Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Just to let everyone know, JP sold the business to my father several years ago. My father brought me into it and I am now building them. JP is a wealth of knowledge and I rely on him alot but I have probably built over 50 harnesses since I have been doing it for the last about 4 years now and enjoy it thoroughly.

"Ozstatman, I have been around Packard's all my life and honestly wouldn't know how to act if I weren't around them. My father has been restoring them for right at 40 years"
Potomac,

This is an opportunity too good to miss, since I have a substantial interest in the populating the Packard Owner's Registry with as many Packards as possible. How about I twist your arm just a tiny little bit and you in turn introduce your father and his Packards to PackardInfo?

"We go to Hershey every year and I think we are going to the National meet this year again, first time since I was a kid. I am looking forward to it."
I'll be at Hershey this year. Do you plan to have a booth there for Potomac Packards? If yes, I'll come and look you up to say G'day.

Potomac -- In answer to your question, June 1st, 1987, order #785011, you then in Falls Church, Va, a nice town as I recall from a visit there in the mid '60s. You sent it to Steve Messenger, then still working out of his Martinez, CA home garage, a lifelong Packard specialist, a wonderful detail man who knew every nut, bolt, lock washer on 1934-47 Packards especially, later running Just Packards based in Vallejo, then Napa. Steve died a couple weeks ago, his health failing but not spirit, humor, nor recall.
A wonderful gent, a stint with the Air Force repairing instruments in Narsarssuak, Greenland in the '50s no doubt giving him the stoicism to be one of the few mechanics undaunted by Packard's ElectroMatic clutch. Vulcanism was in Steve's blood, apparently, his gifted electrician father famed for being able to quickly build what UC Berkeley Lawrence Livermore lab physicists envisioned.
Bay Area Packard owners in the nascent old car hobby saw Steve's stellar '41 One-Twenty club coupe owned since 1956 and before long, Steve had so much work he bid adieu to his job as plant maintenance engineer for local tech firm Systron-Donner.
Steve and his longtime associate and our mutual friend Don Figone installed your excellent harness in the '47 Super Clipper I'd bought August, 1986.

Reading how you've enthusiastically taken over your father's esteemed harness company reminds us that there are still those able to enjoy unstinting labor that keeps many of us rolling with aplomb.

Respect for, and best to you, Potomac.

Ozstatman- my father doesn't own one either. He does enjoy them but has worked on so many that he never wanted to have one himself.

Yes we have a booth and are listed in the Hershey book.

Su8overdrive- yes that was way back when JP still lived in Virginia. I am glad you liked the harness and just hope that I can build to he quality that JP did.

"He does enjoy them but has worked on so many"

Great to hear he's keeping or getting 'em on the road. Kudos to your Dad.

See you at Hershey!

thank you again, i will ask Potomac Packard!
regards Josef