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

Many years ago a San Jose, CA PAC member bought a 1951 Packard 300 which came with a parts car. He didn’t need the parts car so gave it to me.

Somewhere and somewhen, it had been a race car. It had the proper serial numbered 300 5-main engine fitted to an Ultramatic, both of which I still have. It was somehow fitted with dual exhaust but there was no manifold when I got it so not sure how that was done. It also had a 1954 Cavalier or Patrician roof neatly and cleanly grafted in so it must have been rolled as some point, destroying the original roof.

The engine, which was painted blue, had solid lifters and the four head studs at the front right are noticeably longer. I wonder it perhaps it had had a supercharger mounted there. Not a great shot but the longer studs can be seen here.

Are there any vintage photos of Packard race cars that might be this one? I would love to see it as it was!

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There were longer studs on AC cars to mount the compressor bracket. Possibly if it did have a supercharger they used a similar bracket or maybe the car had AC at some point.

There was and maybe still is a photo posted somewhere on site of a 53 or 54 that has a supercharger. I remember it because I thought it odd with a supercharger and wanting increased air flow that they ran the large intake air duct all the way around to the area near the cowl under the left fender to place the air cleaner. Don't remember if it was one of the Panthers or an experimental model worked up by one of the custom houses near the factory that did Packard work.

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Yes, I know but this is a 1951 car and A/C first appeared, or reappeared postwar, in 1953. Even so, I can't imagine A/C on a race car with all the extra weight!

I agree about AC and a race car but was thinking maybe a bracket was designed for a supercharger and became the compressor prototype or if it did not stay a race car maybe a next life saw AC.

It’s certainly a heavy duty bracket so quite possible! of course, that would imply the Packard made the race car themselves.

(If you ever want to sell a spare bracket or compressor, I’m willing to buy!)

If I'm not mistaken, Packard cars participated in the Pan American road race('50-'54)(aka carrera Panamericana) and that became the inspiration for the panamerican model. Porsche participated/won and that's the basis for the "carrera" Hagerty reported some Packards won, but must be a class because the winners had average speeds that were unobtainable by a Packard, supercharged or not. Those cars were reported "stock" which would not allow supercharging.
There were very few Packards running races in '51. I'm not aware of seeing any Packard sponsored cars. Weren't that many sold.
Hank Salat, later in NASCAR, owned a few and Don"digger" Odell drove for him. Not much else is showing up. You'd have to be a stock car race guru to research this. I mostly followed drag racing since the '60s, so out of my view. Not many straight 8s drag racing. DeSoto hemi after '52 yes, L8 no. So the chances of this '51 300 being a "race car" based on a couple longer head bolts is stretching that stud a bit.
Hudson's were the hot circle race car of that period. Souped up '40 Fords were noted to spawn the stock car racing effort from their shine running days. Driver's like Jr Johnson, etc. started out that way. Many of those become first stock/race cars/drivers. After, GM's and V8s ruled the day about time Packard folded it's tent.

I’m fairly sure that whatever this car’s race history, it was local in California and probably non-professional. It had no particular markings on it but if I have any photos, I’ve not found them.

If you're fairly committed, go to PAC and find the chapter for the southwest/CA and place an inquiry to see if anyone has any info.
There's still a few of the vintage racing shops there, like Socal, etc. and probably someone has knowledge but it's evaporating fast. But needle - haystack situation.
HH lives over there, maybe he has some contacts in that community.
It's an oil/water situation for me, as they're just not a common race entity that would be generally known. That's what documentation is invaluable for when you acquire.