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The 17th National Packard Rally starts Monday 26th September. It's centered at Victor Harbor in South Australia this time round, about a 1400km trip each way for me. People and Packards are coming from many parts of Australia as well as some people from New Zealand

Yesterday a small group set out from Sydney comprising MikeK in his '54 Convertible Coupe accompanied by JeffC and MargaretC in their daily driver, because the engine of their '51 200 Deluxe Sedan is presently 500km north in Tamworth getting rebuilt. About 150km south of Sydney I joined them in the '41 Coupe after being able to pick up a spare fan belt just before joining with them. About 150km further south joined up with RobertS together with his wife Jan and granddaughter Kiara in their '36 120 Convertible Coupe.

Shortly after that the group arrived at the Binalong Motor Museum. This is a small museum together with a restoration workshop off the beaten track but well worth the visit. Cars on exhibit include a Type 43 Bugatti but sadly no Packards. Although there is a strong Packard influence with the proprietor Stuart owning a 1918 MAB powered by a Packard Liberty aircraft engine! Stuart also owns a '38 Limo which was away at the local body shop being massaged as required. Stuart was able to show us the engine, provided by Peter Packard, which will power the Limo.

Then it was off to Wagga Wagga, our overnight stop, via the scenic route at Stuarts suggestion via Harden, Cootamundra and Junee instead of the motorway. However from before Junee Rob's '36 was having fuel delivery problems because of an apparent split diaphragm in the mechanical pump. Proceeded until it didn't want to proceed any more, right on the outskirts of Wagga Wagga. There it came to a standstill opposite an automotive repair business which was able to bypass the mechanical pump and the '36 proceeded to our motel using only the electric fuel pump.

EDIT - Click on last pic to blow it up to readable size. And sorry for the size of the other pic's

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Mal,

Best wishes to you and all participants for a fabulous Packard meetup. I tried to clear my diary to make it up from Tassie for it, but it won't be this year.

Have a great time!

John

PS: I will post an update on our Tassie coupe restoration soon, (not that there's much to report).

John,

Thanks for your best wishes. Arrived in Adelaide late this afternoon(Saturday) but wasn't able to post about yesterdays trials and travels until today. Reason being car trouble, mainly Robert's '36 Convertible Coupe, and fatigue. After Thursday's band-aid fix on the fuel pump thought that would be the last of it.....but it was not to be.

Ian, the guy at MW Mechanical World, who performed the bypass surgery had suggested to Rob that he considered it unlikely that fuel had diluted the oil in the sump because of the broken diaphragm. However a "smell test" the next morning convinced Rob it was better to be safe than sorry. Ian accomplished this without any problems then we were off. However Jeff, Margaret and Mike together with Mat(Packard34), who had joined us at dinner for the remainder of the trip had pushed ahead.

To make a long story short, what should have been an easy 8 hour trip ended up taking 14&1/2 hours! Fuel starvation held speed down, then Rob changed the in line filter before the 6V electric pump on the frame. Made it to Hay where the NRMA (our Automobile Association breakdown service) conducted a flow test which revealed the 6V pump was underperforming, delivering only about 1/2 litre in 60 seconds. The car ran but any call for fuel delivery for higher speeds wasn't able to be met. But there aren't any 6V pumps in Hay! The solution, suggested by Peter Packard(Toet), Rob's Packard Call Centre Consultant, was a 12V electric pump powered by a 12V battery on the floor of the '36. Worked, resulting in our arrival at the motel at Ouyen at 10:30pm!

Todays trip from Ouyen to Adelaide saw more of the same but Robert pushed on regardless. Other "little" troubles yesterday were Mike having a radiator hose come loose on the '54 Convertible Coupe while my Coupe developed a screeching, screaming speedometer for about 6 miles where the needle was jumping all over the place and the odometer appearing to be stuck. A little later the banshee wailing resumed along with the swinging for about 5 minutes then recurring sporadically over about a 2 minute period, but now it's fine! Saying that, I know it's not fine and will have to be attended to, but not now, I'm tired.

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Today was the Bay to Birdwood Run, which bills itself as "....the largest, continually held motoring event for veteran, vintage and classic vehicles held anywhere in the world." In honour of the Packard National Rally, Packard was a featured marque, being near the head of the 2,000 vehicles as they wended their way from the start to the National Motor Museum at Birdwood. Thoroughly enjoyable. I'll load photos later or provide a link to the online album.

EDIT - ABC news report

EDIT2 - Link to Picasa Album. Hope the link works.

Catch up time.

Day 1 of Rally proper, Adelaide to Victor Harbor. Packards were corralled early morning at the Torrens Parade Ground, just outside the city of Adelaide. Then proceeded under police escort, literally stopping traffic in a city of 1.3 million people. The traffic lights were all in our favour until the Packards passed! Then a civic reception by the Lord Mayor of Adelaide who flagged us off on the run down to Victor Harbor. Stopped along the way at McLaren Vale and Willunga where an official letter from the LM of Adelaide was handed over to a representative of the Mayor of Onkaparinga. After lunch at Willunga it was then onward to Victor Harbour and our accommodation at the McCracken Country Club. Link to photos

Day 2 of Rally proper, Victor Harbor to Normanville. A leisurely run in the morning through the picturesque Inman Valley to Nomanville for lunch by Spencers Gulf. The afternoon was free for those to primp, preen and polish their Packards in preparation for tomorrows Concours. Link to photos

Day 3 of Rally proper, Concours at Victor Harbor. Because of approaching inclement weather the timing of the Concours was brought forward to an earlier start. Just as well, with judging able to be completed before the severe storm front moved in. Another ceremonial letter handover was also accomplished with the Mayor of Victor Harbor. About 11:00am the Concours wound up with the McCracken Country Club able to provide emergency undercover parking for all the soft tops on tour. The storm was rated as the worst in 50 years with the entire state of South Australia blacked out after a Power Station was hit by lightning and at least 6 23 transmission towers damaged. The ensuing blackout for us at McCracken lasted from Late afternoon to 1:30am the next morning, when my room lights came on! The McCracken Country Club swung into emergency mode providing a great barbecue dinner for the Rally under the adverse circumstances. Link to photos

Again, I trust the links will work.

And a link to the Packard Automobile Club of Australia's Website where there's a video available of the Packards as they left the Torrens Parade Ground in Adelaide.

Day 4 - Goolwa and return. A fairly quiet day, coach to railway station at Victor Harbour, Cockle train to Goolwa and back, stroll around Goolwa, lunch then return via Cockle train and coach.

Link to photos.

I don't know if anyone else has an issue with the links but I haven't been able to access the photos.. Am not a Google member so maybe that makes a difference??

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I am having issues as well HH

Same here.