I'm perfectly aware of the costs, I've worked out the costs and it'll land around $2500 or so, if I use a decent junkyard motor.

I'm not concerned with how she drives in traffic, I'm quite sure the straight 8 would be adequate for 70 mph cruising. I'm looking for a car that will run 13 second quarter miles or better. and besides, say I'm ripping on it at a drag strip and break something, I can walk to O'Reilly's down the street and grab whatever I need for my SBC, but anything for a Packard motor will either not be there at all, or it will be on special order. NO!! I won't be making a full on drag car, but a fast street car that can be taken to the track and actually contend with other cars. There's not a cooler 50's car to do that with than a Packard 200.

very nice car! Still trying to gather my money, though! not ready to spend that much quite yet.

the "turning heads" factor isnt the only reason. I LOVE cars, but i also LOVE the underdog factor, i love to keep the hard to find cars alive, because they have so much to offer! I'll go look up Graham's info! see if i can't find the article!

Thank you! I do not plan to immediately fully restore this packard. (no im not going to chop it, slam it, cut holes in the hood and panels, or tub it) but i want a car that im not afraid to drive. This means that rust, visible welds and patches, etc, are welcomed instead of shunned. However, if the frame or any of the suspension is rusted away or gone, i will not invest. but assuming I have a decent foundation to build on, i don't mind a lot of work. My Dad is ASE certified and has rebuilt multiple engines, and restored a 1954 ford club coupe to factory quality (but with a corvette 327). My friend's dad is a custom bike builder, with a shop, welding certification, and lots of connections. So I have the connections and personal ability to do much of the work required to work on a car like this. But i do understand what you guys are saying about making sure you start with a good foundation, but believe me, i wont be turned off by a little work! I think i will still hold out for a Packard if this one turns out to be worse than expected. I want something unique that makes people break their necks when i drive by!

Thanks again, i can tell right away the community here will be as welcoming as the Datsun community is! (I currently daily drive a 1981 Datsun 210) I really love cars in general, and i love driving unique and hard to find ones. I'm also not afraid to get my hands dirty. I emailed him and asked for closer pictures of the car, so I'll base this venture on what he shows me.. I've been around cars my whole life, so I know the basic things to look for. I'm currently located in Jackson MS, and if anyone has a car they might sell me in the southeast for 700 or less, let me know. I'm scraping up as much money as I can.

Thanks for the quick reply! Yeah, I don't mind rust. I have access to plenty of people with body work experience. I'm actually just going with a "sleeper" kind of thing. A rusted out car isn't an issue as long as the floorboards, roof and frame are good. I'm aware that I wont get performance out of the Packard engine, trans, etc. but if I could make it run and just drive it around town as it sits for now, I would be happy with that. again, thanks for your insight!

I'm a 16 year old teenager looking for a cool project to ride around in. I had been looking for Fords and Chevrolets, but ran across this Packard in Louisiana.
here's what I have to ask:
1. is the price fair?
2. how much work would it potentially be to get the straight 8 to run?
3. is this the Packard 200?
4. How hard would a V8 SBC swap be? part availability & price is the biggest factor in why I want to swap it.
thanks for any advice and help, in advance. Here's the link to the ad.http://batonrouge.craigslist.org/cto/4644638447.html