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

Lynn - when you drop the pan, you may have to bump the engine over with the starter (just remove the coil wire) so that the crank will clear. Or you might get lucky and not need to. Also, you may need/want to remove the steering linkage to make things easier. If at all possible, find a friend with a lift - much easier than crawling around on the floor. Ask me how I know.....

Hey, gratz on the find, she looks sweet! I have a '54 Patrician, and am always up for a kibbitz (on rye with a bit of mustard, of course!)

Thanks to all who posted: Randy Berger, Oxstatman, Jim L., Gator, Ross, Packard8, Rocky46, Portlandon, 54Clipper, David Grubbs and Bobby. You welcomed me! Portlandon said I may have "a real peach," and inspection after getting it into the garage has me thinking he's right.
The undercarriage is undercoated and frame, differential, suspension, and brake backing plates are painted gloss black--no rust evident, save for one hole near the right fender skirt--visible only from under the car. New trunk hinges; engine's repainted; new freeze plugs and very little oil stain; transmission exterior is clean and painted grey. Drained oil, while black, showed no foreign materials; coolant was a bit murky but not rusty. I've fixed the thermostat housing leak--no gasket, and no thermostat! I'm filling it up later today, starting the car to flush the cooling system. I've ordered gaskets for engine and trans pans from Packard Pete; when they come, I'll drop the trans pan and clean it and filter and drain converter. What sort of fluid should I put in it--will Type F do? Any suggested brands, other than B&M Trick Shift? WalMart has Rotella pretty cheap, so I think I'll go with that once I flush the oil system out after running it for awhile with the new oil I filled it with yesterday.
Attached to the grille is an Antique Automobile Association "National First Prize Winner" badge from 1987. Should I chase this down to get info on previous owners? If it's a 1980s restoration--given the re- paintings, with intact and sound-appearing rubber bushings in the suspension and in the body mounts--the peach appellation may be appropriate. It does need new seat covers, new tires--the L 78 Remington Wide Whites are quite cracked, although they hold air. Brakes will be bled, as will the diff. I'm planning on the trek to Laughlin in November.
My grandson thinks it's cool. That's good enough for me.
Thanks again for the welcome.

Hey, I'll respond first here, maybe I'll move up higher in your list of thanks..:>

Anytime someone scores something that makes them feel good, it's a real peach, this is why we get up and go/went to work, so doubble gratz for being able to appreciate what you've got! I like x 2.

I have a cherry, unrestored '54 Patrician. FWIW, I did as you, dropped the pan, etc. Filled with Rotella T 15w-40. this is good b/c it's a higher detergency to gently clean the crud from years of non det oil and just sitting there. Fram C134PL oil filter from Rock Auto for $4.99 and you're golden.

There's some disagreement on ATF, but I ran both Type F and Dex III and the Dex is the clear winner for me. Packard specs Type A, so it's a toss...but I've found the Dex shifts better/smoother when both cold and hot here in S. New England, although I don't think either will 'Hurt' the trans. Just flush, and refill a few times to make sure you've emptied out the converter completely, maybe consider dropping the valve body and cleaning that, too (it's outside the pan, easy to get to).

Pull the wheels off and make sure the brake cylinders are Ok and not leaking (for safety's sake), and doubble check the master/booster to see it's not leaking or otherwise corroded.

There's always something to do with any old car, no matter how well sorted out it seems. Just prioritize based on safety and convenience and you'll be Ok.

Vroom!

Lynn for including your '53 Clipper Deluxe Touring Sedan in the Registry. By the way, I added in the photo you posted at the start of this thread.

Thanks Ozstatman. I registered it from a computer that did not have any photos in the memory and was going to add it right now, but you've beat me to the punch.

Incidentally, as you might notice from the data, I discovered that the car has the power antenna--that along with the Packard spotlights and Dealer-installed sunvisor makes it a fairly well-equipped 53.

Lynn:
If you need a good Packard man to go over your car head to tail professionally, I highly recommend Mike Gossard's Garage at the Murphy Auto Museum in Oxnard. He has worked on all 6 Packards I've owned over the past 10 years and can do ANY work that's needed. And he's HONEST!
Hope to see you on the November Las Vegas trip.
Orv Madden-Santa Barbara

I've run Type F in my '51 Packard 200 Deluxe Ultramatic for the past year and a half and while it took a while (the car had sat for some time before i bought it) she now shifts almost as smooth as my '90s Lincoln TC. I drained the transmission and torque converter then dropped the transmission pan and cleaned it and the pickup screen before refilling with Type F. I have no idea what was used before I got the car.

Orv:

thanks for the recommendation of the mechanic; I work in Oxnard so I'll give him a call.

I'm aiming to have the car well road ready for the Nevada adventure in Nov.