There's a thread I saw somewhere on here or on another forum describing a Packard being converted to a conventional booster which for some reason I can't find at the moment.

As I recall the pedal conversion essentially involved moving the pivot point of the original pedal as close as possible to the brake pushrod to gain the required ratio. I'm not sure if it would be the same with a hydroboost. It's a little odd looking and makes the pedal move in a fairly tight arc but the poster reported being completely satisfied with pedal feel and travel.

I also saw someone trying to develop a complete retrofit kit including the floor plate on the Oldsmobile forum but I don't know if anything ever came of it.

I'm set on a stick shift Custom, so it seems wiser to keep waiting for a 22nd Series. Thanks!

I use a Motive Products pressure bleeder. I got a standard brass fitting for the pump side and machined another brass fitting to seal the master cylinder. Then just connect the two with some extra hose. It works a lot better than vacuum bleeders, those are mostly junk unless you buy very high end equipment meant for shops.

I recently came across a nice 1950 Custom Eight. I've really been looking for 22nd series cars with 3 speed overdrive but this one is otherwise exactly what I'm looking for. How practical is it to convert the car to an original 3-speed or to a different manual transmission and how will this impact it's desirability?

What is the service history on the car? Shimmy is caused by worn/loose parts or something being out of alignment. Worn out shocks, out of spec caster/camber/toe in/out, tires out of round, or looseness in the kingpin are the most common causes.

I'm sure the tire shop has proper sealants, but I most often see it done with epoxy based paints or compounds like JB weld. Only an extremely thin, smooth application is needed-in 9/10 cases the original steel rim is sufficiently airtight to not require sealant.

12v will usually not fry a 6v starter. Check if the starter gear isn't jammed up on the flywheel. Give it a few hard raps to turn the starter and try again. Most likely the starter motor has just quit from old age.

Yes, if they leak you will need a sealant of some kind. But most of the time it's not an issue. Some people like to go over any rivet holes or seams before mounting the new tires. If you have the tires dismounted it would be a good preventive measure.

I wonder when the last American car to have lap robe cords/rails was. I had a 1957 Oldsmobile which still had a cord although the new heater they had that year was easily one of the best of any car I've owned new or old and made a lap robe pretty pointless.

What area are you in? There may be a competent shop or collector in the area who can help.

It wouodnalso be helpful to know what issues you are experiencing. Is the the car collapsed due to broken parts? Or is it staying up but the leveling mechanism is broken? Does the mechanism work but nothing is happening or it is not leveling correctly?