Tom -

Big Kev's points for a backup strategy are all well and good, but I'm not as big a technobug as some people might think. I like to keep it cheap and simple.

I also use a flash drive for transporting files to and from work, stores, etc., but because prices for those devices have fallen so much in recent years, I picked up a second one for use as a file backup device.

Since a lot of my documents are works-in-progress, with many changing on a weekly if not daily basis, they are better-suited for storage on a flash drive, but I also I plan on storing those files on yet another computer (offsite).

The static pix, as well as all the stuff I have scanned and will be scanning for the site this winter will need to be archived to CDs.

Yet, we digress. Please continue to tell us more about the progress with yer '31 - the oldest Packard in this site's Owner Registry (as of this writing).

Buy a USB harddrive. You can get a 120 gb drive for under $100 that runs right off the USB power. Ultra portable, and safe insurance. Plus if you ever want to share files with someone else it makes it easy to lugg them around without having to burn CD's or DVD's that are one-time write.

I have the entire website, all my music, all my restoration pictures backed up on one. That way if my laptop fails a 4 foot drop test, all the infomation is stored and ready to use on another PC.

I use a free-ware utility called Sync-Back which I can use to schedule automatic backups of exactly what I want. That way I wont forget to actually back it up.

On top of that I keep an entire backup on my corporate server at work. So if something was to happed to both my laptop and my backup driver. I still have a 2nd "offsite" backup. I know that sounds extreme, but it has saved my bacon more than once.

If you have multiple PC's in your house, then you can buy a NAS drive. NAS stands for Network Addressable Storage. Basically it's a self contained drive that hangs off your wired or wireless home network and all you home PCs can backup to it.

Quote:

"It's 8 in a V for me!"

I just hope I had copied over pictures that I have taken of my progress to a CD that the shop that did my metal work created for me.

Thing is we have to flash drives but I have only used them for pictures we download from our camera then we take it to Sams for prints.

O well lessoned learned...

My experience is with Packard and Studebaker V8s, but drove them, with air conditioning almost daily while living in the California desert for six years (29 Palms). Out there I passed many modern, brand X cars sitting on the side of the road due to overheating. Usually those people were tourists, inexperienced with operating in the desert: refused to shut the AC off on long upgrades; cars were set up for operation in cooler climate, i.e. light duty radiator, or cooling systems needed a general tune up anyway.

Generally, overheating begins to be a problem when outside temps go over 90, and the problem just about doubles when it goes over 100.

The best place to start is making sure everything is working as it should be, and others on this NG have already covered those areas well.

After all is working right, a few modifications can also help. Mods I have used included larger radiator (five core), sirocco style (double pass) aluminum radiator, six blade flex fan, 16" electric fan in front of the radiator, smaller water pump pulley, lowering compression ratio, Mobil 1 oil (15w50), and adding a fuel return line from the carb back to tank (reduces vapor lock).

I might also add, as long as you can control vapor lock, there is no harm in engine operating temps of 200-210 (V8s at least). In the desert summer with AC on and temps of 100+, my V8s usually ran at 200-210, and I never experienced a heat related problem

Hope this helps.

Joe H

I'm sorry Rolls-Who? Never heard of the them.

6 in a row twice is far superior. LONG LIVE Rolls-Royce Phantom III.


THE GREAT GRAND WIZARD

I agree with what Brian just said, and to add to that the summer is always the slowest time of the year for the website. With the good weather, people are out enjoying their Packards, and taking vacations. So you may see a delay in getting responses to questions as the person with the answer may be out driving their Packard around the country.

I have always noticed that activity trails off during the summer months, but as soon as fall and winter start rolling and people put there cars aways for the summer (well I hear they do that in other parts of the country, but that is completely foriegn to me living in So. Calif) then you will see that people will be spending more time.

Also as others have pointed out that the overheating question is something that is asked pretty often, so if you do a search you will find several theads discussing possible causes and how to fix them.

I am intrestested in what you find out what eventually fixes your overheating issue, as living in So Calif, the summer heat, mixed with bumper to bumper traffic is not something I want my Packard overheating in when I get it all running again.

On that note, I was thinking of adding at some point to the website a general troubleshooting section. In that we could list the probably causes and fixes for common problems (such as overheating). If any one would like to help out with putting something like that together, then please let me know.

Also Brian, don't forget "8 in a row"

Operating systems and applications can be reloaded, but the data that you create (pix, documents, spreadshhets etc.) are literally irreplaceable - unless you have it all backed up somewhere.

These days, a 1GB flash drive is relatively cheap and quick insurance to backup "valuable" files - before you have a problem.

Meanwhile, here's hoping your friend gets back some, if not all, of the valuable files from your old HDD.

RedRon -

Just keep in mind that this is an all-volunteer site, independent and unfunded by any club - one that charges nothing for access. Meanwhile, I've seen questions posed to more than one formal club that go effectively unanswered.

Though PackardInfo.com hasn't even seen it's second birthday (yet), the count of registered members is coming up on the 300 milestone in this rapidly growing online community. While not every one of those members participates in the Forums, many of those who do still have to work for a living (but I don't think any of us are sworn to any "sundown rule" here).

As such, it may take time to get an answer to any given question - just like it takes some people time to respond to an e-mail inquiry. The benefit of this site over e-mail is that more people will see your question in a public forum. That increases the likelihood that you'll get an answer, but there are no guarantees.

I'm not defending or criticizing anyone - just explaining the situation.