Re: Random questions about 51-56's, Ultramatics and A/C

Posted by Rusty O\'Toole On 2018/3/7 21:05:51

"I love everything my 48 Custom Club sedan offers, but though I haven't gotten it driveable yet, I already know it lacks some more modern features that can make touring a little easier and dare I say it, pleasurable. Power brakes, power steering, power windows, A/T, air conditioning."

Wait till you get your car on the road. Check all front end parts for wear, fill up the shock absorbers with hydraulic jack fluid fit bias ply tires pumped up to 32PSI and get a front end alignment done. I know people who have done this on cars of the forties and fifties, and it took away all desire for power steering, for a fraction of the cost. Your car will steer and drive easily as long as it is moving. Only when at a dead stop is the steering hard. And then the secret is to get it moving, even slightly, and the steering will turn easily.

If you want power brakes a remote booster can be added.

Air conditioning, there are companies like Vintage Air that offer air conditioning for your car. A modern system much better and more efficient than they had in the fifties, made to look at home in older cars.

Power windows, if your windows are too hard to operate suggest you remove the door panels and lubricate the mechanism. It would be possible to convert to power windows but more trouble than it is worth.

In all cases, suggest you get the car on the road and try it out. You will probably find that driving a Packard is not such a hardship as you imagine. Or at least, that you can bear up under the strain of hand cranking your windows if the alternative will cost thousands of $$$$ bucks.