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I am currently helping a friend with his 1936 Packard Dietrich Convertible Sedan. It's been in his family since 1937, although he's never personally laid a wrench on it. Hence, I'm the one getting a few things like a new head gasket done. Trouble is, I cannot locate either a radiator or a block coolant drain. He's only got the original handbook and has no service manual. I thought it would be an elementary "feel-around" task, but without the front end of the car raised, I can feel or see nothing that resembles a drain petcock. I did attempt to use the PI Manuals, but came up dry with that, too.

Secondly, does anyone recommend using products like Permatex Copper Head Gasket spray on the new 282 head gasket? There were no instructions that came with the new (Kanter) gasket, so I'm wondering if dry is best for a laminated gasket.

Is it a Dietrich convertible sedan or a 120? As far as I know Dietrich only did senior models not juniors in 1936. If my memory serves me right on a 120 it's on the right side of the radiator on the senior ones there should be a peacock on the left side.

It's a Dietrich Convertible Sedan. There's a series of correspondence with Ray Dietrich that confirms that it was probably a prototype, possibly a one-off, built to show Packard some possibilities for a production model that apparently never came about.

But from what I can see, it's a very mildly different car from a regular Convertible Sedan, including the two trunk/tire lids that were unique to 1936 120B cars. My friend's father bought it from the original family when the car was less than a year old in 1937 after it was involved with a family member and a traffic death. The Vehicle Plate says that it was delivered by Packard New York (57th and Bdway) on 5-28-36. Ray Dietrich's correspondence says Murray would often "pitch" a concept and if it did not get approved, Packard would often sell/dispose it through a Distributer. He did not personally recall this car (it does have the one Dietrich plate on the right side, under the hood body line) but assured the father "that all materials would have been of the finest available at the time".

My friend is currently in the throes of deciding what to do and what not to do with a survivor car that was his father's proudest possession for five or six years before his birth. Most of the paint and all of the leather is original but in need of restoration if that's his course. I am warning him that doing too much is a slippery slope, but for the time being, he's wanting to gauge his own opinion of having something like you might call a Barn Find. It's anything but.

That's an interesting story. Maybe you can post some pictures. I sent you a pm, cause I have a picture with the location of the drain on a 36 120 but the file is too large to post it here.

My understanding, limited as it is, is that Dietrich did the 120 Convertible Sedan bodies in 1936. 3 were imported to Australia and of which I've seen 2. One awaiting resurrection/restoration the other was "Uted" in WW2 because the owner needed a work vehicle for his business after his truck was requisitioned by the military. The Ute was subsequently restored as a Ute by it's then owner to retain that link in it's history.

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If your 120B is similar to my 115C, then there may be a radiator drain cock or plug on the lower hose fitting casting of the radiator. It is difficult to reach from above. I open and close mine with a length of wooden doweling. Gently knock on one side of the drain cock to loosen and the same on the other to tighten.

You should have a engine block drain plug on the LH side of the block in back of the distributor.

The Flackmaster, a frequent poster here, has more knowledgeable on these junior Packards and may offer better advice.

(o{}o)