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Okay. So definitely filler in the fender.

Part of the fender I used a grinder but the front half I decided to try paint stripper.

Not near as bad as I thought it would be.

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Rear floor boards sanded and primed and awaiting undercoating.

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Carpet question.

I've read in other posts that indoor/outdoor carpeting is similar to the OEM carpet.

Attached are pictures of the carpet my car came with (to me).

Is this possibly the OEM carpet?

Did Packard Clippers come with loop style carpet on the foot rests and mohair style otherwise?

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And as a follow up question, does anyone know a source for insulation/padding under the carpet?

Here is what was under my carpet. It measures approximately 1" thick.

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I don't know if the original brown jute backing of plant fiber is that available in large pieces anymore. Small edge pieces, yes. Several places advertise backing as jute but in actuality seems to be a recycled fiber material in gray. Here is one so advertised and is similar to what I bought at a local automotive upholstery shophttp://www.stockinteriors.com/jute.asp?ItemId=4794&source=googleps

The modern foam stuff is readily available and some recommend using that instead because water doesn't soak in and sit there to rust your floor.

EDIT: I was just looking thru stockinteriors website and they claim to have carpet made to fit. The price and selection isn't bad either. Maybe an option if you are not trying to duplicate absolute stock .

I used a good grade carpet padding when I was re-doing the carpeting in my 55 Clipper. I bought it from a carpet store. I used gray indoor-outdoor carpeting from Lowe's. The job is fully described in my project blog: Adventures with a 55 Clipper. I believe the carpeting in your car is bound on the edges when it is not on my Clipper.

(o[]o)

So, after a new starter, new generator, new coil, new points, and new battery, my next door retired SAE mechanic neighbor and I finally got the old girl running.

And after about a minute and a white oil cloud covering approximately a half mile radius around my garage, we turned it off to see oil pouring out of the exhaust manifold.

He told me it was time to tear it down. So last night I pulled all of the accessories and today we pulled the engine (and tranny out).

We finished tearing down the engine at 7 pm. Here are the pictures.

Tuesday the engine goes to the machine shop. Hope to get all parts back for a reassembly in two weekends.

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BTW, the low compression tests I recorded last year were validated when we measured a ring gap of .15.

As a reference point, the service manual states ring gap shoulp be between .005 and .015.

So, only ten times out of spec...

Body is off the frame now, frame is off to a shop to be straightened.

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Back from 2 weeks of leave in North Carolina and Indiana.

It was 103 up in Indiana and only 87 in El Paso (where I currently live). Who would've thunk it?

Frame is finished from the frame shop and my wallet is $800 lighter.

The engine wasn't done yet at the machine shop although I took pictures visiting there today during lunch.

Does anyone have any idea of what the 78X on the side of the block next to the original manufacture date mean?

-Darrin

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