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Board index » All Posts (ChrisGoodfellow)




Re: 1940 Parking light placement
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Packard Newbie
Knowing the bulk of our members are in the US, it is probably also worthy of note that every American dollar I spend, costs me about a buck, thirty-five Canadian, and that really adds up. Even if I could find a pair of knockoffs at around $600, by the time I paid freight and everything, I'd be at a grand, easy, and that almost puts me in the same category as that poster (can't remember who it is) that says his biggest fear is he will die and his wife will sell everything in the garage for what he told her he'd paid for it!!! LOL

Posted on: 2018/3/16 14:13
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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Re: 1940 Parking light placement
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Packard Newbie
Thanks Dave and sorry Don. (Don, you thought $200 was way too much for the '40 lights I bought!!!)

Posted on: 2018/3/16 13:58
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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Re: 1940 Parking light placement
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Packard Newbie
Thank you Mal, and all the others who have weighed in on this.

I heard back from some of the folks I wrote to and the overwhelming consensus is that the correct lights are 'extremely rare', 'extremely expensive' and 'impossible to find'.

Apparently there were reproductions made at one time and one source cited them as being less-than knockoffs that could be 'spotted from 50' away' and even these, if found, run around $600 a pair.

I was also told that Packard themselves, endorsed use of the '40 lights on '39 vehicles in published service bulletins and that it was a fairly common practice 'back in the day'.

So, without further ado, DECISION MADE!!! I am proceeding with the units I have in hand. My car is an 'entry-level' Packard Six, a daily driver, and already has some 'non-authentic parts, i.e. the '41-'42 heater, and I do not see the point in spending gobs of dough on a couple of parking lights. The money would be better spent elsewhere. i.e. chroming the bumpers or re-coring the rad, etc. And I'm never going to 'show' this car.

Apologies to the purists who will consider this blasphemy and thanks again to the numerous posters who contributed. I learned a lot on this and also found my own 'cutting line' on how far I am prepared to go in fixing up an old car. For what it's worth, I'm still totally in love with the old girl!

Posted on: 2018/3/16 12:19
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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Re: 1940 Parking light placement
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Packard Newbie
Ozstatman,

'based on that, they are available' is good news, can you give me any leads as to 'who might have'?? I am busy emailing all the 'usual suspects'. Maybe a part #, or a range? Can I say 'all models '36-'39'??
Thanks, Chris

Posted on: 2018/3/15 14:39
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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Re: 1940 Parking light placement
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Packard Newbie
I hear you there, Don.... thanks. Among my few attributes, patience is not in my 'strong suit'!

Posted on: 2018/3/15 13:51
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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Re: 1940 Parking light placement
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Packard Newbie
Thanks for your time and posts Ozstatman - much apprec. I guess there are sets of those '39 lights out there, but I haven't had any luck finding any. This has been quite the education for me, as I THOUGHT the '40 lights would be 'just fine'. After all the back and forth here, I am rethinking my thoughts and really agree with those that feel they would be 'just wrong'! Problem is, I hate what's on there now, and yet finding a set of actual '39's is going to be difficult and, as you say, expensive. I do believe that adding 'generic' lights was done back in the day, I'm just conflicted a to whether this would 'hurt' my car in the long run. Like, for instance, the heater it came with is from a 41/42 (I think) and it is 'good enough' as far as I'm concerned, so I guess a lot of it boils down to one's taste and how strict one is, or wants to be, with 'absolute authenticity'. I don't want to be a murderer, but I guess I'm just not a dyed-in-the-wool purist either.

Posted on: 2018/3/15 12:41
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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Re: 1940 Parking light placement
Home away from home
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Packard Newbie
Okay, okay... I'll try and find some '39 lights! Anybody have any idea WHERE??!?!?

I have seen quite a few photos of 39's with '40 lights on them; what am I missing?? I didn't think they looked that bad?? Aren't the '39 and '40 fenders and headlights the same??

I guess I am only a 'quasi-purist' in that I like original cars and wouldn't put a V8 or a big stereo in a car like mine, but things like a year out on the lights seems 'within the range', if you know what I mean? Like some guys that are rewiring will only put in cloth covered wire and as long as it is a good heavy gauge for the 6 volt, regular wire is okay with me. Hope that doesn't make me a heretic on this site, but on a driver classic car, I think there can be 'some' lattitude??

I WILL see if I can come up with some '39 lights though!!

Posted on: 2018/3/14 15:18
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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Re: 1940 Parking light placement
Home away from home
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Packard Newbie
Thanks Ozstatman, yes, those are exactly like the units shown in the 'Accessories Brochure' and if you had any idea of the hours I've spent sifting through Ebay and other sites trying to come up with a pair - they seem extremely rare, whereas the 1940 teardrops are quite common and available.

I would hold off Joe, but I found these units that I have and paid a couple of hundred bucks for them, and not thinking the odds of finding '39's are that good, I will probably get them painted and proceed. They should still look pretty good, better than the horrid things that are on there now! Somebody mounted truck signals on the lower front fenders. Tch, tch, tch!

And yes, Dave, I agree with you re matching the horizontal planes of the big and small teardrops; I'll see how close I can get it.

Thanks again for the help

Attach file:



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Posted on: 2018/3/14 11:54
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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Re: 1940 Parking light placement
Home away from home
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Packard Newbie
Thanks guys, for the quick response and info. I maybe should have mentioned that my car is a '39, which shows parking lights in the 'option booklet' for that year, but they look a little different and seem quite rare. I have seen numerous sets of these 1940 lights for sale but haven't come across any actual '39 lights. My car did not have factory signal lights and the parking lights per se, were in the headlight teardrop.
That is why no holes and the query as to where exactly they should go. My parking lights did come with the under-fender plates and when I rewired them, I did crimp some thin wall black rubber hose over the wire where it comes out the bottom. I do like your idea of a grommet in the fender hole Joe. I will line them up at 35 3/4" from the bottom of the front fender face and see if they mirror the orientation in the pictures. It kind of looks like the mini teardrop should 'point' at the center of the main headlight can. Thanks again for the help.

Posted on: 2018/3/14 1:42
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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1940 Parking light placement
Home away from home
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Packard Newbie
I had previously posted a question on the bulbs for these lights and now have them all cleaned up, rewired and ready to install. In placing them on the fender of my car I am unsure of the 'correct' position. I've sifted through a ton of pictures online, and first of all, do they sit ON the chord line crease of the fender, or just beside it? And if beside, WHICH side? And does anyone know of a measurement or spec, say the distance from the bottom front lip of the fender to the 1st hole? Or am I being too fussy? Caribbean Dude posted a link on a 1940 Darrin today that has an excellent shot of the headlight/parking light alignment. Should a guy just eyeball it and start drilling holes?? I own a boat and belabor over every hole I drill in it, and kind of treat the Packard the same way - I only get one shot at making it right!!
Thanks for any input or data anyone can come up with.
https://www.rmsothebys.com/en/auctions/MO12/Monterey/lots/r146-1940-packard-super-eight-one-eighty-darrin-convertible-sedan-by-howard-dutch-darrin/280733

The headlight shot is 6 clicks in....

Posted on: 2018/3/13 20:03
'If you think you can, or you think you can't - you're right!' Henry Ford.
1939 Packard Six, Model 1700
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