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I'm a purist at heart when it comes to keeping my 37 Packard original. Now where I might deviate is to possibly add an electric fan to aid in cooling for parades or the extra hot Southern summer days. Has anyone done this and what are your thoughts ? I would mount a switch under my dash, turn it on only when I need it and hide everything of course except the fan. Not saying it's a done deal but would value fellow Packard owners. Many Thanks for all of you that are so helpful on this forum.

Some have added the fans to AC cars but the reports have been mixed as to how much additional cooling they provide. The one thing to be aware of is some of the 6v versions draw a fair amount of amps so if your electrical system is stock the generator may not be capable of providing the extra current at parade speeds.

I added a pusher fan to my 1954 Convertible when trying to correct a coolant loss through the radiator neck overflow tube. It would lose coolant seemingly at a drop of a hat. A lower temperature thermostat didn't help, so I thought I'd try a large auxiliary fan. That didn't correct the loss condition either, and it seemed to have little effect on depressing the temperature gauge reading. Perhaps it might help prevent the gauge from going to the overheat zone, but I can't say that with certainty. It turns out the coolant loss was due to a too low pressure radiator cap. Replacing the 7 psi cap with a 14 psi one corrected the condition.

Getting back to the fan, it is a good peace of mind item; parades and low speed/hot weather driving conditions are much less worrisome knowing I can switch it on if the need arises. It moves a lot of air when it is operating. But I can't say that it's absolutely necessary. As Howard points out, it does draw a lot of current, around 30 amps. Now my car was converted to 12 volts with an alternator by the prior owner, so the system can handle it. I first wired it directly to the switch, but the switch got uncomfortably hot. So I added a relay to the circuit and that keeps the switch much cooler. But it is something that I very seldom use because the need doesn't arise. I know I seem to be all over the page on this, but that's been my experience and well, you asked. Best of luck with your '37.

Thanks Don, I appreciate your input

Advance the ignition timing a few degrees and see it this helps. You can easily do it with the "Octane Adjuster" on the base of the distributor mounting. Note where the indicator is pointing before adjusting, so it can be returned to that position if needed.

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