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I'd like to re-do the poorly-done woodgraining job on the dash of a '36 1401 covertible coupe. Before I do, I want to be sure no incorrect holes are left in the dash.

To that end, some people tell me the left wiper switch should be located in the dash, directly above the steering column, and the right wiper switch located to the left of the right-hand glove box door.

Other folks say both wiper switches should be positioned in the grouping containing the ignition switch, starter button, lighter, etc.

Would anyone care to weigh-in as to which view is correct? Thanks, Bill.

I'm not sure if you have already checked, but there appear to be several pictures of 36 dashes in the 'Packard Pictures - 1936' area of this website. Perhaps you could contact the posters of those photos and see if the cars in the photos are originalish.

Tom

Bill:

Here's a link to some other '36 dash views; although I can't vouch for their correctness. I usually assume that the high end, very nice restorations, where someone spent a lot of money, have a fair chance to be correct. If you could locate some original brochure shots, that might be your best bet, or perhaps the owner's manual might show what was correct?

carnut.com/photo/list/pack/pack36.html

PackarDan: That is a very link that you posted. Thanks for sharing.

John F. Shireman

1401 ? My recollection is that in 1936 the "01" series was still a legit SENIOR car, meaning wood-grained dash (for 1938, Packard tried to "pull a fast one" on its customers by calling the JUNIOR / "120" series an EIGHT, so these comments only apply to the question about 1936.

The photos these people are referring to (except for the "hot rodded" (lowered) '37 Formal Sedan), are all "120's" which did NOT have wood-grain.

For you "120" or "JUNIOR" series Packards, the correct factory original dash paint was a gun-metal "metallic" silver.

If the wiper switch location is still a question here is what the 1936 120 Owner's Manual says. It notes only one control switch for, I presume, both wipers. "The windshield wiper control is located at the left end of the lower flange of the instrument board. The speed regulator valve is located just below the ignition switch." A picture of the dash is shown and the wiper switch is shown hanging under the left end of the dash lip and looks like a typical trip odometer reset knob. A similar control for the speed regulator is below the dash in a similar manner slightly to the right of center straight below the hand throttle knob.

I don't know if it will work but i will try to upload a picture of the dash.

I have a complete collection of Packard Owner's Manuals covering all years and models from 1904 to 1958.

Robert

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Robert, thats a wonderful collection of Owner's Manuals. If you happend to have any scans of those Owner's Manual or any other content, then they website would love to have it for the archives incase another Packard owners needs it for reference.

Thanks!

I think it's fascinating that they managed to misspell Gauge as 'Guage' no less than three times on one page of the owners manual. Glad it wasn't me... oh... uh... yeah... I'm the guy that managed to get 'Printed in the Untied States of America' on over 35,000+ user software manuals. Never mind.

Yeah, gauge/guage is a common one, shame on Packard's proofreaders. Like breaks and brakes. Certainly correct spelling is no longer a priority. Another that I often see in this and other auto forums that catches my eye is "Concourse" as in Concourse d'Elegance. A concourse is a broad thoroughfare or boulevard, a concours is a competition. The car events are competitions, not boulevards.

Some of you have seen it before, but again for those who haven't, here's my humor on the topic:

FOR SAIL: 1938 Parkard convertable phaiton, duel cowl,body by Durham. An all original car with new lacker paint job (wheels in primor) and rebuild engine. Ruffly 28,000 original miles, engine idols smoothly. Chrome shows very little ware. Correct mohare interior threwout, slight tare in door panel. Has had recent break work, rebuild carbarator and vacum wipers. All the guages work. Rear springs a little week, gas peddle broken, and the rear axel has a little wine. Missing the trunk handel. Comes with a rumple-seat coupe parts car. Asking $38,000, diposit required. Garraged-kept, a real steel at this price.
No warrenty.

Lionel misspelled gauge as guage on all 1934 roller third-rail pickups. One easy way to identify a 1934 loco.
I see other spelling gaffes and assume most are just typos. But breaks for brakes and seam for seem is sort of a stretch.
By the way Owen, is that Durham of the tobacco fame? He was a Bull of a man.