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Sweet!

Looks gorgeous!

It's good to see you take the time to do a thorough job. I am impressed. Keep the pics coming.

Looks wonderful, Larry! Keep up the great work and the play by play descriptions. I have a non-Packard paint job ahead of me and this really helps!

Just as an FYI, see those neat scallops there along the sides of the hood? They were quite unique in '51, John Reinhart (stylist) called the whole thing the 'Contour look', and it's best seen in that there hood: The center part of the hood is a smooth, flat surface, the same height as the fender tops, giving the whole front end a more graceful, streamlined look..and far more modern than the competition...GM still had that center bulge in the middle of the hood towering over the fender tops.

Just one of the things that made Packard special, and sometimes one of the things we take for granted today b/c the 'Contour look' is widely accepted today.

Thanks for your positive comments fellas, it really helps to have your feedback! I must admit that as the project moves on (slowly)I'm getting more enthusiastic about it. I'm sure you have all looked back on your own projects that took years and thought: 'I wonder how I got this far'? That happens to me.

Have to agree Bobby, the scalloped shape of the hood seems clever and really appeals, and since starting on prepping the trunk lid (- those reversing curves are tricky to get right) there's a lot of appreciation for its shape also. Big, bulbous and beautiful all come to mind.

Packards never seem to look ordinary despite their vintage, but a lot of moderns date quite badly and some don't seem to ever have much appeal. Maybe they need more time for that to happen.

I've not seen any Packard shape from 20's on that I personally didn't like. They all impress me in various ways, some a bit more than others.

One of the best ways to really get to know your car is to pore over the surface, you really get to appreciate every nook and cranny, all the little styling details. I've always liked the Clubs, they have a well balanced, well proportioned look to them, I look forward to seeing your progress!

I see she's LHD...do you have a history on her?

Not much history, sad to say. I just got the VIN tag sent to me by the previous custodian, who had misplaced it for years. He bought it off someone who also didn't have the details of original owner etc, so still investigating the origin. All I know is it was an Australian car (- I'm sure you meant 'RHD').

Now I have the VIN it's possible I will discover more about it. So far it's the only '51 Club Sedan I know of in Australia. There appears to be only about three other 2465's registered on Packardinfo, so not too many around. Maybe another will surface in Oz eventually but I doubt it. I love the Club shape, couldn't be happier restoring this one.

Larry, now that you have the VN, I'd very much appreciate receiving your VN and thief-proof number on your car for my ongoing research into the body numbers. Also helpful would be the engine# if you believe it's original to the car, and also note if the car is RHD or LHD.