If u get that blower set up the way u want it it ought to make that 320 sing just as strong or STRONGER than the best of any 374's. I can hit over 100 mph with my stock 352 and a 3:16 rear end.

I'm beginning work on a caster alignment checking tool for the 55 and 56's. Mite work on the 51 to 54's too if they are the same as 55-56.
I need to know if the TWO FRONT MOST bolt bosses for the backing plate are PARALLEL to the centre line of the steering knuckle.
I believe that the cars would drive alot better (tho maybe require more effort at the steering wheel) if + caster were set rather than negative caster as recommended.
BUT, i need a good way to measure it. That's what i'm working on.

I see no point in creating a new steering knuckle. The best bet would be to find someone that wants to produce Craigs set up. This is definatly something that requires further study and anayalsis to create a conversion kit that would require NO mods to the knuckel.

Any reproduction steering knuckle would have retain the EXACT angles and dimensions of the original. The steering knuckle is a FORGING (NOT JUST A CASTING) which ads to the expense. Possibly, one could have them cast from steel thus bypassing the forge but i'm not sure.

U are SO RIGHT about rodders creating demand for replacement parts.

Eric,

I looked at my '63 R2 Avanti and the crank pulley looks to be 7.5" (hard to get an accurate measurement as it is really tight against the shroud). Check with some of the Stude Paxton guys like Ted Harbit or John Erb...there are high output pulley options for the Paxton, but be careful how fast you spin the blower, they do have a limit!

I haven't changed any jetting on the carb because it was running rich in the first place. I have a 600 CFM Edelbrock on it right now, which was kinda big for my little 320 that I'm running. I'm pretty sure it's not in the carb, as jetting won't affect the airflow through the engine. It's also possible that the carb's too big, even with the supercharger, but I don't think so. In fact, I'm thinking that I'm going to have to move to a 700 CFM for the 374.

As to the exhaust, I'm using the stock pipes with glasspacks and no resonators. In a month or so, I'm taking it to the exhaust shop to have as large a pipe that I can fit under there put on. Most likely 2.5" will be the biggest that I can put under there, and still be in the stock location. There will be two Flowmaster's at the back, and that's all. Eventually, I plan on getting headers put on for the 374, which I'll probably have to make myself. I want this car to sound like it's got some guts, even if it doesn't yet.

When it's all said and done, it will have a nice muscle car sound to it, but yet you'll still be able to have a decent conversation inside the car, while traveling at 120+MPH.

On a side note, for those of you that have the '51-'56 body, as long as the lower front control arms are similar enough, I may have found a beefier front sway bar for our cars, in the form of a 4X4 2005+ F150 pickup. The front bar on those are 1.3255", whereas a stock Packard front sway bar is 0.63". I think I can use one off a F250, F350 for the rear. I don't know about everyone else, but the body lean in a sharp corner at speed has got to go. I'll keep you all posted as to my progress. Like I said, there's going to be some exciting stuff in the V8 Packard world this year!

Eric

Have you had to make any changes to the Carb in terms of jetting or anything like that?

Also did you make any changes to the exhaust for better flow or anything in that regards?

The supercharger I'm afraid, isn't putting out the power that I think it can. When I drive it down the interstate at speeds above 70, I have 0 psi, with NO vacuum. Now, this tells me that it is moving air, but not enough. I believe that the pulley ratio isn't correct, but I don't know what the original crank pulley diameter was on the Avanti that it came off of. So, since I can't easily change the diameter of the crank pulley, I bought a new pulley for the supercharger that's 1/2 the diameter of the original pulley. When warmer weather hits, I'm going to put it on and see how much difference it makes. I have a feeling that my crankshaft pulley is at least 1" smaller in diameter than the Avanti pulley, but without one to compare to, I'm flying blind here.

It has made a difference in some ways, I have more power than before, but my top speed is still only 90-95 mph. Hopefully, when the 374 is done, 125mph will be attained.

Eric

I thought I at one time there was a discussion about some brake parts vendor that was looking at creating a bolt on kit for the 51-56 Packards. Has anyone heard anymore on this?

I would be interested in putting that on my Clipper due the kind of traffic I deal with here in So. Calif.

I has talked to the guy here in So. Calif that made the brackets that Craig used on his conversion and he makes them to order, and it basically cost around $1,000 for the his kit.

There is a custom caliper bracket made, and your existing spindles are machined to take 70's GM truck bearing and disc setup. Also I think the where the tie-rod connects to the spindle arm is machine to provide clearance for the disc.

When I talked to him he gave me the impression that he will make one if the money is right and someone really wants it, but as each one is custom made, so its not something he advertises as it's not his main business.

I would be nice if a vendor was to create a new spindle assemble that would bolt in and replace the OEM one. So that way the OEM assembly didn't have to be modified. The vendor then could just sell the new spindle assemble and the caliper bracket, and you go buy everything else, and they could also sell the complete kit with the calipers, discs, bolts, lines, etc.

I figure between the 51-56 models there must be at least 15,000+ cars still out there, and this conversion may also work on earlier models.


Are you listening Vendors???? Hint Hint Hint

On that note I think it would be interesting to hear what other pieces Packard owners would like to see reproduced.

For me, I would like to see some rust repair panels made. If we take the 51-54 models. The same repair panel would work across all those years on most models. I see that the 51-56 rocker panels are produced and show up on ebay. But things like floor pans, and wheel well patch panels would be great. I think if more or these type of repair panels were made, we would start seeing more of the Post-War Packard get back on the road. Right now we have to either get a piece custom made, or hack another car up to get a panel. Which effectively takes another car off the road forever.

Now I know everyone cringes when people think of Street-Roding one of our Packards, but I must admit the Street-Rod crowd has created a demand in the market place that has caused vendors to create these type of repair parts for models that didn't have a market before. If the street-rod types ever started looking at the Packards as the new different thing to work on, perhaps a silver lining to come out of it may be a demand that causes vendors to create new parts for the Packard, that the Non-Rodders among us can benefit from. It's a bit of a double-edge sword I know, but just a thought.

Enough of my rambling....

Eric,

How is your Super Charger doing on your Patrician? Did you finally get it all dialed in?

I know you mentioned before that you still had some tuning to do with it.

Well, I apologize for all the drama that I caused, I just simply wanted out. Unfortunately, for me, the damage is done, and I won't be accepting peterg's olive branch. If the posts could be restored, that would be a different matter.

Like Speedster says, " If your house burns down, you don't go back and look at the ashes everyday, so I won't be back anytime soon.
To all that have helped me, over the past couple years, I want to say 'Thank You'. "

I feel the same.

And to those who won't be back because of the drama, you should really look at what's going on both sides of the fence before sitting on it.

And with that, I'm finished. No more rants from me.

Eric