Re: Rattle, squeak, creak, groan and moan!

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2009/6/22 11:47:23

If I came across as antagonistic I am sorry. I find it difficult on the internet to get a point across without being blunt.

The plain fact is you are asking a lot of any 70 year old car. You already told us you hit a pothole hard enough to damage the front suspension. If this is the kind of road you drive on all the time no wonder the body is starting to squeak and rattle.

I can appreciate your problem. You have a business to run. You need a vehicle that is ready to go at any time and one that needs minimum upkeep.

I am suggesting the car you have is no longer man enough for the job. That is not an insult to you or the car, it is plain speaking.

Even though this is a Packard forum I can also tell you that for sheer grinding hard work a Cadillac will outlast a Packard. Now we are talking the period of 1920s to 1950s when Cadillac and Packard were rivals in the limousine field.

I can also tell you that in the 40s and 50s Chrysler and DeSoto sold more limousine type vehicles than Packard and Cadillac put together. I am talking about the DeSoto Skyview taxicab, Suburban 8 passenger sedan, Chrysler Windsor 6 cylinder 8 passenger sedan and limousine, New Yorker eight cylinder ditto and the Imperial limousine that was a favorite of the rich and famous in the New York and New England area.

They all had an excellent name for reliability, long life and low cost service.

It does appear that the Packard does not fill your needs. This is not your fault or Packard's fault.

What alternatives are available to you I do not know. I can tell you around here practically all the limousine services use Lincoln Town Cars and they routinely drive them 300,000 to 500,000 kilometers without major repairs.

In your case being in the British Isles a Jaguar Rolls Royce or Daimler might fill the bill better. But I assume you already considered them as they would be the default choice for someone in your business.