I bought a car with a battery that was over 6 years old and I charged it and the car worked fine for a couple of weeks. One night I drove to a car cruise and back, it wouldn't go into park and slid down the driveway. The car wouldn't start, I had to jump it. I charged the battery over night and it was 13.3 V. I checked it later that day and it was 12.5 V. I took it in and got it checked it, was bad, but it kind of held a charge. I will be buying a new battery. Check yours out too.

I have been driving the car around town and decided to work on the speedometer, since it didn't work. I went for a little ride and held the speedometer cable in my hand and found it wasn't turning. I went under the car and found the speedometer cable was connected to the transmission. I took the car to a local speedometer repair shop and took in 2 other speedometer in hopes one would work. The shop found the speedometer cable broke inside the housing and found none of the speedometers I had worked. They did rebuild one speedometer but they couldn't fix the speedometer with the trip odometer.

Who can repair the speedometers with the trip odometer? My local guys can't and now I have 2 cars that the trip odometers don't work.

I must have had an exhaust leak as when I started the car with the repaired speedometer, it was quieter. So the speedometer shop tightened up my exhaust pipe where it connects to the exhaust manifold.
It's nice to know the speed I am going with out using an app on my cell phone.
I want to drive this car to California for the PI National Membership Meet in February 2017.

I concur. I had the same problem with my 1940 160 Sedan with the 356 engine. I was blowing exhaust gaskets. I finally took the manifolds to a good machinist/mechanic and he machined the exhaust/intake manifolds and it is running great. I should have done it sooner. I hope I do it on my next Packard to save me time.

Here are 4 more Packards that made to the Pavilions in Scottsdale, AZ
Gatley bought his 30 Packard in the 50s and still has the original interior in good condition. (Above)
McAtee bought his 53 Derham Formal limousine from the 3rd owner in the early 80s. (Above)
Ball's 57 Clipper has been in the family since 1967 and it does have a working supercharger. (below)
Joy's 56 400 has been in the family since new, he's the 2nd owner, it is all original.

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We met up at the Pavilions in Scottsdale, AZ on Oct. 22, 2016. The Pavilions is billed as the largest longest running car cruise in the USA. They meet every Saturday night. Well it doesn't rain here in Arizona...
Here are 8 Packards that came that night.

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Took the car to the transmission shop to get the transmission shift adjusted. On the test drive with a mechanic, we heard this loud bang! Car got noisy, the brand new muffler was blown. The transmission shop did not want to work on it.
I talked to many people as to why the car was now backfiring through the exhaust and carburetor. Was told it was in the ignition. One guy said to pull the distributor and bring it to him, so I did. He found the distributor shaft was loose.
The distributor was just rebuilt, I said. Well the shop did not replace the distributor's bushing. After I gave it back to the shop to finish rebuilding my distributor, I installed it and it ran great, except it was a little loud!
With a new muffler, it now sounds good. I can hear the lifters now, but it runs great!
Maybe the transmission shop will adjust the shift point now...

From Flackmaster: the company that rebuilds the vacuum advances is "Rebuilders Specialty" in Forney, TX. Very reasonable and pretty quick turnaround. Not listed on their website...mostly diesel injectors....

I just had my vacuum advance rebuilt, too late for this, but I would have used him.

I took my car to a mechanic. It just would not accelerate. He found the rotor was touching something inside the cap and filed off the end so it no longer touches. Then he replaced all spark plugs. He then checked the carburetor, which I had rebuilt. Then he set the timing of the engine. And I drove it home 24 miles on the freeway, at 60 mph. It ran great. It does have a ticking sound, but I can't tell if it's a lifter or an exhaust leak from the exhaust manifold. It almost sounds like the same noise I got from the 40 160 Sedan before I had the intake/exhaust manifolds ground flat.
I will be driving this car to the cruise night this weekend. I'm glad to have it running. I can now call up my transmission shop and get the transmission adjusted. It still locks up in gear at over 40mph, but it's working and driving.
Now on to the next challenge.

At what point is original too far gone? I know people like patina, but original shiny paint and very nice interior is great to have. This 1953 Patrician has lots of 'patina' but it won't take a shine. The interior is shot. Yes the rocker panels and dog legs are rusty. Should it be left this way?
If I had a car with usable paint and interior, I would leave it alone and try to preserve it. If they get too far gone as in my 53 Patrician, then they should be 'freshened up' or restored.
But that's my opinion.

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Thanks, I usually learn things too late, but it might help someone else.
I did want to get my distributor rebuilt as I have no idea how to do it.