Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

First time post, though I've been reading a lot. I'm the proud new owner of a 2362, a "driver". Since buying it a few weeks ago I've been working on getting everything to work (if you have it, it should work, right?) Last week's project was the clock & now that it's back in and happily ticking away, on to the radio. Thanks to reading old threads I was able to figure out how to remove it (the heat/ventilation plenum removal was the key) and now it sits on my workbench.

Now, the previous owner had noted that he never was able to figure out where the antenna was. Reading the list of available options I saw such things as "running board mounted" which puzzled me on the 23 but...I did notice tonight that there was no antenna plug/wire to be seen. I finally put 2 and 2 together: in the trunk, along with a parts radio that the last couple owners have handed down, was what I thought to be a spare ashtray. I now see it's a radio delete plate. So...the "Hare" (as my wife calls it) left Detroit sans radio.

While I like the looks of the roof mounted antenna, what I've read makes them sound expensive and finicky. I looked at a side-mount (that would bolt onto the vertical surface of the fender) and that would be cheap and I guess you could say period-correct as far as an aftermarket installation would go, but it also looks tacked-on. So, any other ideas? Were the old under-the-board arrangements any good? I'm a long-time old radio hobbyist & wouldn't mind rigging something up. I'm anxious to get the old set working but that doesn't do much good right now.

Edit: I was looking at photos online and noted many of these cars have one mounted on the left fender. I see Kanter offers one for $20-does anyone know if this is just a universal type?

G'day shore72,
to PackardInfo, but sorry I can't help with your query.

Instead, I invite you to include your 23rd Series Deluxe Eight Touring Sedan in the Packard Owner's Registry.

The options for 22-23 series models were the roof mount and two front fender mount antennas -- a manual lift and vacuum lift. The running board was gone by the time the postwar cars arrived but I suppose it would be possible to mount that style antenna on the body brackets in the wide space between the frame rail and lower body edge but it would not be correct for the car. Since the thick body covers that space more effectively than a running board I don't know if it would receive a decent signal. It would probably be possible to mount an ordinary inexpensive modern universal straight antenna sideways by making a mount for the base end to ground and support the antenna properly and an insulating mount or two for the rod end to keep it horizontal and stationary. That might be an inexpensive way to see if a proper running board antenna would work. The running board antennas are reproduced but are somewhat expensive. You could probably make one similar to the authentic item without too much difficulty. If you are concerned about how it looks compared to an original unit that might be the hard part

Good condition or rebuilt roof and vacuum antennas are hard to find but do come up from time to time on ebay and maybe at Tucson Packardhttp://www.tucsonpackard.com but as you said, they are expensive too. The Packard roof unit is kind of unique in length to get the knob inside the car so if you are thinking of that antenna don't be tempted with those listed for other brand cars. If you find another brand vacuum antenna those are less of an issue to make work although their valve and knob might not look the same as Packards. Finding an original valve can also be an issue but I believe a more modern power door lock valve from certain 70-90s cars with the vacuum lock system could be made to work.

It would be possible to mount a 51-54 electric antenna which are probably more easily found at a reasonably decent price but placing the switch in the same appropriate position as the vacuum valve would be in a 23rd series would require a mount and some fabrication. Later manual antennas also would fit and should be available off parts cars although I believe the chrome fender nut for all the later units is different than what was on the 22-23 series.

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Thanks, guys! I plan on filling out my profile soon. The photo you posted, HH56, should be helpful. Right now I've decided to go with a manual fender mount but just need to decide if something from NAPA will be close enough. I have one on another old car in my collection and it worked well enough; just not sure if it will adjust for enough angle on this fender.

I was checking out the 2 radios that came with the car & learned they're different models. The "parts set" (which could be brought back to life, I believe) is model PA393607 which a page I found online says is for a '48, while the one that was installed is PA 393772 which supposedly was original for a '50. The only difference I really see is the dial lamps: black lights on the older unit, a single bulb with a green shade on the newer. I'm not sure if it matters much. I started replacing the capacitors tonight, with hopes that nothing else will be needed.

For what it is worth-the usual problem is the vibrator/by pass cap which is just behind the vibrator on the schematic. If you cannot hear a hum that is the place to start. On mine once the vib and bypass cap were replaced the radio worked-changed a few cap to clean up the sound. The people that took over yesterday radio made a fender mount for the 22-23 series. I was able to use it for my 47.

Good luck

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I am not sure if the 22nd series radio dials had the "flite glo" UV paint like all the instruments or not. With the purple UV filters over the bulbs it kind of seems as if they did. A neat look at the time to go along with the atomic age when the dash had only the numerals and needles fluorescing bright green at night in the middle of a very dim purple background. Over the years many of the dashes have been converted to regular incandescent light as the fluorescent paint fell off or lost it's ability to glow. Some have bought new luminous paint and redid the numerals but it is a very tedious undertaking.

A bad side effect to that fancy illumination was having the glowing numerals only visible didn't do anything for the switches which were totally dark and unlabeled. A light bar was added to the 22nd series to shine light on the black painted names. They changed to back illuminated labels for the switches on the 23rd series. Maybe the different bulb in the later radio went along with that change.

The instrument cluster on mine has the phosphorescent numbers which still glow nice; the newer radio dial has a different look with a mild green tint. I may just leave it that way for now. The dial on the older set is more worn, anyway. So far I have the radio about 2/3 recapped. The vibrator is working (it was a little iffy at first but I think it just needed to be run a bit). Since my 'other' hobby is collecting/repairing old radios, I was looking forward to this part! The set is working though it could be better. Once I finish the capacitors I'll check the tubes.

I'm very happy so far with the support out there for these cars; I've done a lot of reading of old threads-very helpful. I'm anxious to put some miles on the old girl.

shore72 for including your '49 Deluxe Eight Touring Sedan in the Packard Owner's Registry. And, love your narrative in the VEHICLE HISTORY/PROJECT STATUS: section of the entry. There should ne more of it. But.....I may dash your hopes that it's a car from the 40's. Looking at the "VIN NUMBER:2362549131 would indicate it's a 1950 Packard. Is it stamped 2362-5-49131? See this Model Info page for 23rd Series.

When I bought my 1950 Packard I bought it thinking it was a 1949, it had been advertised as that. Apparently sold late 1949, for the new model year, and registered because of that as 1949.

If I read this correctly, you have a radio delete car which has had a (factory?) radio installed w/o antenna{I assume it's an AM radio} because owner could not figure out where it was? ie, did not have one, so could not find.

Rather than drill a big hole in the fender or roof(leakage?) that was not meant to be there, what about one of those "invisible" antennas they have these days? (also make stereos this way - no dash cut outs)
I put one on the Cad, because the new "classic car" AMFM stereo doesn't have the contact amps to drive the power antenna motor. So I operate the antenna from a toggle(for show), but the radio signal comes from the solid state one.

Ozstatman, guess that gives me an excuse in the future to buy another car! But I'd settle for this one being built in the 40's for now. I hadn't looked into the exact date-I know the back of the speedometer is stamped mid-August '49 which, in modern terms, would be the next model year. I did have a series 61 Cadillac once (much rougher condition than this, "beater" status) that was a '50 and I'm pretty sure I figured out it was built in '49.

I've read a lot about the various hidden antennas but nobody seems to have much success with them on AM. The best bet short of a normal installation seems to be a regular universal mast installed horizontally underneath the car. I'm also closely studying another option that was mentioned to me by one of the members on here.