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There are two preserved (though not in the water) WW II PT boats at Battleship Cove is Mass, and quite recently someone posted a link to an organization, on the West Coast as I remember) that had lovingly restored one and it was fully functional, even offering rides on occasion. No doubt someone here will remember the link and refresh it for us.

The British Navy and the Canadian Navy had two classes of Motor Torpedo Boats. The photo is of the ship my father served on during WW2, MTB 735.

The 65th Canadian Motor Torpedo Boat Flotilla (Fairmile Type "D") 115 ft. Hard-chine pre-fabricated double mahogany, the hull being sub-divided into nine watertight compartments. Driven by Four Packard 12 cylinder 1250 horsepower supercharged patrol engines two underslung rudders carried 5200 gallons of 100% octane gas, range at maximum continuous speed 506 NAUTICAL miles. Two Ford V-8 auxiliary engines to provide electric power.

Displacement: Standard; 102 tons as MTB, 90 tons as MGB
Deep Load; 118 and 107 tons.
Length: 115 ft (35 m)
Beam: 20 ft 10 in (6.4 m)
Draught: 4 ft 9 in (1.4 m) to 4 ft 11 in (1.5 m) Mean deep load.
Propulsion: 4 x Packard 4M 2500 petrol engines for a total of 5,000 hp
Speed: 29 knots at full load
Range: 506 NM at max revolutions; 2,000 miles at 11 knots
Complement: 21

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G'day kevinpackard,

aboard Packardinfo, very appropriate given the topic under discussion here.

Could you please add your Packard/s, usually automotive but marine versions would be welcome, to the Owner Registry together with a pic, any known history and your acquisition of them?

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I know that a few of the MTB's were converted to private yachts after the war although I doubt many still have the original engines. Feeding 4 Packard Marine engine with 100 octane fuel would be VERY expensive! One MTB or possibly Motor Gun Boat (MGB) was featured in the 1955 movie "The Ship That Died Of Shame" about an MTB that was used for smuggling and rum running after the war.

For a small company, certainly Packard's contribution to the war effort with the P-51 and PT boat engines is something to take a lot of pride in. And it's been very well documented and there are lots details available; see Robert Neal's Master Motor Builders in you have an inclination to really dive into the subject.

What's gotten a lot less notice, perhaps because so few were built and it wasn't a war effort at the time, is their design and manufacture of the V8, V12 and V16 stainless steel non-magnetic diesels (4 valves per cylinder) for use in postwar minesweepers. A few of these were still is service with their original Packard engines (or so I' told) as recently as the first Gulf War and saw service in that conflict.

Any Zis (or other Russian Pacckard clone) engines used in Russian military vehicles??? WWII military vehicles???

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Thanks for the warm welcome. Unfortunately, I'm in dental school at the moment and can't afford a Packard quite yet. My dream is to get one soon after I graduate. In the meantime, I'll be learning as much as I can. There's a lot of knowledge to be had on here.

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Seems like deja vu all over again. My '41 coupe was bought by a dentist just after he completed his dental studies in San Francisco in 1961. He and his wife then drove it to Idaho and he ended up selling in 2006 it to the guy I bought it of in 2007. So the precedent has been set, all that remains if for you to get your teeth into it, so to speak.

The site Owen referred to is www.savetheptboatinc.com.It is the story of Vets out in Washington who find and restore an old PT boat (PT 658).It has great pictures of the restoration and the three Packard 12's.It also has a link to let you hear the engines in operation.Well worth a look and even a donation if you are so inclined.

Sorry, If im posting in the wrong spot. I talked to Rick Sladen again today at a car show here in Las Vegas. He gave me Joe Hopkins name with the 35 to 37 year models. I have a 36 120B 2dr Touring Coupe Model 994, and i have found seven others, that i have listed in my computor, totaling eight two doors, just trying to get a better handle on just how many two door 120B were made back then. Understand about 25 units in 1937 and less in 1936. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks Ted n Vegas
gasserted@yahoo.com

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