So you drove your Packard home

Posted by bingster On 2010/8/16 22:28:52

A recent thread detailed a member's drive home with his new Packard, and I thought it would make for an interesting thread. Have you purchased a Packard and driven it home, rather than having it shipped? If you have, let's hear the story of your trip and any adventures you encountered along the way!

For my part, I bought a 1951 300 in Mansfield, Ohio, and the original intention was to rent a tow dolly there and pull it back home to Northern Virginia. My father and I drove out after work on a hot summer Friday, and arrived in Mansfield in the wee hours that night. In the morning we checked out the car, drove it, and after Dad inspected it (he used to be quite a mechanic in his day) we decided to forgo the tow dolly and just drive it home. I drove the Packard and Dad followed in my truck. After a stop at the DMV, another at an auto parts store for lead additive, a gas station for fuel, and a few other stops, we were running rather late.

That Saturday turned out to be very hot, with temps in the mid-90s (too bad the '51s didn't come with A.C.!). We headed south to Columbus and then took 70 eastward, which parallels the old National Road, through Ohio to Pennsylvania. The fellow I bought the car from happened to relate a little story before we left about his aunt and her husband, who also were Packard owners. It seems one icy winter night, they were traveling the very hilly, winding 70 and went over an embankment in a '52 Packard. The husband was killed in the wreck and the aunt survived with serious injuries. Not exactly a pep talk, considering I was taking the very same route in a nearly identical car!

The trip through Ohio was thankfully far less eventful than the aunt's trip, and Dad and I made it through Ohio and most of Pennsylvania untroubled. The engine ran at normal temps despite the heat of the day, the ride was dreamy, and the car was a real attention-getter on the highway (natch). But we weren't far from the Maryland border when, around 6PM, trouble hit. Suddenly, the car began to overheat. I reduced my speed and cranked the heater, but it didn't help. After pulling over, we discovered the car not only had an incorrect radiator cap (the plunger was too short and didn't seat) but it was broken, too. The car had probably been losing coolant the entire trip, but for some reason didn't overheat until that moment when it had just had enough. A call to AAA brought a service truck with more coolant, and at that point we decided to call it quits for the day and checked in to a motel in Breezewood.

The following morning (Sunday), after a quick stop at another parts store for a proper radiator cap, we set out for home. The remainder of the trip through Maryland and into Virginia was uneventful.

All in all it was a great experience. The thrill of driving off in a Packard for the first time was unforgettable, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Let's hear your tale of adventure!