Awesome job on repairing that Ultramatic transmission Hank, you are the man I must say :D That Clipper on the pictures looks nice indeed, but I think yours will look even better once its finished.

This Pushbutton system/shift mechanism is interesting, I have hold in my hands the Plymouth Power Flit system but this is really somewhat different. Pleas tell us more Gerd.
Actually the reason why you would find some spares in ZIS,ZIL and other USSR vehicle in the trunk, is because some parts like the fuel pump, belts etc, sometimes didn't work as they suppose to be. When on the road you had to have some spares whit because lets say: if your fuel pump just got broken somehow, you had to fix it your self or you where just screwed, there was basically no one to help you.
And being stuck whit a ZIL 111 was also a potential target for car thiefs. And so much as some old school truck drivers told me that was serious buisness and you rather didn't wanted to meet those guys.

That spare wheel tyer looks like it would have been taken from a American car, also GAZ 21 used same kind of tyers, but they did not have any whit walls as those that where made in the US. These tyers last really long and they are not poorer in quality as the US once.
I doubt the fuel cap for the ZIL 111 gas tank is original, it look like a oil cap taken from a GAZ 51/52 flathead engine.

This Ultramatic transmission has come a long way to be as new as it is new. I wish I was so skilled to do such things and found the time and room for it:(
I will wait for more new post to see what will happen next.

Something is definitely out of order, first Eric and new John guess I have to update the ZIM,Volga,Pobeda topic alone in the future. Your contribution in these matters has been a great help to me and anyone els who loves these cars. Thank you John.

Thous NOS packard parts look really nice Mal. Its amazing what some people have stored.
I can say I have seen one 39 Ford in my life,but it didn't look as that good as this one.

Guscha is right on the USSR plastic, I mean the plastic details and knobs from the 1940s-1960s are thous things that get destroyed at the first place. The problem is that the engineers at that time thought that using vinegar acid(one of the components!) is a good thing and it was cheap and available at that time. If the plastic details decay they leave a funny odor in to the interiore.
The wheels cover starts to crack and the plastic kind of starts to bend between the metal wheel. It seems that the cause to the hole process is UV light and humidity. The ZIS plastic material for the wheel and other items is also used on ZIM,Pobeda, GAZ 21 Volga and also Moskvich cars from the 50s and 60s.

I can only tell that what I have seen and heard from experts, here where I am.

I havent seen any NOS plastic parts exept wheels for Volga,ZIM and Pobeda cars bun no ZIS wheels ore plastic details. Im not sure they made plastic things for ZIS cars as spare parts at that time? Any comments guys,on this one?

And Welcome Jerry to the forum,


Steve

Thank you Mal, you never size to amaze me
Seems like the same kind of spray paint is here available to but under a different name and distributer.

Btw Mal have you considered making some videos of the first start and running of the rebuild Packard engine? Im not sure how many people here would wnat to see it, but I would like to.

Thank you Mal although are you sure that spray paint will last on the engine long enough? Im asking this just in case.
Anther thing I have never asked you: how often to you clean the Air-cleaners of the Packards? Australia is known also for sandstorms and since the Great Victorian desert is not that far away the air might be filled whit a lot of dust!

Mal I haven't posted here for a while, I just have watched/read how you guys there manage all the engines and I just am speechless. This engine looks like a pice of art. I hope to get my engine as that far. Btw how much costs the silver like paint you used on the engine Block? I hope I can be ordered somewhere if its not a locally distributed thing?