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The engine has been fitted for a few months now and started a dozen times, but just with the basic hook-up of battery to coil and starter etc. The '00'-gauge battery lead was renewed, and the original earth lead ( still in good condition) cleaned up. Pleased to have the original cut-off switch (isolator) which works aok. I'll keep that bit of original stuff seeing it is in working order.

So after the wiring harness had gone in (with the dashboard) and been routed around the engine bay and all the other places, and connected up, I was keen to see if the charging circuit was working OK. The generator had been overhauled and tested (- using the 'motor method', where I connected 6volts to it and it ran).

The condition of the generator was a surprise when it was dismantled for inspection. Apart from the usual build-up of dirt (mainly dust) every internal part looked very good. Brushes were not very worn, bearings good, commutator was excellent and armature good also. Checked for burns / rubs and shorts , cleaned everything, reassembled it and painted the body black. Plus I used my blackening kit to chemically blacken the brush cover so it now looks like it is new (or close enough to new).

I cleaned up the best one of the three Delco regulators I have but did no adjustments to contacts etc.

So it was really pleasing to find that the charging circuit was working OK, putting around 7.8volts into the battery. I'll adjust the output of the regulator to the prescribed 7.2 - 7.4volts next time I run the engine. And maybe touch up the reg contacts as well if they need it.

While the engine was running I tried all the lights / indicators and discovered a couple of interesting 'faults' if you could call them that.

Firstly (before starting the car) it was puzzling to see a constant drain of around 200mA from the battery when I had nothing at all switched on. Spent a long time double and triple checking every part of the new harness for a partial (high resistance) ground or whatever. No problems at all, and despite isolating as much of the wiring as I could the drain was always there. Well - by chance, when I was laying under the dash checking again I put my hand on the metal dash near the cigar lighter, and presto!! The whole area was slightly warm. There was a high resistance short from the lighter battery feed. Cleaned up the lighter and case, which had a lot of carbon built up from fags. That fixed the problem. One for the books I reckon.

The only other problem is the LH flasher is not flashing and is super-bright. A lengthy check of the circuit hasn't shown any wiring fault so I'm going to wait until I get the front guards fitted, and the front indicators wired in final configuration with proper earthing etc. Then I have a feeling the fault will be righted, as it is looking like an alternate path is bypassing the flasher unit somehow just on that indicator. Other one works ok. My wiring is ok as far as I can tell, so will get on with other things and fix it later.

Altogether a real milestone I reckon, getting the electrics all connected and working.

That's a big progress point Larry, congrats! I think you're right about the turn signals, once you get all the connections made (and the grounds are the most important, maybe consider adding dedicated ground wires to the housings) they'll all work correctly.

That sounds like a good idea Hans, I already have added a dedicated earth wire to the fuel tank sender as per someone's suggestion.

Had a very productive day fitting the floor plate that slips over the brake pedal. I did a 'test fit' and just wasn't happy about the way the plate sat, with quite a few gaps between it and the floor area. There was about 1/4inch of space at the worst point and it seems there was no way to reduce that gap without bending the floor plate.

Thought maybe that I had a plate off another car but after thinking it through decided it was just the way the plate was, right from the Packard factory.

I used a few strips of 3M Strip-Caulk ("dum-dum") which is a great product. Laid it around the outer edge of the plate plus around the screw holes, and when the five securing screws were tightened down there was a nice bead of Strip-Caulk pressed out all around the panel and no gaps present.

The boots that fit on the brake pedal and over the accelerator rod have needed to be modified / siliconed or glued to the floor because they just plain do not fit properly, but should now be water-tight. (I have previously had a say about Steele Rubber parts that don't have the same shape and fit as the original ones, so won't go on about that again).

Other thing that has been renovated is the firewall panel. That was looking a bit sad but ok to use after a layer of fiberglass matt was placed right over it, and then glued a layer of DynaMat to the back of it for heat and sound insulation. Great to have the original piece to use, with the shape that fits the contour of the firewall properly. I glued the dark blue vinyl onto it and fitted it to the firewall using large washers with a layer of the same blue vinyl on them. Not exactly how it was new but a big improvement over the original ugly brown colour it used to be.

There was a large hole where the dipswitch had been relocated closer to the brake pedal. Covered that hole and mounted the switch back where it was originally, up on the transmission hump. It's not the ideal place but I want things to be how they were originally.

Showing foot plate and also the firewall panel. Rubber boot had to be glued to the floor around the throttle lever.

Recently fitted the new front windscreen. The mobile screen fitter came around (at last, after a couple of weeks delay) and we got it in with no problems. Not a real easy job, so I'm glad he was available to do it.

The instructions that came with the screen rubber seal reckoned you place the seal into the window hole then press the glass into the seal from the inside of the car, working around with maybe a hooked tool. Well, as my earlier post said, that wasn't going to work because the seal was smaller that the opening so wouldn't stay 'seated' in the window hole, and kept falling out.

Workshop Manual was saying to place the seal around the glass first then use the cord method to get the rubber lip seated correctly, pressing the assembly in from the outside of the car. That was a much better way to do it. We did it this way and in she went quite easily. Getting the round rubber compression strip in was tricky at the bottom of the screen, and the modern fitting tools the guy had were all too large to work in that confined space. So we gave the strip a good squirt of WD40 and worked the strip in with a hooked tool. Took around 20 minutes to get it in all around but good result.

Then we used the traditional black non-hardening screen sealant all round the seal (both edges outside). Mostly what is used nowadays is neutral cure silicone but the fellow agreed the mastic is better in some ways. It will prevent rust developing on the metal lip of the body. Just a lot messier to use than silicone.

My son and I had fitted the rear screen a while ago (doing it the hard way). It is toughened glass and I have a spare of it. Front screen is laminated, and I have no spare for it. So having an expert do it was the go. I am feeling a lot happier now this delicate job is done. Nice to have a new windscreen with no scratches.

Here are pics of the front seat combo I just picked up from the upholsterer. The work has taken over two weeks and isn't finished yet because I underestimated the amount of gray cloth that was needed. Very silly of me because it needs to come from SMS and will take a while.

He had quite a hard job getting the vinyl around the seat frame (- not much stretch in it)and for a while it seemed I would have to forgo the vinyl and use the blue broadcloth. But he kept working on it and it looks great. The vinyl is original colour and looks very 'lively' in the sunlight. Whole job is as per original colours, cloth/vinyl and style. Expensive but what the heck!

I am pleased with the job that has been done. It is a local business and I was able to check progress while the work was being done. There were a few things to sort out and being available to discuss was very handy.

Now there is just the squab of the rear seat to be done, after the extra gray cloth has arrived from the States (hopefully in a few of weeks).

Those seats look amazing!

Can't wait to see the interior all put together. It will look rich.

We almost never see a 200 with the interior done correctly (heaven knows mine isn't) so this is an extra treat. I saw some online review of a 200--it might have been some Hemmings feature of a car for sale; the reviewer complained of Packard's taxi-like interior. The car in question had been upholstered with several acres of black vinyl. Guess the reviewer could not tell it wasn't original. There weren't many factory interior photos of these cars, and none in color so your car will be a benchmark.

Thanks fellers for the encouragement. There are so many ways to make the interior nice and even much flashier and opulent but when I have been in other Packards it felt good to be surrounded by what was the 'current style' for that year or era. I think it's a part of the history that is worth preserving fairly accurately if possible. But not always a cinch to do.

51 Packard Driven at last


I have taken the '51 out for a test drive, the first time it has been on the road in about 45 years. It felt very good.

Although there was still a lot to do to get the car finished and fully ready to be registered we drove it successfully and without incident, and managed to get back home OK.

With the help of my sons (- who all came home for the event) we took the car off the blocks it had been sitting on for the last year or more during restoration, and out of the garage under its own power. Then after a few 'test climbs' and reverses up and down our steep driveway, it was out onto the street for an approximately one mile drive around the back streets.

My biggest concern was whether the un-restored Ultramatic was going to work or not, after sitting around unused for about 45 years on garage floors. So, after startup I was feeling very disappointed for a few moments when I selected High range on the Ultramatic and found the car only moved forward a few feet, before sitting there, revving and going nowhere. It seemed I might have to push it back into the garage and consider the next move. So I had another go, this time in Low range, and it moved up the drive easily this time.

(Since then I've been told that it can take a few seconds for the converter to pump up, and it seems that was the problem).

With sons manning some large blocks of wood to chock the wheels in case the tranny or brakes failed on the slope, and my wife manning the video camera we backed and forwarded up the driveway a few times, until I was sure the fully restored brakes were ok (including park brake) and the Ultramatic was behaving and wouldn't leave me in 'angel gear' on a hill.

My youngest son and I then ventured onto the street and headed up the hill, with another son following in a modern just in case. The car was minus a muffler and tailpipe, so everyone could hear us coming. Then cruised slowly for about a mile, until back home, whereupon I was able to give reverse gear a good test by backing into the garage.

Then followed a few whoops and hollers and we celebrated with a goodly number of alcoholic beverages well into the night.

The car is drivable now. It braked well and even steered well despite not yet having had a wheel alignment. Engine sounded sweet (aside from being very loud) and pulled well although it hasn't been properly tuned yet. Temperature sat mid-range also. Oil pressure 30psi hot at idle.

I have placed one small (1 minute) video of the drive online, you may want to view it at Short movie of the test drive

Sound on for the best effect!

Update:

Had the car inspected and on Wednesday it was fully registered for road use.

There are still quite a lot of things to be done, but the exhaust and headlining is fitted. Other items to get done are: wheel alignment, voltage regulator adjusted, fit the carpet, door trims and handles, fit the rear seat and a hundred small things as well. Also need to get the wipers working better (- they barely move).

Also, the Ultramatic is locking in direct drive when I slow to a standstill, causing the engine to stall unless I shift to Neutral. I'm told that this could be caused by the governor,or maybe a sticking valve. If it is a stuck valve, it might free up with a bit of driving.

It is great to have the car finally drivable after eight years of work restoring her.

Will post some more photos soon.

Ready to take the first drive
[img width=450]<a href="http://s829.photobucket.com/user/Larry51_2009/media/Packard%20Project/First%20Drive%20in%2045%20Years/VIDEO003203_zpse2c8d914.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz218/Larry51_2009/Packard%20Project/First%20Drive%20in%2045%20Years/VIDEO003203_zpse2c8d914.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo VIDEO003203_zpse2c8d914.jpg"/></a>[/img]

Heading out after driveway tests
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[img width=450]<a href="http://s829.photobucket.com/user/Larry51_2009/media/Packard%20Project/First%20Drive%20in%2045%20Years/DSCN348733_zps11fc2dca.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz218/Larry51_2009/Packard%20Project/First%20Drive%20in%2045%20Years/DSCN348733_zps11fc2dca.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo DSCN348733_zps11fc2dca.jpg"/></a>[/img]

After the exhaust and bumper bars etc were fitted . . .
[img width=450]<a href="http://s829.photobucket.com/user/Larry51_2009/media/Packard%20Project/Bumpers%20and%20Exhaust%20Fitted/Lres0016_zpsdfee362c.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i829.photobucket.com/albums/zz218/Larry51_2009/Packard%20Project/Bumpers%20and%20Exhaust%20Fitted/Lres0016_zpsdfee362c.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo Lres0016_zpsdfee362c.jpg"/></a>[/img]