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Hi Charlie,

First I cut a 1/4 inch by ~3 inch slot into a few pieces of paper and laid them over the clock face so I didn't scratch anything, then I just used the knife from a leatherman pocket tool and pried up on the base of the minute hand. I didn't pry on the wide ring of the minute hand, but right where it attaches to the clock mechanism. I worked my way around 1 or two times, and then the minute hand jumped about a foot in the air as it came off with a pop. The hour hand I was able to pull off with my fingers. I also set the clock to 1:00 before taking off the hands, so I knew where to put them back. I was worried I was going to bend the hands, but it all worked out without breaking/bending anything. I am happy with the red. I don't think I am going to paint the actual fuel and temp gauges, I'll just leave them grey. If I painted them, then I would also have to repaint the white triangles, and I don't trust myself to get that exact enough..
Have a good one, Mike

The packard saw daylight for the first time in a while! Yesterday it was taken away to the paint shop. He will do the final body work, and paint, and then give the car back to me with all the body panels off but painted. Then I get to do the final assembly.

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I also had the front blinker refelctors refinished. I'm not sure exactly what process they use, but they are mirrored! I'm not supposed to touch the refelctive surface. -Hence the saran wrap keeping dust and fingers off the reflectors. They also put a nice clear coat on the backsides to prevent any new rust from sprouting up. Now I have to make some new sub-harness wires from the blinker to the junction blocks...

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While waiting for body work and paint to get done, I would like to clean up the metal surfaces inside the car. My dash is a semi-gloss to matt finish depending on where you look at it. I plan on using a rubbing compound and then wax/polish to get a nice gloss back into it. I don't want to re-paint everything.
Is a gloss finish on the dash and metal surrounding windows etc, correct for the clipper?
Here you can see a little bit the gloss or lack there of that my dash currently has. (Old pic from before I painted the gauges)
Hope to get some work done over easter weekend.

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The first sparkling parts are coming back from the painter! Here is a quick shot of the hood and trunk lid. The fenders should be done tomorrow, doors at the end of the week, and then the body last. They are welding up the last of the holes and filling the dents with tin. (Leading, whatever you want to call it) Other than that I have been struggling with the dual-2bbl carbs on my 912. Oh man, is a single 2bbl on a packard a walk in the park compared to multiple carbs and linkages and synchronising.

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Now that looks very promising. Will you make it to Switzerland end of May?

Regards,
Clemens

Looking good !

"Will you make it to Switzerland end of May?"

That's for the Euro Packard Meet, is it not? Would like to see photos of the meet if anyone goes, should be some great Packards!

It is best to avoid gloss finish or chrome on an instrument panel. It can cause a blinding glare if the sun hits it just right. This is why windshield wipers and instrument panels have a dull or semi gloss finish.

Thanks Brian and Clemens! The fenders came in yesterday and look good. Doors will be back on thursday, but the body is only going to get finished in the middle or end of May. I won't make it to Switzerland. It would have been really cool, and a euro meet is on my bucket list, but not this year. I must say, the cost is about 1500 euro for the whole thing, which is a little rich for my blood. I'm not a pre-war packard owner here
I am also moving to stuttgart in May, and starting a new job there, so I will be looking for a new garage/workshop. That is also going to slow me down a litte.

Hmm, Could it be that the satin finish of the dash and other metal trim aroundd the windows is normal for a clipper? In that case I may just clean it up a bit rather than taking a buffer to it.
-Mike