I would keep the original... at the very least, keep it in the glove box. Too many originals were tossed during restoration. On rare custom cars, it makes a huge difference in the car's value, as it's the only thing that truly identifies what chassis the body was originally set upon.

It twists off, but you only need to twist about a quarter turn. It's not threaded.

I believe the locks themselves are identical on all from 1928-1930. As I said, it's the covers that are different (you don't need the covers, as far as I know). It's also the locks, not the covers, that are really hard to find. I would buy the set that Gary has for sale. They DO NOT come up for sale very often, especially with keys and working properly.

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I don't think so. The keys are not Briggs & Stratton, like the ignition key.

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Those Oakes locks work for Packards from at least 1928 to 1930. I'm not sure about the covers themselves, tho. They may be the same. Of course, it will depend on whether or not you have wire wheels, or disc/wood wheels. The locks are the same for all covers.

Hoping that your fuel pump hasn't had a diaphragm failure. You don't want your oil to be diluted with gas.

I don't think it makes any sense to put the VR on until you get the generator rebuilt.

Hood ornament base should be the same for all series as well. As mentioned, you'll need to have a specific base depending on which ornament you have.

In 1996, my brother drove 1942 Packard 180 all the way from Minneapolis to Warren, Ohio, doing just that. He was traveling with another brother driving a 1941 Packard 180. They swapped batteries at every gas stop, 3-4 hours between stops.

It would be best to keep from using the starter at a minimum.

When you get home, get your generator rebuilt. Napa should have a regulator.

If you charge your battery fully, you should be able to get home if you don't use your lights.

Also, you could stop in a battery store and pick up an extra battery just in case.