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Hello everyone Im MrBob from Oklahoma city. Just bought a 1953 packard patrician in great shape. Its two tone blue and has sat for 5 yrs, has new tires and the body has some rust at the rear quarters. Im going to soak the engine cylinders with marvel oil over night and try starting it thru a gas can. I will drop that gas tank next week. Is there a drain plug somewhere on the gas tank, really didn't look at it good. Interior is in great shape and the body too,the man had it covered for several years. Anything I should know about the car. Great site here have been roaming all day.

Congratulations. Great car. I believe there are several threads on suggested things to look at after long term hibernation. Unfortunately, I don't believe they are all in the same place or in a FAQ topic yet. You will have to search for them.

There is a drain for the tank. However, if it has not been off in years, it could have rusted in place. When trying to remove it, hold the bung which is pressed into the tank with vise grips or similar while trying to unscrew the plug. As mentioned, the bung is pressed in and if it rotates or breaks loose, you will have a hard to repair leak. Gas tanks are not plentiful and if a new one is needed, finding good used is about the only option at present

If you have never driven a 50's Packard or it's been a long time, then the only other thing to remember if you have the regular Ultramatic is that it's a single speed no shift in the conventional sense unit and not a race transmission. Leisurely acceleration is the norm so trying to keep up with modern cars at the stoplight by manually shifting from low to high will take it's toll. There may have been some kits and tweaks applied to the earlier ones to help but a real shift didn't happen until the late 54 Gear Start or 55-6 Twin Ultras.

If it has not been driven, then there is a chance transmission seals have dried. A fluid change there might not be a bad idea either. Some in the past have suggested Trick Shift to free up the valves and give some life back to seals. Type A fluid is NLA and type F would be appropriate if it still has the original transmission friction components. Others may offer different suggestions.

G'day mrbob,
and, my congratulations as well on your Packard purchase. Unfortunately I can't add anything to what Howard has advised other than to say come back if you have specific questions and the experienced and knowledgeable here will be sure to help.

And a request of yourself. I invite you to include your '53 Patrician in the Packard Owners Registry here on PackardInfo.

HH56 always gives good advice. I would change oil before trying to start it just to drain out anything that may have been sitting in that oil for years. Good luck and come back and post some pictures.

Pressure washed the engine yesterday, then hit it with the air compressor. Pulled the plugs and put a tablespoon of marvel oil in each cylinder. I will let it sit a couple of days. I will get new plugs and wires and a new 6 volt battery, cap, points, rotor, and a condesor and coil. That should make it run good. Can't wait to hear her run, yep its a woman. haha Thanks for all the info on here, I spent hrs on here reading all the post. What a great site I'm glad I'm an owner of a Packard.

Another easy to do item is to check the top and bottom radiator hoses. Another relatively easy item is to replace the points and condenser. You can get a shop manual from a number of sources. I use the PAC website, www.packardclub.org, and buy one at their marketplace.

There are a number of reliable part suppliers for your car. Enjoy!

Hi Bob! Welcome to the club. I've personally found ebay to be the best source for parts and such for my 53 Cavalier. Not much difference between yours and mine. I live in a black hole when it comes to parts, don't know how it is where you live. I guarantee that you will be visiting this site quite often, there are many decent and knowledgable people here! A bit of advice, when you start to get frustrated, just step back, remember that she's 57 years old, and be patient. I'm certain your girl will appreciate the attention and will repay you with one of the best riding experiences ever manufactured!

Hi Bob,
I also have a 1953 Patrician and I'm having fun with it.
Points are hard to find if it's autolite when you find them
buy a few sets and keep them.CS16 or Tungsten-AL-1829
Napa has cap rotor and universal condenser.Also make sure you go through your brakes.I changed mine to modern master and booster. Good luck

mrbob,
for including your '53 Patrician Touring Sedan in the Packard Owners Registry. BTW, I deleted the duplicate Registry entry. Also, is there any chance of a pic?

Yes Bob, don't be stingy, give us some pics! Always love to see another beautiful girl!