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Sunday 15th March 2015

A week before the 16th National Packard Rally and the last meeting of the Rally Committee. Took the Coupe to the meeting, and it's about 80 miles each way from where it's garaged, and it went well. Ran smoothly and temp gauge stayed on the middle mark all the way, 'cause it was only about 20-22C so ambient heat wasn't a factor. One thing found is that there's now an oil leak, probably from the timing case seal, this no doubt from my heavy handedness.

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Mal, what does the red hexagon mean?

Thursday 21st May 2015

I drop into the old workshop every couple of weeks going to, or from, donating blood plasma. There's a quick catch up with John, Rick, Matt and Graham but more importantly a chance to pass on to Misty some lamb chop and leg bones. Looks like she needs them too, she's become almost Greyhound like in physique, being only about half the dog she was! Of course it didn't help that both Wade and I, and from time to time Noel, were keeping up a good supply of bones. Be that as it may, I also dropped in today, not being a plasma day, because my schedule in babysitting my youngest grandson Ryan(who came along and was more interested in Misty than any cars) coincided with Wade's for once. Wade had come down yesterday and was there today because a Packard Club member GeoffC was picking up the workshop trailer. Geoff lives about 145kms south of Sydney and will be loading up his poorly running '39 TJ Richards bodied 110 Touring Sedan to take up to Wade's, about 110 kms north of Sydney next week. Wade has had Geoff's TJR on his list to be worked on, for probably a couple years, and finally it will come to pass. Attached are photos of Geoff's '39 at a car show last weekend, another members '34 1100 Sedan and also a car you don't see every day!

And speaking of sheds, my garage(8.4m x 5m) and carport(6m x 3.6m) is getting close to completion, photos attached. In a couple of weeks time I hope to have the Coupe "in residence". When that happens it'll have the front clip off to 1) Attend to a now major oil leak, attributable I think from my heavy handed harmonic balancer replacement a couple of months back. I think I've upset the crankshaft oil seal placement or maybe kinked the timing case where it seals, 2) take out the radiator and have the minor leak attended to before it becomes a major one, and 3) Take off the water pump and pull the distribution tube for inspection and cleaning.

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Mal, you are really going to enjoy that new shed and car port. Very nice!

(o{}o)

Friday 3rd July 2015

Temporary title change from Wade's Workshop to Mal's Garage, in honour of my Coupe finally having a home of it's own! In my last post, over a month ago said "...my garage and carport is getting close to completion....In a couple of weeks time I hope to have the Coupe "in residence"...", but it obviously took longer than that. Even now painting is still going on but that should be finished on Monday. With the local council approving the structure about a week and a half ago my youngest son, Greg, helped me move the bulk of my "stuff" from my daughters garage to mine. Prior to that I'd put up a high line of 600mm(2') wide shelving down one side, across the back and halfway along the other side of the garage. Also bought 5 DIY assembly shelving units and erected those during the week. Other furniture items in the garage are a desk, workbench, two cabinets and a bookcase. All the ground mounted shelving units are temporarily filled with the "stuff" brought from my daughters. Next stage is to really organise the contents of the mainly boxed "stuff". Then will come some work on the Coupe as mentioned previously. To help in that regard Noel dropped in on Thursday with a 282 timing case courtesy of Peter Packard. Next week I'll collect another harmonic balancer Wade picked up from pepepackard and my original water pump which Wade has rebuilt. Wade dropped them off at the "old" workshop today. And speaking of Wade, he's still working on Packards with the one occupying his attention at the moment being GeoffC's '39 TJ Richards bodied 110 Touring Sedan. Gina was kind enough to send me a photo of Wade working on under it. Wade and Gina had also spent some time away, taking Big Red to Mt Gambier. About 3 weeks of leisurely Packard touring getting there, enjoying the Packard event over a long weekend, going on to Adelaide before returning from whence they came! Well over 3,500kms(2,000+miles) of Packard touring. Speaking of Packard touring, I'll be taking the Coupe on a Packard run on Sunday, a mere 100kms each way then possibly another the following Sunday to Sydney's American Independents Day.

Finally, to all in the US, Happy Independence Day

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Looks great Mal, a man has to have a shed.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcCXUQhexag

Mal, it is so satisfying to have all your car(s) and stuff at home in the garage (shed). To me it felt so good to be out of the storage unit renting, but I miss the '47 and '55. It's quality not quantity. Now, we expect great things to be happening in your new 'cave'. Looking forward to Mal's Garage.

(o{}o)

Sunday 5th July 2015

Not quite "oh woe is me" but a little despondent nevertheless. Started up the Coupe for the run today to the Hawkesbury Model and Hobby Show only to immediately hear the unmistakable sound of a blown exhaust manifold gasket! After the teeth-grinding and swearing, determined I'd push on to the show regardless, as I'd promised Wendy, our Clubs Events Director and Tourmaster, I'd be there! Fine, but a short way into the trip a "whirring" type sound started coming from the instrument panel. At first thought it was the speedo as it varied with speed, but the needle wasn't flicking or appearing to be doing anything strange. Then thought it might be the ammeter as I presume it too could be affected by how fast the engine is turning. So stopped, and with the bonnet(hood) up, revved and held the revs on the engine. But, despite the excessive noise from the blown exhaust manifold gasket, there weren't any noises coming from the generator or the regulator. Again proceeded and the noise didn't kick in until the car was going about 15/20mph then noticed that 'at times' the fuel gauge would "flicker", not constantly but intermittently accompanied by the "whirring" which was now worse. Decided then that discretion was better than breakdown, especially as things going on behind the instrument panel being electrically based weren't to be trusted, and returned home. With the front clip soon to come off, more than to just fix the oil leak and radiator, I'll now have plenty of access to the remove the manifolds to replace the blown gaskets. However getting the fuel gauge out is another matter altogether for this increasingly arthritic body!

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Hi Mal, I believe that the whirring noise could be your circuit breaker on your light switch complaining about a short circuit. Your ammeter ( sorry....CH - DIS meter is on full DISCHARGE in the instrument panel shot). Good luck with the fault finding. PT

While repairing the gauge you could unobtrusively add a new front cover, normally used for Sputnik's. Neither your ammeter nor your CH - DIS meter would be on full discharge anymore (but your амперме́тр).

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