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New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#1
Not too shy to talk
Not too shy to talk

mustangduckk
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Hello all!

New here, first post.

I grew up on my grandparent's farm in Oregon. In one of the barns was an old '53 Packard Clipper Deluxe. The last time it was running was probably 20 years ago. I tried to get it running a couple years ago with my grandpa, and we ran out of time on that trip. We replaced the points, coil, plugs, and dumped oil down the cylinders.

Now I've inherited it, and a buddy and myself have the crazy idea to get it running and drive it back to Texas. We both have 10 days off before Christmas. I just bought us 1-way tickets to make this adventure happen.

The plan is to have parts and tools shipped there and spend a couple days getting it going, then start the drive if we feel it is road worthy. Supposedly it ran smooth when it was parked. This was according to my grandpa, who was the last person to drive it.

I have some family checking the brakes to see if they have pressure, and hopefully I can talk them into putting new tires on and checking to see if the lights work with the new battery.

I'm planning on having the following parts there when we arrive:

-starter
-starter solenoid
-battery
-carb rebuild kit
-possibly brake rebuild kits depending on results of test above
-tires

We will ship some flat rate boxes full of tools, wire, toggle switches, silicon, etc., to try to cut down on what we need when we arrive.


So...

What are the chances that we get this running in the first place, and then make it from Oregon to Texas???

What other parts should I bring to increase chances of success?


Not sure how to post pics here...

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Posted on: 2017/11/21 23:22
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Re: New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#2
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Ozstatman
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G'day mustangduckk,
to PackardInfo!

Looked up Oregon to Oklahoma on Google, that's quite a trip, but sounds like a great adventure in the making!

Besides the items you've listed I'd add points, condensor, rotor button, a coil, a fuel pump rebuild kit, a master cylinder rebuild kit or a new master cylinder, change oil in engine, check levels in trans and diff and add as necessary. Drain the fuel tank and if not gunked up blow through the lines, also blow through the brake lines and add new fluid before bleeding the rebuilt brake system. Check the cooling system, a radiator and hoses sitting for 20 years may well have deteriorated.

Plus a question, what type of trans? Manual with or without overdrive OR Ultramatic?

I'm sure you'll receive plenty of advice.

And.....maybe tee up some of the members here who live in proximity to the route you'll be taking who might be able to lend a hand if need be, or just to wish you good luck on your way through.

Please keep us posted and include plenty of pic's.

Lastly, I invite you to include your '53 Clipper Deluxe in the Packard Owner's Registry.

Posted on: 2017/11/22 0:21
Mal
/o[]o\
====

Bowral, Southern Highlands of NSW, Australia
"Out of chaos comes order" - Nietzsche.

1938 Eight Touring Sedan - SOLD

1941 One-Twenty Club Coupe - SOLD

1948 Super Eight Limo, chassis RHD - SOLD

1950 Eight Touring Sedan - SOLD

What's this?
Put your Packard in the Packard Vehicle Registry!
Here's how!
Any questions - PM or email me at ozstatman@gmail.com
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Re: New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#3
Home away from home
Home away from home

Joe Santana
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Reviving a Sleeping Beauty by Alan Bowes
Before you do anything, to minimize damage:

1. Do not turn the engine over
2. Drain out the old oil and crud.
3. Install a new oil filter.
4. Buy a few gallons of cheap motor oil and fill the block with it up to the level of the cam shaft.
5. Take out the spark plugs and pour some oil down each cylinder.
6. Let everything soak several hours, min.
7. Crank the engine slowly by hand to make sure nothing is stuck (like a piston ring)
8. If the engine is free, crank it for a while with the starter until the oil pressure comes up (leave spark plugs out to reduce pressure against the bearings)
9. Drain out the excess oil so the level on the dip stick is normal.
10. Replace the spark plugs and start the engine.Run it long enough to warm it well.
11. Change the oil and filter, good oil this time.

I'm in Portland. We have an active Packard club here.
packardsoforegon.org

Posted on: 2017/11/22 2:02
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Re: New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#4
Home away from home
Home away from home

Packard Don
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Great advice from Joe and I especially liked the part about filling the oil to the cam. I'm about to revive my 1954 Patrician, also in Oregon, and that tidbit never occurred to me but makes perfect sense!

By the way, your Packard Clipper appears to be a 1954, not a 1953. Different side trim between the years but the more obvious thing is the dash, stainless trim plates that wraps around the fender below the cast wrap-around pieces. No rear photos but the taillights are also totally different between the two years.

Addendum: I forgot to mention that it has a 1952 Cormorant hood ornament which was quite different than the Cormorant of '53 and '54 although likely this car originally had the base ornament.

Posted on: 2017/11/22 3:24
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Re: New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#5
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flackmaster
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NO WAY. DON'T DO THIS. At the very least, do the math - 2 plane tickets, shipping, fuel, hotels, meals and dealing with the inevitable breakdown? License, registration, insurance... You will be far far FAR ahead paying up to have it shipped. However, you will need to find someone with a winch willing to transport an inop vehicle, or make the trip solo to get it running and yard driving enough to transport "normally", which will have to include detailed starting instructions. Once again, if you can find someone to transport as inoperable, that is the best use of your time and money. Try Uship to find a carrier for an inop vehicle - beware though, Uship is cruised by many many brokers who are mostly useless. Also try yesterdays tractor, and the AACA sites.

Get a refund on your airline tickets - tell the carrier you were mentally unstable when you bought them.

Posted on: 2017/11/22 9:21
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Re: New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#6
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HH56
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You definitely have more of the adventure spirit than I do but having said that, I wish you luck. All the suggested spare parts are excellent ideas but in addition, if the car doesn't already have one installed that could be turned on in an emergency I would add a 6v electric fuel pump and some hose to the list. Airtex makes the E8902 which is a 6v 2..5-4.5psi output pump. It could be temporarily placed in the eng compartment near the original and would be a good pressure match to the existing mechanical pump if it needed to be substituted in a hurry. Rather than trying to rebuild the old one on the side of the road in the event of trouble you could do a quick replumb and bypass it with the electric.

As a minor quibble, from the looks of the dash the car is a 54 Clipper rather than a 53.

Posted on: 2017/11/22 9:46
Howard
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Re: New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#7
Home away from home
Home away from home

BDC
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I have to agree with Flackmaster. If you're ready for a nice trip take your pickup to Oregon, rent a uhaul car trailer there and drive back to Oklahoma.

Posted on: 2017/11/22 9:59
I can explain it to you but I can't understand it for you

Bad company corrupts good character!

Farming: the art of losing money while working 100 hours a week to feed people who think you are trying to kill them
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Re: New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#8
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Cli55er
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I personally will live the adventure through you, just like watching an episode of Roadkill on youtube.

if it were me though...I'd ship it. I had a 37 that was sitting for 2 years shipped to me from Michigan to Texas. when I got it, I had it running and drove it down the street within 2 hours, but there is NO WAY I would drive it as far as you are suggesting. it took me MONTHS of work to even get it reliable and even still it gives me trouble with normal things just acting up.

not trying to talk you out of your adventure, cause honestly if I was like 10-15 years younger, I'd probably give a go as well.

Posted on: 2017/11/22 10:35
1937 Packard 138-CD Deluxe Touring Limousine
Maroon/Black 1090-1021
[url=http://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/registry/View.php?ID=232]1955 Packard
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Re: New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#9
Home away from home
Home away from home

Joe Santana
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If you have your heart set on driving it home, get yourself a AAA Premier membership for under $150 first. Join Packard Automobile Classics and Packards International, another $100 total, and request the latest roster from each, so you have someone to call wherever you break down.

You can get Anything for your car shipped to you in a day, if not available locally or at the nearest shop that can repair your car, if you can't.

I debated about shipping versus driving after the Duchess hadn't been driven for a few years. In the 80s via Convoy company, the cost was $50 per 100 miles. There were Convoy shipping locations every 50 miles or so all down I-5. I decided to drive. If I broke down (no Internet options in those days) I'd have the AAA tow me to the nearest Convoy location and let them take from there. My wife followed in our Volvo. We made it to our destination, 623 miles, without a hitch on that trip. The journey of 1,000 miles begins with the first step.

Open a project blog here, take pictures as you go, and post on the situation every day. You'll get help, plenty of advice, and you won't be alone.

But it wouldn't hurt to do a cost comparison. 1. Driving to Oregon, motel/gas/wear and tear, trailer rental 1-way, return trip. 2. Auto transport to OK (without needing to go to OR). 3. Air to OR, gas, motel to OK.

Posted on: 2017/11/22 10:59
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Re: New member, setting off on a crazy adventure... PICS!!!
#10
Not too shy to talk
Not too shy to talk

skimes
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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.

Posted on: 2017/11/22 11:22
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