Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

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Hmmm....now you have to wonder about the seller's true intentions. When I called him last week I told him that it was not a 160. I mentioned the items that gave it away, such as the vent windows, fixed grille shutters, etc. But the main thing I said was the 288 casting number was THE "dead-giveaway."

Now that he has taken that specific photo off his ad I think he has made his intentions very clear.

Fortunately, unlike eBay, Hemmings has a button at the bottom, left of the page to report a problem listing.

Unfortunately, not all buyers do their due diligence. The reason I initially posted the car on this forum was in hopes that a buyer would hit the internet and research, and find these posts. I did that with another car over on the AACA website, in regard to a 1939 Graham Sharknose "town car" that was completely bogus. The person who bought the car then hit the AACA forum asking for information. Needless to say, he was a little surprised to find that the car had already been discussed and proven to be a fake.

So, hopefully anyone thinking of buying will stumble in here.

I just checked the Hemmings link and as of 11:15 tonight the ad has been pulled.

The ebay listing is marked as "sold".

Good Morning all...Assuming that someone simply wanted a Packard to drive and enjoy, this old girl still has some value. I think that the 288 engine is better than a modern V-8 of some kind. I guess my question is 'What do you guys think it is worth as a modified 120 weekend driver? I also have a Model 'A' Ford and recently looked at a 1931 Roadster that had a 1937 flathead V-8 in it. It sold for about 2/3 of its normal value. Ernie, Caretaker of the 1949 Packard Deluxe 'Miss Prudence'.

Ernie: to me it's worth what a "120" coupe in comparable condition would sell for, minus the costs to install a correct engine and replace any other items like script that are incorrect, plus whatever money you could get by selling the 288 engine.

It's not the first 120 with 160 trim. Paint the hood. Be honest about what it is. Keep an eye peeled for a 282. My issue is less with what it is than with what it's being misrepresented as.

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I feel that this was a case of the seller not knowing exactly what we had for a number of reasons and I feel that he was not trying to deceived anyone on purpose. First off if you look at the picture of the serial plate it clearly starts at D3..... which designates a 19th series 120/8. Secondly As for the "dead giveaway" that it was not a 160 because it had a 288 head, heads will interchange on the 356 from 288,327 and 359 48-54, same head gasket. This has a 3 1/2" or 3 9/16" bore engine for sure. So the engine could be a 288,327 or 356 with a 288 head. The engine was changed at one time, but again the serial number plate tells the story.

As per the listing being taken down or modified the car was sold.

We took the time to email the owner and here was his response.

he had "sold" the car to the Packard Museum in Dayton, actually the museum was acting as an agent for a buyer from Belgium and the buyer was aware that it was really a 120.

The point I am trying to make is that the serial# plate was the answer and contacting the seller solved the mystery. Ebay is not a bad place to do business we have sold and bought many items with little to no issues. But as a buyer you just need to know exactly what you are looking for. Not all sellers are experts in Packard or in what they are selling. But this seller had the serial# in the listing and a photo of the plate as well. No Bad Intentions

Thanks
James
Kanter Auto

As I recall, that data plate was a reproduction, with a number on it that didn't look anything like the original serial number. I think it was an engine number, which would explain the "D3".