New to Packards

Posted by PhilJohnson On 2008/7/6 22:02:37

I just bought my first Packard, a two tone 54 Packard Clipper Special for the princely sum of $500. The previous owner had gotten it seven years ago from a renter who couldn't pay his rent. The landlord had no interest in the car what so ever and told me it either got sold this year or it was going to the scrap yard. The car had been sitting in the weeds for the past 7 years and it hadn't been started in eight months. The guy put a battery in it and after a little coaxing of the throttle pedal the car came to life. I was able to drive the car home.

I noticed a few problems right off the bat, fuel pump is bad, the starter solenoid I fear isn't far behind, power brake booster doesn't seem to work, and the electrical system could use some help.

On the plus side the motor runs great, doesn't smoke or make any mystery noises, and the trans seems to work great. One thing is I have no idea where one checks the fluid for the Ultramatic.

All in all any advice would be appreciated. I am looking at making it reliable enough for a daily driver, nothing crazy like a full frame restoration or turning it into a street rod.