Re: New owner

Posted by HH56 On 2011/5/20 13:25:30

Congratulations. Great car. I believe there are several threads on suggested things to look at after long term hibernation. Unfortunately, I don't believe they are all in the same place or in a FAQ topic yet. You will have to search for them.

There is a drain for the tank. However, if it has not been off in years, it could have rusted in place. When trying to remove it, hold the bung which is pressed into the tank with vise grips or similar while trying to unscrew the plug. As mentioned, the bung is pressed in and if it rotates or breaks loose, you will have a hard to repair leak. Gas tanks are not plentiful and if a new one is needed, finding good used is about the only option at present

If you have never driven a 50's Packard or it's been a long time, then the only other thing to remember if you have the regular Ultramatic is that it's a single speed no shift in the conventional sense unit and not a race transmission. Leisurely acceleration is the norm so trying to keep up with modern cars at the stoplight by manually shifting from low to high will take it's toll. There may have been some kits and tweaks applied to the earlier ones to help but a real shift didn't happen until the late 54 Gear Start or 55-6 Twin Ultras.

If it has not been driven, then there is a chance transmission seals have dried. A fluid change there might not be a bad idea either. Some in the past have suggested Trick Shift to free up the valves and give some life back to seals. Type A fluid is NLA and type F would be appropriate if it still has the original transmission friction components. Others may offer different suggestions.