to see her parted out. So I decided to take the plunge and try to restore her to as close to her original beauty as possible. I understand it isn't the best place to start, maybe it should be parted out but I hate to see that happen.

I haven't done auto restore work before, so it should be interesting. I am an engineer, worked in Detroit in the auto engineering world before returning to the family railroad business. So I do have a fair amount of metal working knowledge just not much sheet metal experience which I will obviously need. My plant does have a good bit of equipment that will come in handy press brake, radial drills, welding, 600 ton press, milling machines, bolt threaders, lathe, etc. I do have a good bit of experience wood working with most of the equipment required.

I plan on just dismantling her until we get down to bare frame and by then we will see exactly what is salvageable. Body is obviously in rough shape including the wood. Most of the interior widgets are there, major mechanical bits are at least present. So time and cases of PB Blaster will tell.

I realize I will probably have 80k in a 50k car, but it is all about the journey, while my wife may not agree I am sure the Kanter boys will. And I am sure a few forum readers will get a kick out of my ignorance along the way.

Who knows maybe she will end up looking nearly as well as the other picture below of the '37 1500 for sale somewhere on the world wide wibble.

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