Welcome Ken! It'll be great to have another late twenties car owner on the forum! I own an early production 526 sedan made in 1927, so our cars are likely very similar. There are several fourth and fifth series owners active on this and the other forum, so don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions.

The error is mine for not reading more closely. The OP and everyone else is talking about the front flooring, while I'm nattering on about running board treatment in isolation :)

I'm certainly no expert either, and am just relaying what I discovered when making a similar decision last year--mostly based upon a few threads on AACA discussing the material and specific to 20s Packards.

I do wonder if the tan/orange option may have been an original color though, if for no other (unscientific and unverified) reason that I can't otherwise fathom why I've seen it featured on so many 5th series cars it clearly doesn't match. Image search for Packard 526 on Google and you'll find several examples. The only exception in my recent memory is the dual cowl 526 currently listed on eBay. In that application it looks good I think.

That said, you'll also turn up a lot of images of black running boards--the majority I'd say--both in corrugated rubber and linoleum. Considering that all production 5th series cars supposedly had black fenders and frames when new (disputed), it seems likely the original color would have been gray or black. I own a 5th series paint chip booklet, and _none_ of those darkish and neutral color schemes would have been flattered by the tan/orange. I just can't imagine classy, understated Packard doing something that garish. As a data point in support of this theory, there's a supposedly unrestored 326 currently for sale on eBay that clearly shows weathered black linoleum on the running board in the 10th picture (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Packard-3rd-Series-Sedan-Limo-/131492013345). Someone with more expertise than I have, however, would ultimately need to speak to original equipment.

Hi rrhorton,

The linoleum you're seeking is often referred to as "battleship linoleum", and the best resource I've found for obtaining it is www.battleshiplinoleum.com .

When I first purchased my 5-26 I assumed the material, which didn't look very period correct to my eye, was inauthentic. The research I've done, however, suggests that the burlap backed material is in fact what originally came on the running boards and front floor of our cars. There is some debate it seems though about the originally available colors (some say black or gray only). Mine was a light orangish / brown, which I didn't particularly care for, so I replaced it with black.

No help on the aluminum I'm afraid. I believe that I've seen it somewhere, but can't find the link in my bookmarks.

Hi viking, If you haven't been already, keep an eye on Hemmings, Auto Trader Classics, PrewarCar, and the AACA classifieds. I only turned up a couple 726s for sale without pricing information, but those are common places to find valuation information.

As far as keeping realistic expectations, do keep in mind that, even in impeccable, documented condition, your girlfriend's 726 may have a price ceiling lower than you're hoping. It's an example of Packard's smallest (126" wheel base) production car (vs. a more valuable custom bodied car) for model year 1930. It also sounds like it's a sedan (if the top goes down, the value goes up). I can tell you all of this without sounding condescending because I own a 526 sedan ;) At least in your case you have a rarer car with an 8 instead of a 6!

I think you'll find that, regardless of what any publication or forum post may suggest, any such car is only worth what someone is willing to pay you for it, which may increase the longer you're willing to wait for the right buyer to turn up. Any valuation will be heavily dependent on condition, and even the suggested 5% incompleteness mentioned can end up costing a potential restorer many, many thousands of dollars tracking down and reconditioning the correct parts. Not to mention, of course, the hundreds of hours and many thousands of dollars the other 95% of the car is going to require in restoration.

Personally, I don't think the production cars get their due in the community, and I love the aesthetic of sedans, so I hope yours finds a loving home and sees the road once more. Too often though, given the cost / value proposition of a proper restoration, these cars remain as-is, or get really regrettable restorations (I can tell you all about a terribly "restored" 626 sedan I inspected last fall that didn't sell on eBay for $8K). The best case scenario for these cars is that someone elects to undertake a proper restoration as a labor of love, not based upon the profit potential.

That's probably not what you were hoping to hear given your intention to sell the car, so hopefully you can prove me wrong (these are, after all, just my observations). Good luck!

Hi Phil,

My '28 526 has nearly the same motor (making the assumption that yours is a single six from the photo), and it runs consistently between 160-180 on even the hottest days and under extended load (lots of hills where I live too). I'm running 50/50 off the shelf glycol.

If you haven't already, I'd check the radiator, waterpump, and thermostat before switching to exotic coolant mixtures. Is your radiator an original honeycomb? If so, I'd definitely have it flow tested.

Great looking car btw!

I think Tim and David have already sufficiently answered your question, but here's a picture of the location in question on my 526 as further evidence.

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I had my cover off this summer when adjusting the valves on my 5-26, but it doesn't exactly match what DavidM is describing. I have the outter plate and 3 standoff tubes, but don't recall any inner plate. Do you have pictures?

It's entirely possible that mine has lost the inner plate sometime during the past 86 years, but mine only has a very thick perimeter gasket (I'd say at least 3/16") and 3 crush washers to seal the bolts to the cover. As described, it doesn't leak.

Hi rrhorton,

I faced something similar with my then non-running '28 5-26. I needed to rotate the engine for various reasons leading up to its first start in several years and didn't have a crank or know of one close by.

I took a spare 22mm impact socket I had lying around, loaded it into my bench vise and ground a 0.375" wide slot (0.5" deep or so) into either side with an angle grinder. I then lined the inside of the socket with a bit of rubber tape to keep it from chewing up the crank stud. That socket, a 1/2" drive extension, and a 24" breaker bar worked like a champ.

Glad to have another active 5th series poster on the forum! Keep us apprised of the restoration details. I have the same engine and drive-train in my 5-26, and am happy to answer any questions I know the answers to.

P.S. If at any point you lose interest in the project and want to part with those cowl lights, I know where you can unload 'em ;)