Thank you - forgot to mention the condenser was replaced too. It was all part of a tune up kit from Max Merrit. Neither set of points show any sign of burned contact points; they're clean. I guess I could replace the condenser again and see if that impacts it.

When points are newly installed, everything works for a time. Coil appears to be normal. When it starts to run rough and we pull the coil wire from the distributor it's sparking only some of the time - not each time. Very perplexing.

I have a '47 Custom and its 356 has been running rough. At first it was fuel related, so I replaced the fuel pump and carburetor. It ran much better and I drove it three weeks without incident, but it did not idle as smooth as it should. I replaced spark plugs (10 mm) then distributor cap, rotor and ignition points. My mechanic installed the ignition points for me, and I drove it the ten minutes home. Seemed fine. The next time I fired it up a few days later, it never did smooth out. We drove it a few miles and it ran worse and worse, til it nearly was convulsing. Then it stopped running completely.

When we got it home, we found that the points weren't sparking between them. There was a ground from each side of the points but no spark between, so I installed another set from Merrit. That set seems to be failing too after only a few miles of driving, as the car runs extremely rough.

Either I'm on a run of really poor luck on ignition points or something else is taking place. This is a rebuilt motor in a restored car that when running well performs beautifully.

Thoughts??

Thanks for your guidance-

Steve

Thank you! Was the wheel repaired or completely re-cast? Were you pleased with the work and turnaround time?

Does anyone have a recommendation for a company you've used for restoring your steering wheel? I'm told the best option is to locate someone who will recast the wheel, rather than patch the existing material. Any guidance would be appreciated.

Thanks for all the feedback; I really appreciate it.

Acceleration couldn't be any worse than with my '50 Nash! Of course the tradeoff is that the Nash gets about twice the mileage...

I like to drive my cars - at least 400-600 miles a year in local driving - but one reason I'd like a postwar Packard is so that I have a car capable of a long distance tour if I get the chance.

If there's anything I need to watch for when considering one of these models, I'd appreciate a heads up on that too. Thanks-

Steve

Although a car collector for more than 25 years and hoping to own a Packard for much longer than that, I have yet to own a Packard. I'm a member of the Packard club and regular visitor to this site, which has helped me immensely in my appreciation for these cars.

I've been on the hunt for a 21st or 22nd series senior-level car and just haven't come across the right one. My question today though has to do with the '51 models. I've come across a low-mileage, beautifully-preserved '51 Patrician located out of state. I've looked at this model only casually in the past but am intrigued with this one.

For those who are familiar with these cars, what do you consider to be the pro's and con's of these cars? I'm very leery of the Ultramatic, about which I know little beyond what I've read on this site. I wish it was equipped with manual/OD but of course that wasn't an option.

I've gone back and looked at a number of posts which are somewhat related to this topic but would appreciate additional comments, any guidance, items to look for/ask about, and whether this car really is worth considering for long-term ownership.

Many thanks-

Steve