This is a subject interesting to me.

My '39 is a radio deleted model, not surprising given it formal original use.

I think a prior owner may have had a radio in the glove compartment given there is a antenna mounted.

I really don't care to have a AM radio in this car, which may be strange given my amateur radio hobby.


Is there some way I can download tunes to my android phone and install a dedicated receiver and speakers (and amplifier?) of some kind to play music of my choice underway?

The car is still 6v. positive ground and will remain that way but I can install a small 12v. motorcycle-type battery and charge it via a wall-socket charger for a power supply. The installation would be insulated and fuse or breaker protected of course.

Please try to word any suggestions simply because my tech savy pretty much ended with vacuum tubes. I still haven't fully come to grips with my phone.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jim

A week or so ago I took the '39 on a day trip to the New Hampshire White Mountains. The distance covered was just under 200 miles.
At a overlook rest area in North Conway I was talking to a gentleman (another geezer like me) and after the usual old car back and forth I found he had been acquainted with the previous owner. Small world.
From North Conway the route is uphill to Gorham and lunch at J's Corner Restaurant and Lounge. I recommend the clam chowder.
A few miles east of Gorham on Rt.2 I took the Evans Notch road back into the White Mountain National Forest. The road weaves in and out of Maine And New Hampshire and is about a lane and a half wide which makes oncoming traffic interesting.
From there country roads to Fryeburg ME. and back into southern Maine.
The only other prewar car I spotted was a ~39 Mercury as I was leaving the Evans Notch road.
The Super Eight has been delivering 14 to 16 MPG all summer since I installed the EE23 carb I rebuilt winter before last. I have to confess to being a fan of the BW overdrive.
Jim

Seventy-five years ago today there was much celebration.
Here is some footage of the celebrations in Hawaii.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tg5JyCnHqk&fbclid=IwAR0F12y_VOF6q7Ithw98L8latGIx3EDVdxLxTXZLGPZd3dS66yXz60qhMpI

Thanks for the suggestion, Wesley.

I have tried renaming the file with no luck.
I also tried posting pics on an alternative browser.
I am able to post pics on the Packard Classics site and on the AACA forum. Also on the Studebaker Drivers Club site, pics post with no problem.

Kind of frustrating.

Jim

Welcome, Steve

For some reason I can't seem to get a photo to attach to show how the inner fender panels are arranged on my 39 S-8.
I don't think you can get them on backwards because I have struggled to do just that.
The panels ( I think ) are arranged to let hot air out, the scoops in the panels are on the outside, towards the tire.
I don't think I have described this very well, I do have a picture and if you want to PM with your e-mail I can e-mail it to you.

Jim

Brian, the above is excellent advice and more clearly explained than I would be able.

There are several books which will help you getting the car sorted out if you don't already have them.

An owner's manual for your specific car, reprints are available, check e-bay or I think on this site.

"Keep Your Packard Rolling" by Neal Donovan, Packard Books, Inc. 83 Quaker Lane, Fairfield, Ct. 06430-4511. Probably out of print but last time I checked it was available on Amazon.

A Motors Manual covering your year. These books are available on e-bay and through used book dealers. They really are a basic course in pre-computer automotive repair and maintenance.

Good luck.

It was ~60 deg F. and sunny here in southern Maine.
There seems to be a shortage of eggs in the local supermarket so I was tasked by SWMBO to find some, which I did.

I did however take along an escort, per the pic.

No scenery shots simply because the landscape is pretty desolate right now but at least the snow is gone for now and we've had some rain to wash the road salt away. More snow due at the end of the week.

Everyone stay well.

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Well, due to a spell of unseasonably warm weather here in southern Maine I succumbed to temptation and took the '39 S-8 for a leisurely 45 mile trip on local back roads.

The trip was a bit of a shakedown after some work over the winter consisting of a new pair of front shock absorbers, removing and painting the steering column, some repairing the cracked plastic on the dash and steering wheel and regraining the dash.

We has around an inch of rain yesterday so I'm confidant the roads are salt-free for the moment.

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Enlarging the picture I see the BBs around the valves on the LH side of the pic.
Are they as flattened as they look?

JimKB1MCV

I guess I have a few questions/comments, Suitbear552.

Thanks for posting the pics by the way.

I may be missing something very obvious but what I can see in the shot of the engine top end looks like just an engine that has seen some miles. If it ran with the BBs in the cylinders I would expect to see peening on the piston tops and damaged valves.

Have you seen the BBs? They should (I think) be pretty battered.

At the very least it seems like you should have a look at the valves and seats. If you are loosing compression due to piston and ring clearance it may be juat plain wear and mileage, not from the BBs.

There is a limit to how much the head can be planed or ground, beyond that the valves will interfere with the head. Do you know how much warpage is on your cylinder head? Since you are not dealing with very high compression you should be able to tolerate quite a bit of distortion and maintain a good seal.

It may be a good idea to check the engine serial number to verify exactly what engine you are dealing with. For many years your car was just an old (very) used car and any changes made may well be lost in time.

I agree with Chris (PackardNewbe) that if you have to have all the repair work done by someone else it will run into money, as in hourly labor rate x unknown hours + parts.

Good luck.
JimKB1MCV