Great job! Looks fantastic!

I bet that could happen with any of them if the hub is stuck or the shoes are not loosened. The design doesn't seem to be a problem. Buy with confidence!

Hi John,

I never took the other side off but I'm pretty confident the puller I got would do the job. If yours is really stuck you just need to take your time and hit the dog bone a few times, wait a while, try again until it literally pops. Keep the nut on but loosened so the hub doesn't fly off when it pops.

Sorry no actual experience but if you are willing to climb in the trunk, how about attaching the latch to the striker and install as a latched assembly? With someone holding the trunk closed you can line up the bolts with the holes. Seems like it might work or give light to the reason it was not catching.

I'm so sorry to hear this. Very sad news. My condolences to you and your family.

Corey,
I invite you to read my '51 Packard blog, link below on my signature page. Just read the first few pages, then the last few on how it ended up. I was 18 when I bought that car. I'm 40 now.

Other makes and models of cars have passed through my hands over that time frame, but I always kept the '51 Packard until I got the '52.

So was all that time and energy wasted? Depends on who you ask. If you really like '40 Packards eventually you will buy a better one like I did. In my case I was not out any real money. The metal I got for free. Any Packard metal I bought was sold to others at my cost plus any other parts I was able to cut off my car for them. The wire harness I made went into the better car and also the better gauges and chrome. What I received from working on the '51 was a valuable education on basic auto repair and more importantly the confidence to take things apart and hopefully make them better.

Of course as your car sits you will be upside down trying to restore it. Heck it may end up as scrap down the road anyway like my car. As I see it, right now you have a free car, free metal, and someone willing to teach you. You have nothing to lose if you are smart with what you put money into.

Don't worry about mechanicals right now. That's easy. I recommend you try to fix the rust the best you can. Learn to weld and fabricate metal. That will help you decide if this project is right for you.

If you are determined to do mechanicals first and you are settled on this style of car, anything you do could be transferred to a better condition car down the road like I did. Good luck and I will be following along cheering you on!

I was constantly taking my foot off the gas so it was hard to tell if it engaged. I will reconnect the wire and pay more attention. Also, I tried restarting after the drive and the engine turned over really slow like the battery was dying. I had to pump the gas pedal 6 times before trying to restart for the engine to finally come alive. This is after I cleaned the copper piece on the starter.

10-16-16

Today was test drive day. First I took the instrument cluster loose. The inner cylinder moved freely. Not free wheeling but turned with no effort. I put oil on it anyway and also on the wick again. Bundled it back up and went for a drive.

The speedometer was bouncy as I drove. I think overdrive was working. I didn't hear any notices to indicate it engaged but at 40mph the car was not as loud as before. I could only maintain that speed in the neighborhood I was in for 1/2 mile before I had to go slower.

Went about 4 miles total then reversed the route home. This time at the 40mph stretch the speedometer seemed more stable but I don't think the overdrive was working.

When I got home, I looked under the hood. The fuse was not blown but one of the wires on the relay had disconnected.

So I'm hoping the overdrive is actually working and I just need to tighten the wires. Maybe next trip I will be braver and find a faster road.