Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I am just about to take the car to the painter. I would like to know how to wire the car so that I can drive it on the trailer instead of push it. The dash is out of the car so I will not be putting in the wire harness. I need to know just the minimal amount of wire I need to start the car. I am not a electrical kind of guy. Please make the explanation as simple as possible. From the key switch to the rest of the car. Lonny

If you want to use the key switch you need the battery connected to ground and to the starter solenoid per usual. From that battery solenoid post you need a wire to ign switch AM terminal. If you are holding the switch so key faces you the way it would be positioned in dash, that should be the short top terminal on left -- but verify your labels. From the COIL or short terminal on bottom, connect a wire to the coil hot side terminal. From the GA or long terminal on top right you need a wire to the carb starter switch and out of the other terminal on carb starter switch to the solenoid starter terminal.

There is another much quicker way but since you are not electrical, to make it simple and easy those connections should let you turn key, push on gas pedal to start, and then turn off when finished.

Without a loom nothing else in car should be connected but not knowing what wiring condition or how other things are left connected in your car, verify nothing is shorted.

Pretty easy to do and you can completely ignore the ignition switch, just hot wire it like car thieves did in the day. You need to do two things, (1) activate the ignition, and (2) activate the starter motor.

(1) with a small jumper wire, just connect the hot (non-grounded) terminal of the battery to the small terminal on the coil OPPOSITE the wire that goes to the distributor. You know have ignition.

(2) Several ways to do the starter. Perhaps the simplist if you not comfy with electricals is use a single jumper cable and jump between the hot (non-grounded) terminal of the battery to the very large connection on the starter motor. The starter should now be cranking.

Assuming all else if OK, the car should start and now promptly remove the jumper cable to the starter motor but leave the small jumper to the coil intact until such time as you want to turn the motor off.

And as the dummy from Irwin learned long ago, make sure car is in neutral or park.

thank you for the info. Lonny

thank you for the info. When elec. starts to run through switches I get lost Lonny

thank you for the info. Lonny