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I am a relatively new owner of a 1952 Packard 200 Deluxe and have enjoyed getting her back on the road. So far, new voltage regulator, rebuilt generator, rebuilt carb and new water pump. Now, i stumbled across a 1949 and love the lines. Problem it is out of state and I am told it needs, among other things, a clutch. I have heard these are hard and costly to replace. the car, while nice looking, has some electrical issues...turn signals work backwards..pushing the lever for the left signla activates the right....horn does not work, no wipers, etc. So, the main question, am I crazy to be considering it and about how much would a shop charge to replace the clutch. I hear the engine run, but with no clutch, have no idea of the conditon of the tranny, either. thanks in advance!

Your liking the car is probably most of the decision as to whether you should pull the trigger. Maybe being out of state and the costs to get it to you would be the next question.

As to changing the clutch I don't believe it is any worse or more expensive than other cars of the era. Kanter, Max and probably a few others would have either new or exchange clutch discs and you could probably even get your existing plate relined at a local or at several online shops. There is nothing special in tools needed other than a clutch plate aligning tool and a jack to help remove and hold a fairly heavy transmission so any shop that works on older cars should be able to do it without too much problem. If the car has OD there is a bit more to disconnect but again only a tiny bit more work.

Several on the forum have done it in their garages so if you are somewhat mechanical and physically able you could probably do it too. The tools should be an easy rent and the aligning tool is nothing more than a piece of round material properly sized to stick in the clutch bore and pilot bearing to keep the disc centered while the pressure plate is tightened.

If it is a 22nd series 49 the turn signals could be as simple as a reversed pair of wires. If a 23rd series 49 then a bit more involved and would need more information. The horn could be a disconnected wire at the bottom of the steering box or a problem up in the horn ring area so that would take a bit of troubleshooting to point in the proper direction. Wipers could probably be fixed to like new condition with a relatively inexpensive rebuild of the motor by Wiperman.

Thank you, Howard. Great info and advice. I appreciate it!@

Probably the car is for you, but, since the car is out of state and the seller has perhaps "cherry picked" the list of things wrong I wonder if a trip to inspect it, OR, hire an appraiser to look at it is an solution. If you go look take the $ and rent a trailer to take the car home if you're satisfied. There are too many major components on any car that can cost you dearly it's better to know before the sale. Just my 2 cents. Good luck.

Hi Ray

There is no real substitute for an in-person inspection if that is at all possible. Picture lie like a rug as the old adage goes, can't possibly reveal all the problem, and nothing of its mechanical state. Inspection by a person familiar with Packards is the next best thing.

Clutch jobs in manual shift cars aren't hard, just require the tools and either know-how or following shop manual step-by-step. Truck shops do those all the time, maybe one in your area would do that for you.

Electrical, as HH56 has written, it simply working through logically the problem to find the fix. There is so much good advice here you wouldn't be alone tackling it.

Good luck and please keep us apprised as your pursue this '49

Steve

Thank you all for the feedback and advice. I probably can't make the trip to Vermont from NC....but here is what has got me losing sleep over this car..... We facetimed...and i heard the engine run and it sounds good. no excessive smoke, no knocking or banging. the man is a bit older than me... early 70's, has other old cars he drives around and said I could have the car for $4,000. I know that cars always look better in pictures, but from what i saw, no rust, clean interior, good chrome, etc. Looks like mabe $800-$1K to ship it.... so??

you haven't mentioned model/body style. I'm assuming Eight/Eight Deluxe sedan, but if something else it would be a plus

The plate says 2382 so I am assuming super eight. i have not been able to get a local mechanic to look but we face timed and i heard the engine run.. sounded good, no smoke, knocks or strange noises. paint and chrome are good, interior is nice, four new wide whitewalls. Engine was supposedly rebuilt by the previous owner...no paperwork, The big, or at least big to me issues.

current owner says it needs a clutch (but also says clutch was fine when he put the car up a year or so ago). Shifter apparently will not go into gear.... but my question is if the clutch actually was ok when he put the car into storage, how or why would it go bad just like t hat. is it possible the linkage somehow is stuck?

Other issues, horn not working, same for the wipers and wiring for the turn signals seems backwards.

i can get the car for $4k which is makaing it very attractive to me. When we facetimes, underneath looks solid, no rust or rot. Am I crazy?

Get the engine number to be sure it's a 327 vs 288. Do not go by what number is cast on the head - the heads interchange. Know what interior condition is vs your expectations and the price.

On the clutch, a linkage problem is a possibility but since it was working before one more likely possibility is the clutch disc has become stuck to the flywheel or pressure plate. This is somewhat common in cars not used for long periods located in climates where moisture condensation is something to contend with.

On some occasions where the sticking is not severe, while not the best or safest method, depressing the clutch with the trans in gear and trying to start the engine could possibly break it free. That procedure does put a lot of stress on the starter motor and associated parts so not the best solution.

The other and more preferred method is to remove the lower flywheel cover and while the clutch pedal is depressed, use something like a putty knife or long thin piece of metal to slide up between the clutch disc and flywheel or pressure plate to break the clutch free. Obviously depending on the length of the tool the flywheel would need to be rotated to get all the way around the plate but it is something several have had to do.

Solution for preventing it from happening again is to use a block of wood between the dash edge and pedal to keep the clutch depressed if the car is going to be parked long term or placed in storage.

With a number of 2382, because the car is a 23rd series 49 the turn signal wiring is more involved than that of the 22nd series. It would take a bit of troubleshooting to find the exact problem but again, it will be a fixable issue. Horn wiring is simple and could be just dirty contact plates at the horn ring. That would require a disassembly but is not a huge task. Wiper motor rebuilds are commonly needed on the cars. The motor is held on only by a couple of screws and a clamp to the cable for the on/off valve so after removal, for an amount usually less than $150 including freight a rebuild will most likely take care of that issue.