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I always felt that the Individual Custom Eight by Dietrich was the high point. Everything that followed was an encore.

To see one turned into a hotrod with an ersatz painted radiator represents a behavior problem of highest rank. Akin to colorizing a great B&W film, or touching up a Rembrandt.

This is first class junk. And those wheels look stupid.

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Yes, at or near the pinnacle for Packard. In my mind to modify that vehicle is a crime akin to burning the library at Alexandria.

THose tyres are mity damned wide. At least 235 75 R15 or 16's. Just out of curisoity, would a 235 fit the OEM sized fender well for the spare mount???? OR what would be the widest wheel/tire to fit???

NO, I don't like it.

The ONLY reason I could see doing this is IF the original vehicle was BEYOND what we'd consider a basket case.

And even that...no, doesn't excuse it at all.

How do you know it's not one of those new plastic-made cars. I highly doubt someone would take a million dollar car and turn it into a hot rod. I call fakey-do.

Quote:

God, I hope you're right!

For many fiscal, legal, ethical, moral reasons, like Victor Hugo, Robert Louis Stevenson, Mark Twain, i oppose
capital punishment. Except for the clown who desecrated this car. Anyone so bereft of vision, taste, doesn't deserve to live. Give me his address. I'll do it.

It's probably sitting on a stretched Lincoln Town Car chassis. Let's just hope it's a replicar.

More money than brains which is why I don't have any.

There is a genuine Chrysler Imperial Lebaron Town Car hotrod out there. They brag it is one of two made and has been greatly improved for weddings. They changed the top insert into a sunroof and it is painted garbage truck white for extra tackiness.

My thought on that is "Not my @#$%^&* wedding!"

Of course another thing I don't understand is why all these Packard experts paint the radiator shell. They didn't build a single one of those Individual Custom Eights with a painted radiator shell. Years ago there was a mint low mileage 904 Dietrich coupe floating around. I guess they took it apart and painted the radiator. Why not turn it into a retractable? Maybe it's a cost saving measure. Maybe they need the money saved for chrome plated wheels.

Hi

Criminal if it's a real Individual Custom, simply a travesty if it's the more likely "fakey-do'.

Just conjecture, but I'd bet its mostly Gibbons repro parts, a replica V-windshield coachbuilt body and mounted on some F-100/GMC chassis. The track width is typical replicar fare: too small diameter/too wide width wheels and tires sticking out past the fenders.

Well, at least they didn't paint it pearlescent white with gold-plated trim.....though why not?

With a tip of the hat to H. L. Mencken, a slightly updated paraphrase: "No one ever went broke underestimating the taste or intelligence of the American public".

Steve