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A recent thread detailed a member's drive home with his new Packard, and I thought it would make for an interesting thread. Have you purchased a Packard and driven it home, rather than having it shipped? If you have, let's hear the story of your trip and any adventures you encountered along the way!

For my part, I bought a 1951 300 in Mansfield, Ohio, and the original intention was to rent a tow dolly there and pull it back home to Northern Virginia. My father and I drove out after work on a hot summer Friday, and arrived in Mansfield in the wee hours that night. In the morning we checked out the car, drove it, and after Dad inspected it (he used to be quite a mechanic in his day) we decided to forgo the tow dolly and just drive it home. I drove the Packard and Dad followed in my truck. After a stop at the DMV, another at an auto parts store for lead additive, a gas station for fuel, and a few other stops, we were running rather late.

That Saturday turned out to be very hot, with temps in the mid-90s (too bad the '51s didn't come with A.C.!). We headed south to Columbus and then took 70 eastward, which parallels the old National Road, through Ohio to Pennsylvania. The fellow I bought the car from happened to relate a little story before we left about his aunt and her husband, who also were Packard owners. It seems one icy winter night, they were traveling the very hilly, winding 70 and went over an embankment in a '52 Packard. The husband was killed in the wreck and the aunt survived with serious injuries. Not exactly a pep talk, considering I was taking the very same route in a nearly identical car!

The trip through Ohio was thankfully far less eventful than the aunt's trip, and Dad and I made it through Ohio and most of Pennsylvania untroubled. The engine ran at normal temps despite the heat of the day, the ride was dreamy, and the car was a real attention-getter on the highway (natch). But we weren't far from the Maryland border when, around 6PM, trouble hit. Suddenly, the car began to overheat. I reduced my speed and cranked the heater, but it didn't help. After pulling over, we discovered the car not only had an incorrect radiator cap (the plunger was too short and didn't seat) but it was broken, too. The car had probably been losing coolant the entire trip, but for some reason didn't overheat until that moment when it had just had enough. A call to AAA brought a service truck with more coolant, and at that point we decided to call it quits for the day and checked in to a motel in Breezewood.

The following morning (Sunday), after a quick stop at another parts store for a proper radiator cap, we set out for home. The remainder of the trip through Maryland and into Virginia was uneventful.

All in all it was a great experience. The thrill of driving off in a Packard for the first time was unforgettable, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

Let's hear your tale of adventure!

I bought our running '52 Mayfair from a fellow that lived about 35 miles from my home...easy trip home except the brakes were not working. I had my mother-in-law follow me as I drove back roads home using the emergency brakes at intersections! When I got her home, I discovered all she needed was fluid in the master cylinder. Duh... The brakes have worked perfectly for the last 9 years.

I've done it twice. My first adventure was with a 1934 Plymouth, PE Business Coupe way back in 1964. Every collector in town had tried to buy the car with no success. I decided one day to try my luck. I stopped and knocked on the owner's door and was greeted by a man, not the lady who owned the car. I asked it it was for sale and he said yes. It seems he was the owners son and she had passed away. I asked him how much he needed for it and he said just look it over and make an offer. I did and told him the car was probably worth between $90.00 and $100.00. He said that's what he thought. So we agreed on $95.00. I intended to come back on the weekend and haul it home. The gentleman called a couple of days later and said that his mother's attorney had sold the car for $2,500.00. But I could still have it if I would match the price. I said no. A week later, He called again and wanted to know if I wanted the car. I said yes at my price not his. He said OK.
I immediately called a buddy of mine and we loaded up his car with tow chains, oil, etc to make sure we could pull it to my house. When we got there we looked the car over carefully and got the chain out and were about to pull the car backwards out of the garage when the owner's son asked "Why don't you just drive it". Sure enough it started right up and I drove it home. Just a mile or so. I don't know if anyone even took notice of our drive home. I probably couldn't see them past my big grin.

I bought my 1955 Patrician around New Years 1998-1999. It was located in Salem, OR and although I had not personally seen it prior to purchase, a car-savvy uncle of mine who lived there had looked at and driven it and reported back to me. So, I changed the return flight from a business trip from Denver to Las Vegas to Portland instead with the intent of driving it 1,100 miles home.

I discovered later from docs in the glove box that the engine and T-U had been overhauled a few years earlier by Trowbridge Automotive in Salem (a well respected and old time Packard shop). But, I did not know this at the time of purchase.

So, I flew into Salem and the seller picked me up at the airport and we went to his place to conclude the purchase. Everything seemed OK, but I barely noted that he stated that he had put a new battery in it. I drove it to my uncle's and spent the night.

Early the next morning I departed. It was raining. It was then that I discovered that the vacuum wipers barely worked! A stop at an auto parts store from some Rain-X helped that until I cleared the rain about 100 miles south. A few other things became apparent: it had a noticeable forward rake because the T-U was not working and all four tires were out of round (bias plies), but the vibration was not unbearable.

About sunset I was about 50 miles short of Bakersfield, CA. It was then that I noticed that the headlights were becoming dimmer and dimmer. I limped into Bakersfield and stopped at an all night Wal-Mart. By that time, the battery was dead. A new battery had been installed, eh? Because my Dad had owned a 1955 Clipper when I was in High School, I vaguely recalled that 1955 Packards were positive ground, but the guy I bought it from (not the owner who had the overhaul done) had hooked up the new battery with negative ground! So, although the ammeter pointed to the "C" side, the generator had been not charging the battery! Instead of messing with it at that point, I bought a new battery at Wally World and hooked it up correctly as positive ground.

For those of you familiar with the area, you know that in between Bakersfield and Las Vegas is the Mojave Desert! Had the date of this trip been a little off from minimum daylight, I would have probably been in the middle of the Mojave Desert with a dead battery. So, better lucky than good in that case.

Me and the Pat made it to Las Vegas at about 4AM without further incident. When I got safely home, I symbolically (or maybe not so much) patted the Pat on the dash and thought: "Thanks! I'll fix all these little things wrong with you -- you deserve it."

Craig

Great question,

Mine had been sitting in a back yard so long that a tree removal service had to come out and remove two trees about 13 inches in diameter just to get the tow truck back there. There's no way a golf cart could have sqeezed by those things.

I didn't drive my packard home.

My experience involved a 1940 Ford in 1962. I was living temporarily in Hartford, Conn. with two buddies from Santa Fe, New Mex. when I received a notification to report for a pre-induction physical exam. Another friend had recently joined us to live the exciting life. While there he bought a nice '40 Ford coupe. When I needed to leave, he decided to return to Santa Fe and we took off in his car. As far as I recall we did no special preparation to the car except for a quick inspection and checking fluids and pressures. The car ran beautifully. It only had one problem, it would burn oil at a rapid rate at speed above 50 mph. We kept the speed to 50 and would stop every 100 miles and add a quart of oil. We kept a good supply of recycled oil for the refilling. I guess we were exceptionally fortunate not to have had some problem. Young and foolish.

Oh yes, upon returning to Santa Fe I joined the Navy Reserve. I went to radio school in San Diego, joined the fleet on a WW-II destroyer after that. The ship was involved in a collision with another destroyer. We decommissioned her, and I went to a brand new guided missile frigate. Did a little time on Yankee Station, and then came home.

(o{I}o)

Just bought my Packard Eight 4-door Sedan a month ago. Me and my brother drive 570 km to buy the car paid it after 2,5 hours investigating start to drive from Stockholm in Sweden to Ghotenburg 32 degrees C. After 25 km the car start to run on three or four cylinders and then stop, impossible to start again. As security we have a rope (and a second car (a brand new SUV with us) and start to drive back to seller we tought it was gas in the fuel system. Back to Gothenburg just after midnight a ride of total 1180 km in one day, what a day.
So I didn't drive my Packard home. It come with a trialer a week later and we still have same problem after 45 minuts drive but, I think it's more an electric fault.
But still I just love the car.

Quote:G'day Lennart,
A more formal to PackardInfo than this one when you included your Packard in the Registry.

So far, 7 stories, but 2 are not Packards (thread title "So you drove your Packard home"). But, I suppose a good road trip story is still a good story (and the 2 non-Packard stores are good).

Come on you Packard guys, more of you must have driven your Packards home!

Craig

Quote:

Mine had precisely the same problem. The guy I bought it from had installed a new battery just to be sure I didn't have battery problems. It didn't cause any trouble on the way home, but it took three months for me to figure out why I had to have the generator rebuilt twice, and had to buy two regulators for it. I discovered the reversed battery by accident, tracing the wiring diagram to remedy a fault with the dome light pillar switch.

I'm loving the stories (the non-Packard ones, too)!