Packard V8 in the Engine Masters Challenge

Posted by Jack Vines On 2015/7/8 19:56:00

For those of you who may not subscribe to Popular Hot Rodding or Hot Rod Magazine, the Engine Masters Challenge has been an annual dyno racing contest. It's heretofore been for the popular late model V8s. This year, there's a Vintage class added: Engine Masters Challenge
Normally Aspirated OEM domestic production passenger car V8 engine types or families introduced in 1954 or earlier. Any Hemi from Chrysler Corp prohibited. Other antique engine families introduced after 1954 allowed by specific listing. Listed engines include: Nailhead Buick, Y-block Ford, Chrysler 1956-1967 A-Series Polyspheric small block and Packard V8. At the first release of the rules, the Packard V8 wasn't included. I wrote them a request and got us in.

After all that, I had my checkbook out and was going to enter either a Studebaker V8 or a Packard V8 in the Vintage class, but then saw the dates in October. It's smack in the middle of a long-planned family event, so I can't be there.

Fortunately, I saw Lynn Peterson from Kustom Kemps had picked up on the opportunity to enter a Packard V8. Lynn's normally a late AMC guy, but since AMC used the Packard V8 in '55-56 Hudsons and Nashes, he thought it fit. When I saw his entry, I offered to help any way I could and the result is we're partnering with Lynn on a Packard V8 build; it's a great opportunity for us both.

Lynn would have been starting from scratch and since I have a complete 366" Packard V8 built for Bonneville some years ago it gets the project rolling quickly. It's got a lot of the good stuff in it already, but will need to be completely rebuilt for the EMC as it has too much cam and compression for sea level 3,500 RPM pulls.

The one thing the Packard V8 definitely needs to be competitive is a full-on pro porting job. Lynn says he's got the guy to take the Packard heads to the max. It remains to be seen if the factory iron heads can hold their own with the aftermarket aluminum heads available to Jon's Ford Y-block and the early Oldsmobile guys.

It's going to be a stretch to get it ready in time, but I shipped Lynn my engine plus some extra parts and we're going for it.

jack vines