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Re: A ride in the Predictor
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Home away from home
 
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At least he doesn't appear to be putting out another Italian electrical fire. That looks like a can of Custom car polish or wax, so he's probably spiffing something up. And note the lower profile air cleaner on top of the standard four barrel oil bath unit. That hood prop looks necessary given the metal it had to support.
I know that many familiar Clipper parts existed under the body work, but presume that the only way the Predictor got underway was through the cooperation of a 352 engine and a iron-cased Ultramatic with no pushbuttons. I wonder if it ever gets out these days from its Studebaker Museum home for some fresh air and wider public adulation?
Posted on: 2016/11/24 13:50
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Re: A ride in the Predictor
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Forum Ambassador
 
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I believe the Predictor has a push button trans. IIRC, what appears to be the 56 button assy is rearranged so the letters read correctly and that assy is mounted vertically in a pod located near the drivers door. Of course, no idea if the buttons were functional.
Posted on: 2016/11/24 14:16
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Howard
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Re: A ride in the Predictor
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Home away from home
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Quote:
The Predictor absolutely, positively has its own special set of pushbuttons for the transmission, mounted in a special pod and slightly different from 1956 production pushbuttons. Yes, they worked-all of which is a good reason not to have folks (especially those unfamiliar with Packard V-8s) jumping into the car and driving it after all these years. Also, there were emergency by-pass fixes in the Predictor installed (after the fires) by Creative Industries of Detroit and anyone unfamiliar with these ought not be operating things in the car or removing the special tags that accompanied the by-pass repairs. You can see some of these in the upcoming Creative Industries book. Had there been time and budget, Predictor would have had a rear-mounted transaxle and independent suspension...a la John Z. De Lorean who was working at Packard at the time. There were even some press releases that mentioned this transaxle although it never got to see reality. This arrangement would have to wait until the early 1960s when it finally appeared on Pontiac Tempest (guess where John Z. worked at the time?)...
Posted on: 2016/11/24 18:44
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Re: A ride in the Predictor
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Home away from home
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Quote:
That is absolutely a fabulous photo! Thanks for sharing it. Marvin is a great gentleman and he sure loves Packards. This photo and the smile demonstrate his long-term passion and dedication. Thanks again. By the way, the hood strut became necessary because it was a big hood with lead in it (same problem as early Caribbeans). When Bill Schmidt first opened it (I have a film made by a friend who was there when the car as uncrated at Packard) the hood hinge springs were clearly overtaxxed. The springs would not support the weight of the hood at a fully opened position. Bill kept trying to lift it further, but the hood kept sagging back down. So a strut was needed. It wasn't planned that way.
Posted on: 2016/11/24 19:00
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