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Re: Mechanical Car Wascher
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The Clipper was purposely dirtied for demonstration purposes and to dramatize the car wash capabilities. Dried salt didn't look anything like that and didn't get on the car in splotches.
Technology for this type of car wash was relatively new and adapted from car factory assembly lines. In fact, sections of the factory assembly lines were still using identical drag-along mechanisms in the 1960s. Mustangs at the Rouge Plant were dragged up to a phosphatizing unit (there were switched over there to an overhead hanger) using identical mechanical treadmill with a chain attachment. Fact. No idea why folks are making such a fuss over the car wash chain link attachment. Surely someone else remembers this was a very common set-up back then! This was the latest thing in those days to tow a car through a car wash. This is how it worked. Although they quickly stopped using hook on top of the bumper and began grabbing below. Some of the chain attachments eventually adopted a U-shaped flat metal piece instead of a hook (which lessened possibility of scratching and bumper damage). And some of these systems used two attachment chains... one front and one rear. As time went on, the chain attachment methods got even more varied and sophisticated, some using hooks from tow-truck designs. Eventually, of course, the chain link was dropped altogether. By the way, this photo was absolutely, definitely taken in the southwest downriver area of Detroit. Probaby Dix-Fort Street area judging by the look and the street signs. You can see the typical Detroit DSR streetcar (electrically driven rail cars) tracks in the middle of the street. These were normally filled in the centers and sometimes on the edges with red brick. Industrial water tower in the background is identical to those used at the Packard Plant on East Grand Blvd.
Posted on: 2016/11/12 20:51
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Re: Sad oops at Hilton Head
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Heartbreaking! An incredible automobile... and interesting in every way... right down to the beautiful Earle C. Anthony special radio antenna bird ornament!
It will be interesting to see what happens now with this automobile after this sad and preventable disaster. In the excitement of a show it can be easy to overlook simple precautions, but this one was a sad, perfect storm. Let's hope it returns to the show circuit.
Posted on: 2016/11/7 9:43
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Re: Lost in the '50's!
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Great photos and very nice to see these cars. Of course, no idea who told the museum the story about the Mercury Turnpike Cruiser... but that's a fantasy. The photo shows a 1958 model with a "back porch" added on there. Hardly the first Turnpike Cruiser built by Ford.
The first Mercury Turnpike Cruiser was actually the 1957 model ...which had several differences from 1958. Anyway, thanks for posting the photos.
Posted on: 2016/11/6 22:29
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Re: The Packard Request
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Quote:
Yes... and these are the very same 3 guys I mentioned who owned and restored the Request. Dick Comstock got some of the parts used in that restoration from me. Also, some of the photos in the magazines were taken at Richard's house (at that time) in Yakima, WA. Again, I believe "Bill Francis" was a fictitious pen name and not a real person (I wrote for the same magazine at that time).
Posted on: 2016/11/5 18:28
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Re: The Packard Request
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Quote:
You will probably want to know that "Bill Francis" certainly had to be a pen name and not a real person. Either way, whoever it was, that person was not who bought or restored the Request-who actually were three guys I knew in the 1970s. The Request has been re-done at least twice since that article and now lives in New Jersey.
Posted on: 2016/11/1 23:20
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Re: Problem with charging battery
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I keep looking at V-8 Clippers vs. Packards today mentioned on the internet, in magazines and in these forums and everything seems to be all jumbled up. Maybe I'm remembering this wrong, but when these cars were new, I always noted that Clippers seemed to have Autolite generators and electrical systems while Packards had Delco. And when it came to carburetors... Packards seemed to all have Rochesters while Clippers had Carters. Now I see Packards with Carters... Clippers with Delcos and Rochesters. I also seem to remember differences in pulley sizes from Autolite to Delco. Nobody ever mentions these things today... but I just don't remember it this way.
I also have seen several 1955 batteries hooked up backwards. Right now, today, there is a 1955 Packard advertised by an auction company on Hemmings... with the red cable (which ought to be positive) hooked to the rear (positive terminal) ...when a 1955 Packard battery should be just the reverse with positive grounded. But there it is proudly showing in the photo of the engine compartment.The battery cables in the photo are criss-crossed in a lovely "X" pattern...but the factory never did that! Auction claims the car underent an extensive restoration...but what's the deal with the backwards battery hook-up? Wonder how it runs...
Posted on: 2016/10/7 20:09
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Re: Packard's Executive Decision
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Wonder how many 1956 Executive hardtops with twin rear antennae were built?
You will note that the inner splash wells are painted black... but from the factory they always would have been painted body color. There also ought to be a number on the engine. That number should have provided the state of Arizona "assigners" a good original number. Additionally, color is described as "Persian Aqua"... but quite obviously looks more like Danube Blue... and there is a LOT of it. Check out the cute color-keyed emergency brake handle. The original tag would have stated the body color(s). So would the original ownership papers. Of course with an interior so completely gone through, if any build sheets were inside, they would have easily been found and easily would have provided the real serial number/VIN. So. Anyway, there are a number of "nice condition" and even "low mileage" V-8 Packards that have turned up in recent years usually in auctions snd sales... missing the serial plates. But why would a nice condition/low miles car be missing both the serial plate and papers? And I'd bet that nice new-looking spare in the trunk sure looks like a Remington whitewall.
Posted on: 2016/10/1 12:40
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Re: Packard's Executive Decision
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Hello...
Didn't say "MoPar wires" ... I said Dodge and Plymouth wires. These wheels had spokes out to the edge of the rim. Packard V-8 wires absolutely did not. Other MoPar wires (such as Chrysler or Imperial) would interchange with Packard, but there were still differences. Mysssssstery. Seller now claims this Executive has an "Arizona assigned tag"... meaning somebody popped the original serial tag off and then went to state of Arizona and lamed a new substitute for the factory VIN/serial plate ...and then flipped it. With such an "assigned tag" come new papers and whatever the car's past may be, it just goes through a morality car wash and all is clean, new and legitimate again. I'm betting I knew this car... and I'm betting I know a lot more about it. All you have to do is wait long enough...and they eventually turn up...usually for sale by somebody, somewhere...
Posted on: 2016/10/1 11:58
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Re: Packard's Executive Decision
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Hmmmm again... where on the west coast? Then it is very likely it is the Executive that disappeared from my friend's house in Southern California. It had a loose tag and twin rear antennae. And I would know the real owner... who is still alive...hmmmmmm.
Posted on: 2016/10/1 11:26
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Re: Packard's Executive Decision
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Hmmmmmm. I have a feeling I know this car from when it was once on the west coast. If you look at the photos, the interior is puffy and overdone... and there is no VIN (serial) plate in the driver's door jamb. Completely missing. Hmmmmmmmmmm. There was one like this left stored at a doctor friend's house. He died and it disappeared. Twin rear antennae, but it originally was all white with white and black interior... I wonnnnder. By the way... those wire wheels are about as wrong as they could be. Packard V-8 wire wheels never had the spokes out on the edge of the rim. Look like repops of Dodge and Plymouth wheels but way off for a Packard. Gotta do weird things with the front end track and camber since the offset of the wheel would have to be different. Would have to ride funny at high speed.
Posted on: 2016/10/1 11:15
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