Re: Crazy idea...

Posted by 55PackardGuy On 2011/12/5 14:08:42

Very neat idea, foxhole. In fact all these years of stuffing V12 Merlin and Packard built/modified Merlin engines in cars may have been off the mark. Aviation engines are very purpose-built, with the holy grail being HP per pound for obvious reasons.

Marine engines, on the other hand, can be a bit heavier per HP without a great deal of concern-- they're basically ballast. Also, they're meant to operate at sea level, not 20,000 feet, and they don't need carbs that can deliver fuel upside down.

And also, of course, as you point out, this would be an all-Packard engine with a storied history.

I think the biggest single difference in big inboard 4-stroke marine engines vs auomotive applications is the cam. They are set up for as much efficiency as possible at constant-throttle cruising RPM, plus some of these engines drove Righthand props, so they were reverse-rotation, also naturally requiring different cam for correct valve timing.

Keep tinkering in the back of your brain, especially about problem #1-- where to get one of those things? If you could acquire an engine, the challenge would be to build a car around it.

The aero Packard V12 automobile has been a favorite pipe dream for me for many, many years, and now I suppose it will be joined with the marine dream.