Leeedy

What you're describing is the curse of the internet. The refuge of the instant expert and purveyor of dubious facts.

But it has it's advantages, too. Not the least of which is this website.

I had never heard of Packard bicycles until I came across you on here. Such things would not appear today, but it would be surprising if somebody (actually, more than one) had not latched on to the value of the Packard brand in the past. It was indeed a premium product in its day.

Of course, it's a different story today. When I'm asked what I'm driving and tell them it's a Packard the response usually is "It's a what?". Not many even recognise the Packard name. The conversation often starts with "What sort of Chevrolet is that?" At that point, I bite my tongue and say something about Packard being a premium brand of American motor car - a bit like an American Rolls-Royce, which get nods of recognition.

This is not so far from the truth. My right hand drive Clipper Deluxe was sold new in 1956 by one of the leading Rolls and Bentley dealers here. The price new was in the same league as those brands, so somebody knew about Packards then. Actually, the first owner was an engineer who became a leader of Australia's foremost auto engineering business (Repco).

Packard owners seem to have a leaning towards bicycles (or in my case, motorcycles). At its peak, my motorcycle collection numbered over thirty and I had a big time storage problem. But probably nothing compared to yours!

There are people on here who do understand the depth of your knowledge, and value it highly. But as you say the media these days is looking for instant experts. They never let the facts get in the way of a good story.

Have you written much of this down? Or catalogued your literature collection?

Cheers

Brian

Leeedy

Is there anything you don't know about bicycles?!

Where on earth did you store 1000 bikes?

Yes, the recumbent models are usually seen out on the open road, loaded up with panniers etc. for long distance travel. Rarely in traffic. They seem to get along pretty well.

Brian

That's the same drive design as the modern lay-down cycles, which have a treadle setup. Not unlike the old Cyclops kids cars!

I dare say that the lay-down bicycles have their advantages, but one of them is not visibility in traffic. Guess that's why most have a mast with flag attached.

Brian

Well, today was a glorious winter's day here. Just the day for a solo outing in the 1956 Clipper.

A strategically placed supermarket bag on the back seat provided my reason for being on the road.

First port of call was the gas station for fresh fuel and air in the tires. Then onto the road amongst all the other traffic, presumably also fetching supplies.

Scratchy pic attached below. I was enjoying the ride too much to pay attention to capturing movie footage.

Covered maybe 100 trouble free miles. No I wasn't surprised - it's what I expect.

The worst part was driving back into the garage. But I know I can do it again - and soon.

Brian

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Hello Leeedy

You're a veritable fountain of knowledge on this stuff.

Yes, you're right. The Solex was classified and generally described as a moped. The unfortunate part was it needed a goodly amount of pedalling to make any real progress!

It's interesting how devices like this have come and gone in terms go popularity.

Logically, the next wave should be small electric powered motorcycles of course. These are now being made and sold by the millions in China, since motorcycles have been banned from most main roads there. Problem is, you can't hear them coming down the pavement behind you! Electric "scooters" in China now cost about the same as a small motorcycle and have a nominal range of around 100 miles. Popular brands include names that translate to things like "Soaring Pigeon". Somehow, I doubt that will catch on.

Now, back to Packards. Am contemplating a solo run in the Clipper today. A lovely clear winter's day here with a nip in the air. All I have to do is come up with a compelling reason to travel when I'm supposed to be languishing at home out of harms way.

Cheers

Brian

Hello Leedy

Yes, of course you're right about the history of motorised bicycles - especially in the US. Many have come and gone.

There was one enduring success, but it was in Europe. The Solex - sold mostly in France - was a cheap and cheerful little "moped" that came with a small two stroke engine but could be pedalled as well. It was not capable of climbing even a slight slope under its own power. The 35cc (later 50cc) motor was mounted over the front wheel and drove via contact with the front tire.

Nevertheless, they sold 7 million (!) of these things over a period of about 40 years. They finally disappeared in the late 1980s.

Anybody know how many Autocycles were sold in the US?

There's a very good chance that any French adult owned one of these things when they were young and couldn't afford anything else (let alone a Packard!). They are collectors' items now. Nice examples sell for $1-2500.

I don't know if these were ever sold in the US. Maybe you do?

Sad to hear that most of your collection was stolen somewhere along the line. But you obviously still have a great collection of literature.

Cheers

Brian

Hey Chris

Sorry I got us onto this. But it is interesting stuff and illustrates what Packard people mess with in their spare time.

The basic Autobike looks a lot like the surplus mountain bike which I fitted the two stroke kit onto, except for the very clever auto gear change gubbins.

Brian

Interesting stuff, Leeedy

A very clever device and - from what you say - quite inexpensive. No doubt collectible now!

Being a lazy type, I don't much like pedalling so gravitated towards the two-stroke jobbie pictured earlier. 30mph with feet on the handlebars, but can still be ridden like a normal bike.

Of course, none of that existed when the Autobike was built. Was the design patented?

What else do you have stashed away?

Cheers

Brian

Hello Carfreak

Looks like you have some excellent suggestions for your wiper system after the vacuum unit on the oil pump is lost. I particularly like the sound of the Thunderbird fuel/vacuum pump which has the advantage of retaining vacuum operation and probably the existing controls.

My oil pump was replaced more than thirty years ago. There were fewer wiper options then. Mine has a custom-built but fairly simple mount for a widely available two speed (GM) electric wiper motor. It's hooked up to the existing switch, which has provision for washers but - best I can tell - these were never fitted to my car. The wipers in this form work a treat. The electric motor will cost about $30 to replace if it ever fails. On high speed the wipers can cope with a biblical deluge - as I found recently on a very wet Packard Club run here, when all the other Packards stayed home.

Here's a (not very clear) pic of my setup, but it looks like you have better options now.

Cheers

Brian

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Hello Carfreak

Leeedy's right of course. Better to revive the original engine if you can. Hopefully it will turn out to be not bad if it was running when the car was put away. It will start getting expensive if you bore out a 352 block. That's what prompted my comment.

Guess it will be easier and cheaper for now to retain the manual box. Which was how your dad had it. No major parts problem there. You'll want to figure out the diff ratio. It may be too low for vacation driving if it's still one of the lower ratios which the Ultramatics had.

Rigging up electric wipers is fairly easy using a period motor and fabricating a mount on the firewall. Someone did a pretty neat job on mine and they work a treat, even in monsoonal rain. Will post a pic if it's helpful, but my car is right hand drive so you have to stand on your head to view it. Working wipers are required for roadworthiness here, but the electric setup is pretty obvious so better avoided on your Caribbean if you can get away with it.

By all accounts, the Oldsmobile pump conversion works pretty well. Mine predates that - I think from Packards International? Not all the V8s had this problem, but better to take care of it while you have ready access. Someone here on the forum suggested to add an extra quart of oil to the sump to keep the whole pump unit submerged. I do that as insurance, with no obvious ill effects.

Cheers Brian