Had also stumbled over this a year or two ago but good to see again in slow-motion action what we're often glib about. Like steam power and rockets, carburetors are simple in theory, but detailed in execution. Just look at any compound Doble steam car, a "modern" (late 1920s-on) steam locomotive, Thor, Atlas-Agena, Titan, Saturn rocket from the Cape, or Carter, Holley, Rochester four-barrel carb.

Thank you, sir.

O'Dyneto well sums it. Marketing is half the car biz, hence Cord calling their 1936-37 convertible (victoria) a "Phaeton" for the romantic aspect, just as they launched yet another boat tail speedster (only 260 or so produced) in their 1935-36 Auburn 851-852 line, for late blooming Americans, since boat tails were passe in Europe and the Continent after the '20s.

Club sedan originally meant a close-coupled four-door sedan on the standard or shorter wheelbase. But Packard called their two-door Clippers this 1942-47, despite they being the less expensive model, priced below the four door "touring sedan."

The only roadsters built after the war were generally small sport cars from England and the Continent, side curtains only.

While we're at it, Carroll Shelby, who certainly knew what he was about, insisted the correct term is "sport car." But it's been the incorrect "sports car" for so long few notice, just as forte for one's strength or special talent is one syllable, as in fort, a military stronghold. Only used in music, as to designate a passage played loudly, is it two syllables.

Don't get us started on "classic" car.

50Cal, i'm in the East Bay. The '40 120 I had long ago would often have a stuck valve after sitting a couple months between runs, esp. after the moist air during rainy season.
What worked was pulling the spark plugs, and trying to angle the squirt gun to get Marvel Mystery Oil over the valves. Then relaxed, fussed with car a few minutes, stuffed rags in the spark plug holes so as not to make a mess while cranking the engine a few times to work the Marvel and get most of it out of the cylinders.

Then put the plugs back in--remember, only wrist tight w/ our 10mm plugs and copper spark plug gaskets better-- started the car. Smoked for a few minutes, but far enough from the neighbors not to attract attention. 1940 Packards introduced austenitic valves to alleviate the problem.

As mentioned, a late aero/auto mechanic/machinist pilot friend who as a very young Pan Am wrench at the Alameda Naval Air Station during War II, said Pan Am's chief of maintenance swore by Marvel, ordered it by the 55-gallon drum.

Any trouble with those big Wright Cyclones meant a long, wet walk home.

Heed Kev. He's right. GL5 in differential, GL1 in transmission and overdrive, and remember to fill and check trans & OD separately. I also got mine at NAPA. Again, always give NAPA your business. They are the one chain that still cares about old car folk, their parts tend to be better than the other chains for the same or less price. For example, NAPA stocks quality Echlin ignition parts instead of part plastic Blue Streak.

This question has been answered dozens of times. Kev worked hard to provide a smart, easy to use. comprehensive site, including a Search box on the upper right of the homepage. Let's use it.

HH56 gives a terrific synopsis of Ultramatic; the best i've read anywhere.
Packard created Ultramatic because GM would not allow them to use HydraMatic for an entire year after introducing any improvements. Smoothness was always the prime objective with Packard, so it is not surprising they came up with essentially Dynaflow with a lock up torque convertor.

Packard's Ultramatic received development help from Detroit Gear. Consumer Reports rated Ultramatic best of the new automatic transmissions, but in an era of new OHV V-8s from everyone -- even Studebaker in 1951 --traffic light Grand Prix syndrome left Packard further behind, their quality steadily declining after the war as they focused on their less hassle, lucrative govt. and jet engine contracts.

Remember, in 1935, when US luxury automakers were introducing junior cars--even the '36 Cord was called "the baby Duesenberg" by A-C-D insiders--Rolls-Royce was focused mainly on aero engines, the cars increasingly a rationalized, assembled product, after the war bodied by Pressed Steel in Cowly near Oxford, who supplied much of the Sceptered Isle motor industry, even as Briggs did Packard, Chrysler, Ford.

One of only two automakers to emerge profitable after War II, Packard was a cash cow. But their aging, insular management spent a fortune developing Ultramatic and more clobbing 200 lbs. bloated outer panels on the Clipper than an entirely new body would've cost. In 1948, they introduced a pair of revisions of the 1935 120 engine while Olds, Cadillac, Chrysler, Studebaker about to debut or readying new OHV V-8s.

At this point, aided by crisp new styling for '48, Cadillac replaced Packard with the moneyed and "smart set," while Packard appealed mainly to well-to-do conservatives in the heartland. This is a generalization, but Packard was increasingly seen as a fogey's car, and aping the Olds Fiesta, Buick Skylark, Cadillac Eldorado with a stock convertible laden with 200 lbs. of "sporty" cues, the Caribbean, or a few Mayfair coupes, were not enough to counter the prevailing view. Into the 1950s, polls by the Automotive News and Detroit Free Press showed Chrysler the leading choice among engineers, scientists, architects, professors, and other educated professionals.

The remaining clientele for Packard were the sort who still appreciated smooth, unobtrusive motoring, as well as those who could finally afford to drive a "Packard."

HydraMatic would take a beating, Ultramatic would not. The 48,414-mile '51 200 i had in the 1976-84 (attached) would've been a good road car had it stick and OD instead of Ultramatic, which i had rebuilt since its seals were dried out, upgraded with the nine- instead of 11-inch direct drive clutch, by a former Packard dealership mechanic's mechanic, a transmission specialist at that. But it was still a smooth slug with the drabbest, most ordnance vehicle interior since a Tucker; even a period Chevy looked opulent in comparison inside.
Being a sport/grand touring car guy who fell long ago for 1939-47 overdrive Packard 8s/Super 8s, seeing them as the best road cars of their era, luxe or not, having driven '41 Cad, '39 Lagonda Rapide, even a Type 101 Bugatti, i'm probably not the one who should be weighing in here, even tho' Tom McCahill much liked the '51 200, preferring it over the 127"wb 400, which i well understand, thinking the 120" wb 1942-47 junior 8 Clipper with OD more the ideal size, the latter the same wb as Bentley Mark VI/R-Type, R-R Silver Dawn, and Jag Mark VII saloon 1950-56.

My 'umble advice, if you really like the car otherwise, would be drop the heavy Ultramatic and install an R-11 overdrive transmission. If you like driving a golf cart, which is what all automatic transmissioned cars are to some of us, look into one of those TorqueFlite 727 conversion kits.

Clinging to "originality" in a fading product seems pointless, since there are plenty of Ultramatic Packards lumbering around for kids somehow drawn to them (?!), tho' am one of those disgusted by modern engines in vintage cars.

BTW, Monsignor Buchner, your '51 250 convertible is a nice car, excellent ergonomics, on the smarter 122" wb, identical to a Caribbean but 200 lbs. lighter. Weight is the enemy. Next steps lighter Optima battery, DOT 5 silicone brake fluid, radial tires, advance the timing short of pinging, and you'll be racing her over the Pacaraima Mountains into the 22nd century.
If you retain the Ultramatic, avoid jackrabbit starts, change the fluid and filter now and then. A friend drove a 137,000-mile '53 300 Cavalier that never had any other work and it shifted as new. On my '51, i cut a small hole in the front floor, covered with a patch of aluminum, concealed by that ordnance vehicle front rubber floor mat, so i could check the Ultramatic fluid level without having to crawl under the leveled car. I did the same in the trunk of my '47 Super Clipper to access the gas tank sending unit. Chryslers of the '40s came with such convenience. Packard wanted customers to remain married to their service departments.

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Whatever you get, be careful. According to Consumer Reports in 1948: "The Packard cars well-built, durable, heavy (tires are badly overloaded)...." Tom McCahill and others concurred.

Senior Packards like mine ran 7.00 x 15 through the last year Clippers, 1947, and such are still available in bias sized radials from Yokohama (a Canadian company). Those wanting whitewalls can buy these same tires from Diamond Back in South Carolina who merely vulcanize a not quite wide enough whitewall on them, for those liking gauche.

Those running 235/75Rs have reported rubbing in extreme lock turns, not the case with 215/75Rs but then these are smaller circumference, increasing rpm at a given road speed while not looking right, not filling the wheel well.

Thank you, sir.

Enjoyed the One Twenty-based '39 Super 8 promotional. Of course it's "800 lbs. lighter than any previous Super 8."

Thanks, too, for the Introduction to the 1933 Packard.

No one's ever told me how the Packard Twelve engine better than the Auburn 12 or Pierce-Arrow V-12.

JWL adds another cogent point, Tommy. A master battery disconnect switch is a must on any vintage or special interest car. But don't get one of the cheap ones that mount on a battery post requiring you to open and close your hood constantly.

I like the brass Cole Hersee marine-grade M284, available at any NAPA outlet; the one auto parts chain all old car folk should patronize because they generally have better stuff as low or even lower than the other chains. Of course, you can also shop around online.

Note you have '40, '47, and '48 Packards. On my '40 One-Twenty, mounted the Cole Hersee just ahead of the underfloor battery box, so you only had to reach down by the front of the driver's seat to switch it on and off.

Below is a picture of the Cole Hersee installation in my '47 Super Clipper, which of course will suffice for your '48 as it shares much the same inner structure. This way, you just reach under the dash to where the handle protrudes from the firewall well above the clutch, brake, gas pedals.

As mentioned many times, always use double aught (00) solid copper wire to and from the battery, starter, engine ground, ends both crimped and soldered.
You can get this at any big rig supply house. Never settle for "heavy duty" battery cable at any auto parts store in today's 12-volt world, because it will still be too skimpy.

Whatever disconnect switch you buy, make sure it's rated for more amps than your starter draws. The Cole Hersee will handle up to 36 volts but at our mere 6 will handle still more amps.

Ours are luxe road cars, so there's naught luxe about constantly opening and closing our hoods, esp. w/ our timely, oft irritating one side at a time arrangement shared with Buick ... Dear God, how the mighty have fallen.

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Tommy, when i asked for the most suitable in the late '90s, an Optima tech suggested a CTEK UC 800 level sensing trickle charger, which is still out in the garage doing its thing this afternoon.

I've never gotten less than a decade from an Optima 6-volt Red Top battery w/ 800 CCAs, whether made in their Colorado plant or the one not far from Mexico's border where 90% of our neighbor's manufacturing due to ease of shipping and (not enough) trade agreements with us, the latter in the win-win-win reducing illegal immigration of those generally having larger families making it still harder for many of us to enjoy our Packards over the "open road" once in a blue moon.

BTW, why do you start your engines once a week? Never do that unless blistering heat. Doing so or short drives around the neighborhood only creates carbonic acid, varnish, sludge.
In one of their Service Counselors issued to dealers, Packard in the '40s urged pushing cars by hand rather than starting the engines briefly.

That's hysterical. If another old Mopar might be permitted, here's the front clip of a '47 Dodge pick up above my neighbor's garage doors.

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