Re: So you drove your Packard home
Posted by John H New York On 2010/8/20 13:33:46
On August 7th I flew to South Bend Indiana. I was met at the airport by the guy who listed the car on ebay. He list for the owner who is a friend of his. The owner I bought it from is a 78 year old gentleman that was getting unable to take care of it. That is why he sold it.
Ok, so here is how the trip went. I arrived at the previous oweners house around 1 PM. The weather was perfect (with exception, a little cooler would have been better)for my trip. The owner had told me earlier in the week that besides all of the restoration done previously he also had the transmission rebuilt, new clutch, new throughout bearing and water pump. He also informed me when I arrived and was showing me the car that he had not re-installed the thermostat. Why I am not sure but was a little leary because I know they are as important for keeping the engine cool as they are for getting heat in the winter. I left Baroda, Mi. around 1:40 PM and soon discovered that driving 60-65 made the water temp get up to the 200 F temp and running 50-55 kept it around 190 F. So I drove the 50-55 once the sun went down and things cooled off 60-65 was a comfortable speed to travel at. I got through Clevland around 7:30 PM I was planning to drive until about 9-9:30 PM and get a hotel room for the night. GOOD LUCK!!!! There were none to be had. Every exit I stopped at they were all booked up. Around 11:00 PM I got on the cell with me wife and had her on the computer as I was driving and she was looking for a room for me. It's now 12:30 - 01:00 Am and I said "FORGET IT". Every place along the way had a fair in town or a biker convention and the last attempt in Jamestown, N.Y. had a Lucuille Ball convention (Jamestown was her hometown). I pulled into the Jametown rest area off of RT#86/17 and slept in the car (about 3-4 hours was the most I could do)not as comfortable as my bed at home.
The next day as the temperature started to rise and I started to climb hills the car started to heat up again. This time the water pump started to leak as well. So I would keep stopping and letting the car cool down and add some more water then go at it again. I got within 70 mile of my home and called AAA. The old girl made it 733 miles of the 793 miles. The gas milage wasn't bad either. She needs a little mechanical tune-up and then I think I could drive her to California. I'm not saying I am going to though.
Owning this old girl is more fun than they should allow me to have..
Thanks,
Attach file:
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Ok, so here is how the trip went. I arrived at the previous oweners house around 1 PM. The weather was perfect (with exception, a little cooler would have been better)for my trip. The owner had told me earlier in the week that besides all of the restoration done previously he also had the transmission rebuilt, new clutch, new throughout bearing and water pump. He also informed me when I arrived and was showing me the car that he had not re-installed the thermostat. Why I am not sure but was a little leary because I know they are as important for keeping the engine cool as they are for getting heat in the winter. I left Baroda, Mi. around 1:40 PM and soon discovered that driving 60-65 made the water temp get up to the 200 F temp and running 50-55 kept it around 190 F. So I drove the 50-55 once the sun went down and things cooled off 60-65 was a comfortable speed to travel at. I got through Clevland around 7:30 PM I was planning to drive until about 9-9:30 PM and get a hotel room for the night. GOOD LUCK!!!! There were none to be had. Every exit I stopped at they were all booked up. Around 11:00 PM I got on the cell with me wife and had her on the computer as I was driving and she was looking for a room for me. It's now 12:30 - 01:00 Am and I said "FORGET IT". Every place along the way had a fair in town or a biker convention and the last attempt in Jamestown, N.Y. had a Lucuille Ball convention (Jamestown was her hometown). I pulled into the Jametown rest area off of RT#86/17 and slept in the car (about 3-4 hours was the most I could do)not as comfortable as my bed at home.
The next day as the temperature started to rise and I started to climb hills the car started to heat up again. This time the water pump started to leak as well. So I would keep stopping and letting the car cool down and add some more water then go at it again. I got within 70 mile of my home and called AAA. The old girl made it 733 miles of the 793 miles. The gas milage wasn't bad either. She needs a little mechanical tune-up and then I think I could drive her to California. I'm not saying I am going to though.
Owning this old girl is more fun than they should allow me to have..
Thanks,
Attach file:
(117.96 KB)
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