Thanks for the tips. I tried prying it up with screwdriver and pliers, but the screwdriver was starting to dig into the key, so I backed off. I'll hit it with some penetrant or lacquer thinner tonight, then take a hammer to it.

Once the key is out, disassembling the rest will be quick and I can take the parts down to NAPA to compare to new ones. I hope to have the generator back in the car (with a new belt) by this weekend.

-Kevin

I started disassembling it, but ran into a problem with the key. I can't get it out and I don't want to ruin anything. Any tips on how to remove? I assumed it would just be sitting inside the slot, but it feels like it's glued in or something.

-Kevin

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The radiator was only $350 out the door. Way cheaper than a recore which would've run $700-800.

What's a good source for the generator rebuild parts? I'm not opposed to rebuilding. It's one more thing I get to learn.

-Kevin

Oh my....


Side note, I didn't realize that the entire roof structure was solid wood under the cabriolet tops. I always assumed there was a layer of sheet metal under the leather. Learned something new today.

-Kevin

Some progress. I got the radiator back from the shop today. They didn't need to do a recore thankfully. Just refurbished it. They dipped it in an acid tank and took all the old paint and rust off, found and repaired all leaks, then repainted the whole thing in special paint.

While the radiator has been out I've been trying to clean up a few parts while I have easy access to them. One of those is the generator. It seems to be working fine, but the whole thing was covered in a thick layer of grease, grime and dirt.

I spent some time scraping everything off. I debated disassembling the whole thing, but if it's working fine I don't know that it's necessary. Now my question is how were these things painted originally? Was the whole thing black, or were parts of it silver (front and back??).

Lastly, I pushed the car out of the garage for about an hour while I pressure washed all the crud off the floor from winter. I pushed it out and in while the car was in neutral, not running because of no radiator. The next day I found two massive puddles of transmission fluid under the car. One centered under the torque converter, one centered under the pan. I'm at a loss as to why the transmission would puke fluid everywhere after getting pushed 20 feet back and 20 feet forward. Thoughts?

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Thanks Kev for the great resource that this website has become. I couldn't imagine trying to restore and maintain Packard's without this great community. Best wishes on your health; you and your family.

I watched through a couple of your woodworking videos. Really nice work there....great quality, narration, subject matter, etc. And the projects were great. I particularly liked the dust air filter.

-Kevin

Some of the cars in this lot are in much better condition than the previous. There are a few that caught my eye. Even with the buyer's premium, some of these may be picked up for much less than you could do otherwise.

Lot 9 - 1954 Caribbean. Decent condition, interior needs to be redone

Lot 12 - 1939 120 Rollston town car. Looks pretty good, especially the interior and the top

Lot 13 - 1938 Super 8 limo. Original paint and interior look great, plus upgraded to a very nice looking '39 engine (working on a '38 super 8 engine is the worst). Packard Blue. This is a beautiful car.

Lot 15 - 1941 120 coupe. Interior is a bit rough, but the exterior isn't bad.

Lot 16 - 1937 120 Dietrich convertible. It's a project, but you don't see a lot of these around

Lot 17 - 1937 120 convertible. Already restored. A little work and it should be back in business. Really nice car.

A couple of other '41's that are projects or parts cars. And a couple of '54 Pacific's that might be more for parts. The cracked windshield on the first one made my cry a little.

-Kevin

There is a lot to like about that car. The body is straight, the paint is nice (way better than mine), the interior is in great shape, weather stripping is all there, no rust, chrome is in great shape, etc. There are some things that need to be addressed, but those look like mainly mechanical, which isn't nearly as expensive as redoing the interior or repainting the car.

I wonder if the breather is plugged up on the rear axle? Looks like both axle seals are leaking, as well as the pinion seal. Plus the seal on the rear of the transmission. I've done axle seals, and if I can do them anyone can.

Bottom line is that this is a great car for someone who wants a nice driver, basically ready to go. I would definitely pay 10K for something like this.

There are younger guys who are interested in old cars, though many aren't at the point in life that they can afford one. I've wanted one for years, but it wasn't until a couple years ago that I could actually do it. Many of the younger ones aren't familiar with Packards because they didn't grow up around them. I find it satisfying to help educate about these fine cars when I go to shows or cruise-in's. If we don't get out and let people see the cars, how will they know about them?

-Kevin

Great stuff. I'll bet the kids loved the rides.

-Kevin

Somebody buy this. 1952 200 Club Sedan, recent repaint (closer to 55-56 Jade green), excellent chrome, clean all around, mostly good interior. Currently not running, no mention of what the problem is.

$9K. If the running problem is not difficult to fix, then this is a great price. Fix and drive.

https://portland.craigslist.org/clc/cto/d/eagle-creek-packard-straight/7458752735.html