Re: Howard Hughes Caribbean

Posted by ewrecks On 2015/1/26 0:48:06

I seem to have struck a nerve with Leeedy that was not intended.
I have restored a variety of cars over the past 50 years or so and have generally relied on those who have worked on the particular model for assistance regarding things that are not clear from the service manuals and literature.
Unfortunately, there are not a lot of Caribbeans still around and those who owned them or worked on them when they were new are gone.
I stumbled on to the Forum and I have found that it has been.extremely helpful.
The learning curve has been difficult and expensive in large part because I made the mistake of starting with a project car that was close to scrap yard condition. Aside from a numbers matching engine that was disassembled and a solid frame and floor,pan, the rest had to be salvaged from two parts cars and a host of vendors.
My desire to find a guide for restoration or a good photo library of images of benchmark cars was largely unsuccessful. I was able to secure photos of Bob Signon's Caribbean at the Citizen's Packard Museum where I purchased the car and made several trips to Hershey to obtain photos of cars there for judging. I traveled to Warren, Ohio and got photos of the cars at the museum and one unrestored car attending the event.
The recent trip to the museum in El Segundo was a fluke since I was already in California and it seemed like a,good idea although my car is nearly complete.
I have watched the postings regarding the detailing of the 56 engine compartment with some interest and have been impressed by the helpful hints and photos afforded to assist a fellow,aficionado in his efforts to create an engine compartment mirroring the details of the vehicle when it left the factory.
I am not sure who Leeedy happens to be or why my comments bothered him. As best I can determine is that he or others documente the Hughes/Peters car back in the 1970's and still have the information. If they choose to keep it and not make it generally available-- good for them. It would have been helpful to have access,to the information but I think we did a pretty good job without it.
I would hope that others who have or have access to other benchmark cars would take photographs and post that information to this Forum so that others attempting to preserve Packards will have an easier time than I did.
I am not a computer guru and if I have difficulty getting the
Hughes pictures or my shots loaded, I would hope that I could mail a disc or memory stick to one of the Ambassadors to accomplish the task.
Keep polishing and getting greasy. It is a great hobby.
Thanks for the help already provided.
RJR