Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

O.K. Here is a start. It is not what I wanted to show but it seems that I don't have jpegs for the car I really wanted to show you. For that, a verbal description will have to do. Later if I can get my daughter to snap some pictures of a Rochester winter rat, that will show you a car even I would not try to restore. However here are some resto photos of my wifes Patrician. The disclored portions of the floor are the new metal that had to be put in because there was nothing there. In addition the center pillar(the 'B' pillar I think) was not even connected to the rocker because there was no part of the rocker that was attached to the car. All of that had to be replaced, thank God for Mike Dulinski. This car was purchased for $1,800 and was 10 times worse than the Clipper in C.C. Texas.
As to the car I wanted to show you it was a 1962 Dodge Dart 440 Sedan. When I got the car, from about mid-calf down the car was nothing but air. It had literally no floors.
Think Flintstone mobile. I had to cut from the parts car, the rear quarters, the rocker panals, and one fender. The floor had to be pieceed in one piece at a time. However when the floor was finished, sealed, and painted you would have thought it was a one piece floor. Guys my point in all of this(and I know it probably sounds insulting, and it is not meant to) is that I have seen many cars, decent cars passed over because there was a silver dollar sized rust hole somewhere in it and everybody got on the bandwagon about "the car is full of rust" and usually from guys that would not know rust if it bit them. IMHO people from my level of the south all the way toward the pacific coast do not know anything about rust, sorry if that offends you, but I have seen it. Kev, on your pictures, yes technically that is rust, even I cannot deny that, but you did not pass on the car because of it. That C.C. Texas Clipper, yes technically it has rust, but not enough to pass on the car. Yet everyone is poo-pooing the car because it is "loaded with rust". If I had the money the car would be in my yard and $5,000 from now would be on the road and in shows.

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Quote:This must also be an Illinois definition. One unforgettable sight was on a large expressway in the Chicago area coming from the airport. Was in a hotel van which was moving along quite nicely and this beat up maybe 10 year old Chevy went by going much faster. The right front fender was just flapping away a good 10 or 12 inches worth like it was only held on by the bolts under the hood. Several of us had never seen anything like it but van driver said that was a very common sight.

Yes I remember that car. It was originally sold in Rochester, N.Y.

One man's rusted out panel is another man's Gold.

The business I work for part out '58-'66 Thunderbirds. We cut the parts cars up, store the usable panels and parts and scrap the rest. We regularly have a HUGE pile of rusted scrap, 1/4 panels, roofs, fenders, frame rails, trunks, floor pans, cowls,doors of about 5-7 cars worth ready for the scrapers to pick up.

We regularly have customers that stop in and visit our location from the east/central regions of the US. While taking them on the tour of the warehouses, we walk by the scrap pile. They are shocked at what we consider "rusted out". I've literally had to tell people to "get out of the scrap pile" because they are almost offended at what we on the West Coast consider unusable. One customer from Ohio actually asked if he could drag out a pair of doors that we tossed out because the bottom of the outer area was full of rust pinholes and bondo. He said "thats not rust. Rust is when the the hinges have nothing to bolt onto."

So from then on out, whenever I get a call for "good sheetmetal" I have to ask them where they are calling from. It really makes a difference as to what the customer wants/expects.

And BigKev, you are right about southwest cars usually having rusty floors. The seals dry up, water gets in and they rust from the inside out. Actually we see passenger side floor boards rusted out alot because heater cores leak and the carpet holds the moisture.

My brother actually bought this bucket...

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Chuckltd

Yup that's a winter rat.

I can see spending $17,000 and not seeing much progress on the car. I bought a 1955 Packard Clipper Custom for a bargain price of $1000 and I thought I was getting a deal. It did not run, had 4 flat tires and was a mess, my wife gagged when she saw it. I also thought that I could invest only $5000 and have a real nice running car, a Packard at that! I was wrong. After many mistakes and $35,000 I have a very nice looking and running 1955 Packard Clipper. I rebuilt the motor myself and parts alone were $1900. I have rebuilt nearly everything on it. My car is no where near worth what I have spent on it, but I have gotten my money out of it. I have had it 12 years and 40k miles (8 years on the road). I go to car cruises every chance I get.

Yes this particular car needs body work and it can be done. Just remember the journey and take lots of pictures.

I don't have enough pictures of my cars' journey as it was being rebuilt. One of the best rewards I have is that not only is my wife willing and ready to go anywhere in this car, she will drive it with out me!

Enjoy the journey fixing your car and the ride afterwards.

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InMichigan we have no inspections, no emissions tests, just freedom! and relatively few deaths for this fact.