Re: Growing up with Packard

Posted by Peter Hartmann On 2008/8/6 20:06:12

Roger may forget why my '38 V-12 Formal Sedan was called 'tar baby' in those years. It is a funny story which he might remember if you remind him. Being a Formal Sedan, it had a formal leather top (blocked out quarter windows where they would otherwise be in a standard sedan).

Well, the leather on the top was pretty far gone, so I removed it, and coated the sheet metal underneath with rubber under-coating. I textured it as best I could, to LOOK like leather from a distance. ( Well....what could a broke teen-ager do ? ) Remember, this was in an era when Bob Gottlieb, in his book CLASSIC CARS AND ANTIQUES, said "why spend a hundred dollars on a complete restoration of a beat-up classic, when for $175 you can get the best of the low mileage originals.....!

Anyway, the late Tony Heinsbergen "christened" it "Tar Baby" after that, and the name stuck.

Then as now, I drive the Twelve regularly - you may have seen it down thru the years.

Incidentally, I was the guy who made up the "Advertising Board" for Charlie - the framed series of photos showing the steps of over-hauling a Packard V-12 engine, that he proudly displayed in his shop till his last days.