Re: Asking the men and women who own one...

Posted by Eric Boyle On 2009/4/7 12:57:47

Sorry David, I recently got an email asking me about modifications I've done to Packards. Must have got you guy's mixed up!

So, here's Eric's guide to buying postwar Packards:
#1, don't buy a 4 door unless it's dirt cheap or you actually want one, it takes just as much money to fix up a two door and the two door is of course worth more. (and cooler!)
#2, if said 4 door is a standard trans, all can be forgiven.
#3, The Ultramatic trans is a GREAT trans when working properly. That being said, they're not cheap to fix and can be finicky if you don't know much about them. They are VERY sensitive to kickdown linkage adjustments, and those must be taken with care. THEY ARE NOT DRAG RACING TRANSMISSIONS!
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The next section is Top Secret Highly Sensitive Material, Ultra-High Clearance Eyes Only
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#4, To get more "oomph" out of your flathead 8, all the old racers tricks work. Here's a clue that not a lot of people know about: The Packard straight eight from '54 on back to the '40s 120 engine share essentially the same design elements of the great ______ of _____. They have the same angled valves, and a lot of the same features of the _______. I'm not going into a lot of detail here, but let's just say that there's enough in common that SOME parts could be shared between them. The valves I took out of a '51 _______ engine are nearly identical to the ones I took out of my '53 Packard 9 main 327, and you can buy stainless steel ones in 2" size for the _____. (I used to work on _____ before I grew up and got into Packards)

#5, Supercharging/Turbocharging the Packard straight eight is feasible, but use caution and common sense. The thing's not going to live at 6000 RPM and 30lbs of boost, so be realistic on your power expectations. I think 327 HP from a 327 cid straight eight is an achievable goal.

#6, For more indepth and detailed descriptions of the "censored" parts, send me an email. I've had too many ideas stolen from me by unscrupulous individuals on here and other sites that I'm extremely cautious on who I divulge my information to.