Re: Why did Packard never offer a marine version of the 120 engine?

Posted by su8overdrive On 2012/3/10 19:44:46

Thanks, but most of us here gathered know the debut 120 was the same bore/stroke as Oldsmobile's straight 8, the same state of the art as the concurrent Pontiac straight 8, only, somehow, v a s t l y better than either or anything else. I resurrected, owned, drove one many years, witness my exchange with the 3M engineer. But i was asking a general question, not offering a thesis, so typed "282" simply as it applied to all the rest of that engine's production.

Cardinal Dyneto, that's as good a conjecture as i can figure. Thanks. Perhaps that's all there is to it. With the new 282-based, even tougher 288 & 327 introduced for the bathtubs, Packard may've figured the 282 had had its day, on land and water.

I wonder if any 120 engines were converted privately, or by some small firm, a la Augie Duesenberg's purveying the 254-ci Hudson splash-oiled straight eight?

And i still wonder why Buick never offered either its small or large ohv straight 8 in marine guise.

Chrysler built, proportionally, few 323-ci straight eights in relation to their inline sixes. That, and perhaps Mopar didn't bother with the smaller pleasure boat market for the reason BH cites above. Packard's marine 356 powered big cabin cruisers, fishing trawlers.

What's that they used to say about Camelot? "....for one brief, shining moment..." That was Packard, but for nearly half a century. No offense, but my interest fizzles out w/ the bathtubs and beyond, tho' a Mayfair coupe with stick and od is one of the best '50s cars extant, for those of you who enjoy postwar automobiles. Personally, i view my '47 as just a warmed over '42, not that that's a bad thing at all.

Interesting that even as Packard lay dying, they brought over Mercedes-Benz, the North American distribution rights.
Ironically, people who have no trouble comprehending Mercedes C, E, S Class and BMW 3, 5, 7 Series, can't grasp six, eight, Super 8, but that's another thread.