Re: Growing up with Packard

Posted by todd landis On 2008/8/3 19:58:00

Ok, here we go. His full name is Roger Morrison. I didn't want to give it out without his permission. For those of you having Packards for many years, you may have run across him in the past. Or reproducing pianos, or Capeharts.
He does not have a computer yet, but if someone wants to contact him let me know and I will give him your phone number.
This is condensed, for those of you wanting every detail I will put you two together and perhaps with enough of our pressure he will get a computer to go on line.
For those of you that remember the movie Stand By Me, this is a bit of the same, but for Packards being involved.
It started in 1953 when Roger was 15 years old. On his travels to and from school in Eaglerock, California, he spotted in Fred Allen's Ideal Garage a 1937 12 Club sedan. With the front end off and the engine out.
After seeing this vehicle on many trips to and from school, he stopped in (not even having a drivers license yet!!!) and inquired about the vehicle.
He was told that for 150.00 he could purchase it. Well, being 15 years old he didn't come close to having that kind of fortune!
Well, Mr. Allen said give me a few dollars and you can work the rest of the summer for me doing odd jobs around the garage to pay it off. A deal was struck.
Over the summer Roger worked to get it paid off and put back together. A very complete vehicle, but without the hood. Mr. Allen said that someone had stolen it. More on that later.
Now it is time for Roger to go back to high school. What does a 15 year old with no drivers license, and his parents do not even know, do with a Packard 12.
He rents a neighbors garage for 5 dollars a month.
So, here he comes driving the 12 to the rented garage and there is his younger brother, gasping at this huge vehicle, and small Roger behind the wheel.
Roger's brother immediately see's the missing hood, and tells Roger he knows where it is. Come with me, and down the street there it is in a neighbors backyard, where the kids made it into an airplane, to sit on.
But still complete and in good shape, so it goes on to the car, and it is complete.

I am going to leave it off here for now so as not to make it too long at one time.
You will learn in the next chapter how he came to be at the first of a few Packard dealerships in the area.

Gee, just like on old serial movie from the 1940's.