Beautiful Packard, Steve. Gorgeous light and colour in the photos too! Chris.

Yes, thanks Big Kev for your time and efforts. P.I. truly IS a sanity lifeline for a lot of folks right now, myself included. The help with our 'Packard problems' is, of course important and the reason the site exists, but in all this craziness of isolation and lockdowns, that sense of community and camaraderie we enjoy within our membership ranks, can't be understated. Chris.

Gar, that's good to hear; great going! Chris.

Thanks Don, and good to hear that Hagen's is reputable. I think I will send the old pot from the original distributor down to them and have it rebuilt. Then I will have a direct comparison with the one from my NOS unit and 'fresh new rubber' to see if it changes the performance characteristics. Certainly can't do any harm. I also intend on purchasing a good vacuum gauge, as it seems vacuum tells 'a lot of the story'. Chris.

In JBRPackard's Nov 13th post on timing, Snopack remarked on vacuum advance being critical to a properly running engine. I wholeheartedly agree and have a couple of questions. First off, I was lucky enough to come by a NOS distributor for my car (an Autolite IGS 4201) and, while the advance pot works, i.e. the distributor advances when suction is applied to the pot, I have to wonder if, in an advance unit of that age, would the diaphragm be hardened up and not as flexible as when new, thus giving less advance than a new one?? Second question, I found an outfit in Puyallup WA that has a remarkable list of tune-up products for the 245 6-cyl and they list a vacuum advance pot for $60 (VC-3082) https://hagensautoparts.com/packard/41-electrical/13607
I ordered it, but unfortunately they have no stock and none on the horizon. They did say if I sent my old pot in, they could have it rebuilt for the same price, so my question is: Does anyone know if there is a generic Napa-type replacement that has the same thread and movement characteristics as the OEM version or am I stuck doing the rebuild and exchange thing??
I guess if the answer to question one is, if it moves the distributor, it is working and leave it alone, then I don't have to worry about it and question 2 becomes moot. Any thoughts or advice?? P.S. I do not have the equipment or ability to test the AMOUNT of actual advance with the engine running (nor do I know how much it should be) and thus, applying suction to the vacuum advance hose is the extent of my diagnostic ability. Chris

Yes, thanks John. And David (Packard), the T-cable in the link sure looks 'close' and would be an option. There is something about matching components (like knob sets, and door handles, etc.) that to me, are important in preserving a vintage vehicle. Like I stated in my previous post, if I can find a 'real deal' replacement, I will go to the trouble of pulling everything apart and getting the T-cable in my car working; otherwise, I will just leave it as a non-functional knob that at least matches. One thing I AM curious about is how the Packard T-knob is attached to the assembly, as if I could move the original knob over to a new cable, I would sure consider that route. Chris.

David, the one in the first picture matches mine. Is the cable in any kind of shape? I agree with you re universal cables - if I can't get the 'real thing', I'll just leave it. If that piece in the photo is functional and for sale, I'd sure put the winning bid in on it! Chris.

Good eye, Howard... I hadn't originally noticed that as I was preoccupied with the knob comparison. I think corrosion was a common issue with these cables and, as they were not able to be separated (like say, a speedo cable) they never got lubed and as the rust and grime made it harder and harder to operate the knob, the outer cable cover bore the brunt, thus the stretching, breaking and inner cable kinking. Chris.

Oh, THAT one.... didn't show the engine compartment and says 'needs an interior', also no pics, so knowing what I know now about the cost of all this stuff, it just doesn't wash, even at $10K. Looks OKAY from the exterior, IN A PHOTO, from not too close!!! Not sure what interiors go for down in the US, but for headliner, seats in ORIGINAL wool broadcloth, carpet and door panels, plus paint or re-woodgrained trim, you're approaching $10K US$ up here in Canada. And you haven't even opened the hood yet! I'd spend my money on that Super Eight any day. Chris.