I have a 1940 120. When I did a partial restoration I could not find rubber running board mats. Steele did not make them and as far as I know they still do not make them. To solve the problem I had the boards spray covered with Rhino lining, usually found on pickup truck beds. Rhino liners are a heavy duty rubber composite material that is practically indestructible. Look for a shop in your area that does Rhino lining. Mine look great for a driver.

I had the same problem with my '40 Touring Sedan. The left rear door opened while I was driving. It had not been shut tightly. My restoration guru placed a piece of wood at the opening between the door and the body with the door half open and carefully pushed the door in. This straightened out the hinges with no damage. Try it.

I have a '40 120, not a show car. No one sells running board rubber for this model. I had the boards sprayed with Rhino lining. They look great! As far as gaskets are concerned I used little rubber donuts to fill the space between the boards and the fenders. You can use the gaskets provided for garden hoses for this purpose. These keep water from attacking the fenders.

Thanks. You have arrived at the same solution that I have. The solid H pattern works. The slide method causes lockup. When I first got my '40 120 it would not start when it got hot. With a lockup in first gear I did not want to shut the engine down and then wait an hour for the engine to cool. If I was lucky I kept my foot on the clutch with the engine running and enlisted a passenger or roadside Samaritan to slide in next to me and put his foot on the clutch while I slid my foot off in order to get out of the car and adjust the under hood linkage. It was an intricate ballet but it worked. The hot start problem was subsequently fixed.

In the past when I shifted from first to second quickly the trans would lock up in first gear. To solve this I would open the hood and pull up on the first lever to set it even with the second one. Now I shift from first to second VERY slowly by pulling the gear shift toward me as I move it to neutral. Is there any easy cure for the shifting problem which I understand was not uncommon for Packards requiring yearly Service Bulletins. Thanks for your input, John

Yes, I scraped off the bits and pieces of rubber and then sanded the metal boards. I then spray painted the undersides before going to the Rhino Lining place which I believe was in Lexington, NC. Sorry, I have no pics to post. The previous thread tells the same story. Its not show perfect, but for a driver, Rhino is the answer. I live in Winston-Salem if you want to see the car. John

I have a 1940 120 sedan. When I had it restored a few years ago running board rubber for this model was not available from Steele or anyone else. I solved the problem by having the running boards sprayed with Rhino Lining which is usually used for pickup truck beds. The boards look great and have a rubber "feel" to them. They are virtually indestructible. The cost was less than $100. The ridges in the boards were maintained and look correct.

You say that the trans is stuck in neutral. A common problem with these Packards was (& is) the trans locking up. Open the drivers side hood and see if the forward linkage to the trans is in a down position. If it is simply pull up on the linkage and set it even with the other linkage. Slow shifting will help prevent this problem. I have a '40 which does this sometimes if I shift too fast.

Hello,

I have a '40 120 and removed the fan to get to the
water pump. Yes, I had to jack up the engine to be
able to get to the bottom bolt. Reinstalling the fan
was a real chore. I made a couple of wood dowels to
line up the fan on the hub. I thought I was brillant
until I read the previous thread calling for bolts
with the heads cut off. I keep the dowels in my
parts cabinet for future use.

Years ago I tried to obey the instruction to engage the OD while in motion. As a result I believe I tore up some of the gear teeth in the process. The OD continued to work but after a couple of years it went south. The unit was then rebuilt. The only way I will engage or disengage the OD is when the engine is idling and with the clutch depressed. So far no problems.