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On August 7th I flew to South Bend Indiana. I was met at the airport by the guy who listed the car on ebay. He list for the owner who is a friend of his. The owner I bought it from is a 78 year old gentleman that was getting unable to take care of it. That is why he sold it.

Ok, so here is how the trip went. I arrived at the previous oweners house around 1 PM. The weather was perfect (with exception, a little cooler would have been better)for my trip. The owner had told me earlier in the week that besides all of the restoration done previously he also had the transmission rebuilt, new clutch, new throughout bearing and water pump. He also informed me when I arrived and was showing me the car that he had not re-installed the thermostat. Why I am not sure but was a little leary because I know they are as important for keeping the engine cool as they are for getting heat in the winter. I left Baroda, Mi. around 1:40 PM and soon discovered that driving 60-65 made the water temp get up to the 200 F temp and running 50-55 kept it around 190 F. So I drove the 50-55 once the sun went down and things cooled off 60-65 was a comfortable speed to travel at. I got through Clevland around 7:30 PM I was planning to drive until about 9-9:30 PM and get a hotel room for the night. GOOD LUCK!!!! There were none to be had. Every exit I stopped at they were all booked up. Around 11:00 PM I got on the cell with me wife and had her on the computer as I was driving and she was looking for a room for me. It's now 12:30 - 01:00 Am and I said "FORGET IT". Every place along the way had a fair in town or a biker convention and the last attempt in Jamestown, N.Y. had a Lucuille Ball convention (Jamestown was her hometown). I pulled into the Jametown rest area off of RT#86/17 and slept in the car (about 3-4 hours was the most I could do)not as comfortable as my bed at home.

The next day as the temperature started to rise and I started to climb hills the car started to heat up again. This time the water pump started to leak as well. So I would keep stopping and letting the car cool down and add some more water then go at it again. I got within 70 mile of my home and called AAA. The old girl made it 733 miles of the 793 miles. The gas milage wasn't bad either. She needs a little mechanical tune-up and then I think I could drive her to California. I'm not saying I am going to though.

Owning this old girl is more fun than they should allow me to have..

Thanks,

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I had bid on my car on Fleabay, but hadn't met the reserve. Talked to the owner and discovered the reserve was within my range, then came down with a GI infection that wiped me out. Back on my feet, discovered the car had been relisted and bidding on the first day of the listing had exceeded the reserve, so I moped around for several days. Finally my wife told me that if this was the one, I had better bid, so I entered a last second bid. Couldn't bring myself to see if I won for two days!

My son in law took time off to go the 500 miles with me to pick it up. My stomach tied itself in knots driving down: what had I gotten into? Turned out the seller was a good person and the car was better than advertised.

Next day checked all the fluids, gassed up with 93 octane (to the shock of the former owner) and set out at 55 so as not to overstress it. After ten miles of interstate bumper to bumper decided it wanted to run, so went with the flow. Got back to Chicago at rush hour to find the toll way flowing at top speed so got home quickly, with no problems.

It's a very boring story, which is exactly what I wanted--and why I like the car!

OK. Here's my, Lengthy, Packard story. Back in 1978 I purchased a 1948 Packard sedan. It ran but I didn't try driving it home. I needed a few parts. So, I drove to a collectors/restorers shop to get them. When I arrived I found the parts were in a storage building a few blocks from his shop. He Let's just take this car and go get them. The car was a 1949 Super Eight Convertible. I almost forgot what I was there to pick up. I loved the car.

Now, Fast forward to July 4, 1980. I attended, as a spectator, a fourth of July parade in a small town some 60 miles from where I lived. Guess what that 1949 convertible was in the parade. I followed the car to where the owner was putting the car back into storage. We talked cars for awhile as I looked the car over. The owner said it was a good car the only thing wrong with it was that every time he went to drive it he had to put in a new battery. I told him I knew how he could fix that. He said "how". I told him he could sell the car to me and then it would be my problem.

After some negotiating we agreed on a price. I drove the car to my wife's cousin's house about 10 miles away. He and I checked the car over again and found nothing of any real concern. So, the next morning I drove the car home, about another 50 miles. No problems. I continued to drive the car as I purchased it for some 8,000 miles before it needed a valve job. I still own the car.

I bought my 1952 200 deluxe on july 5 2011/ I did not drive the car home to my house. the seller drove the car to my house after i paid for it so i could drive my car home. Man, it was great to see my car on the road, both ahead of me and behind me. what a sight. It also gave the seller one last drive.
When i got the car home i only drove it around my neighborhood. During the week i properly charged the battery and cleaned and replaced connections and 1 batt. cable. The car starts very well now.
Today a friend from work came over to check the car out. I took us on the longest drive so far. I drove on the highway, through neighborhoods and down around the beach and long the coastline. And a beautiful day in hawaii to drive your packard.. The car was great to drive. No problems and people really enjoyed seeing the car/ .
This car is so much fun to have. I am letting myself get to know the care slowly. First things first. And today was a First.
Aloha, and have a great Packard day!