Good morning Nivek...Many classic automobile engines have been saved by new cylinder sleeves inserted into the bore. they will bring the bore back to the original standard size.

I would imagine that any good engine builder has had to make this repair many times. Ernie, Caretaker for 'Miss Prudence' a 1949 288 Deluxe.

I have removed the studs on other old machines that used them to hold the water pumps. Replacing the studs with bolts makes future work so much easier. I wonder if removing the studs with the water pump in place is possible? I know that this would be a departure from stock, but for a driver, it would be a better way to go. Ernie, caretaker of the 1949 288 Deluxe, 'Miss Princess'.

I would suggest that you speak to one of the restoration shops that specialize in Packard Automobiles. One would be Custom Auto in Santa Ana, California. Robert Escalente is the owner and the number is 714-543-2980. Ernie, caretaker of the 1949 288 Deluxe 'Miss Prudence'.

Good Morning all...I'm sure many of you have seen Dan Neil's Saturday, August 20th Rumble Seat piece in the Wall Street Journal, however if you have not, go on line and read it. Dan is speaking about an Aston Martin Lagonda Limo! Aston Martin is building 200 of these machines that are 17.7 feet long and 6.3 feet wide with a 5.9 Liter V-12 with 540 horse power. The price tag is about $1,000,000. They are not even street legal for the United States. Dan states 'on the other hand it makes the Bentley look like a chrome plated bed pan!' He also points out that Aston is doing business like the pre world war two luxury auto makers and coach builders did business. Dan feels that the Lagonda is the most automatic 'classic' right out of the factory that he has ever seen.

PERHAPS THIS IS HOW A NEW OR REVISED PACKARD COULD HAPPEN!

I DO WONDER IF ASTIN MARTIN WOULD BE INTERESTED IN PICKING UP THE PACKARD NAME AND BUILDING LIMITED EDITION PACKARDS. EVEN IF THEY ARE BRITISH, ASTIN COULD DO THE PACKARD NAME PROUD...JUST A WILD THOUGHT! Ernie, caretaker of the 1949 2362 288 engine 'Miss Prudence'.

Good Morning all...I wonder if a small cottage industry could be sustained if it simply decided to purchase and rebuild one Packard Model Year and sell them to those of us who would love to have a good reliable Packard but have more money than we have restoration skills.

Think about a shop set up to do the 47 Packard four door,as an example, with Air Conditioning added and the cars put into top notch condition. Disc brakes might be offered and the interior finishes could be of very fine materials so that the cars would appeal to many who find the finishes of new cars to be less elegant than our old Packard Automobiles.

I would think that a good HOT ROD SHOP could take on such a specialized additional product line and make it pay! Not unlike shops that crank out 1932 Ford High Boys one after another.


For me, the value of Packard is what was, not so much what a new machine might be along side other modern machines.

This is just a humble idea...but it might work in limited numbers.

Ernie

Wow...Santee, California...I had not thought about Santee in years and years. I grew up in Fletcher Hills and went to school in El Cajon and then Grossmont High School. I used to peek into Wright's Garage on Main Street as a little boy, and they had old cars in the shop and overhead. Ernie

Good Morning...The last time I checked, Max Merritt had one in stock. Kantars may have one as well. Then other suppliers who are on the site, may let you know that they have one in stock, as well. Ernie

Good Morning all...When we received our 1949 288 Deluxe, 'Miss Prudence',she sounded like a threshing machine. It turned out that the valves were set too loose. We set them per the book and the old girl has been quiet sense. If I remember correctly, 7 thousands on the intake and 10 thousands on the exhaust. Others can confirm.

First jack up the front end and put stands under the left and right of the front end. Second,remove the hatch that is part of the inner fender. Third, remove the two valve covers and see what you have for clearance. Ernie

Nice! Ernie

Good afternoon all...One more point to check. Are all of the spark plug wires plugged into the distributor cap in the correct order? One time, we struggled with an engine and my mentor walked into the garage, looked at the engine and reversed two plug wires and the old girl fired up! Ernie