Asking the men and women who own one...

Posted by David Conwill On 2009/4/3 13:05:04

Hello,

I've been looking for a 1946 to 1961 four-door sedan for some time now to use as a good-weather daily driver. I'd been primarily focused on obtaining an oldie from Ford or Chevrolet, as there seems to be good support for those brands in the aftermarket and reproduction parts industry, but I may have just found a deal on a Packard I can't refuse.

I just moved to a new town and at an old gas-station-cum-repair-shop downtown there is a '51 to '54 Packard sedan (not sure of the model or the exact year). I've always appreciated these cars, but never really encountered one for sale in my price range. This one is marked $2500, but I was quoted $1800 when I asked, and was told it runs and drives, though I'm taking that with a grain of salt or two. Anyway, the point being that it's not in mere parts car shape, and if it were anything other than a four-door I'm sure it wouldn't still be sitting there.

So my question to you is - If I take the leap, will I be rewarded? Seems like there's a good enthusiast network for these beauties out there, and quite a few sources for New Old Stock bits, but driver-type upgrades (i.e. disc brakes, overdrive transmissions, etc.) seem to be largely a build-it-yourself affair.

Assuming this is the least-desirable Packard from the era (an era which seems to be ahead of only the "Packabaker" era in desirability itself), will I still like driving it and have fun working on it, or will it be a constant battle and headache? Any input is appreciated.

-Dave