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Stewart............... Packards have always impressed the multitudes. I can't wait to see yours rolling through the Bluegrass State!

Nice camera work, interesting composition.

Hello all,

What a terrific day I had today. I took the Packard out for a spin and ended up driving to Summerhaven, AZ. Summerhaven is actually the small village atop the Santa Catalina Mountains or what we locals refer to as, Mt. Lemmon.

Given our temperatures here and the 15% alcohol in our fuels, I'm always a bit leery of such summertime excursions during the daytime. But what the heck, what could happen and I've got AAA auto insurance, an American Express card and I'm an adventurer at heart.

So after some morning yard-work, I decided to fetch myself an adult beverage atop our lovely mountains. From our home, at approximately 2300' above sea level, I would be driving a mere (25) miles to Summerhaven to find the cool temperatures present at 9000'. Tall ponderosa pines and a cold one with my name on it awaits.

The drive drive up was virtually flawless. I detected one 'hiccup' but the old gal recovered and drove on. I have an electric fuel pump, and I must use it driving on my summertime cruises. The closest fuel station with alcohol-free fuel is down in Benson AZ or up in the Phoenix valley.

Upon arrival, I find that I'm not alone atop the mountain. I discover that other Tucsonans are looking for a brief respite from the heat as well. I manage to park my 400 and then I go in for an ice cold beer. Yes just one. A pint of Bud Light was my choice. Served in a chilled / cold glass, and guess what? I'm loving life.
So I 'nurse' the Bud for a while and then decide, enough; time to go back down the mountain. The ride down, with all my windows open is something I truly enjoy. There is nothing like a fresh clean breeze enveloping oneself. Hell my hardtop is almost a convertible isn't it? Well, maybe a convertible someday, but I don't have 100k lying around to build and or purchase that Onyx black Caribbean with teal stripe at the current time. So just drive the Packard Kevin!

Well, I get the 400 started and she is burping a bit. I managed to get her turned around, and I enter the Catalina Highway. She stalls, but given my locale, she rolls back towards a stop sign. I'm out of the traffic way, I get her restarted. Took a few turns of the key, and a bit of feathering the accelerator, but she is running.
For future reference, allow one's rebuilt Packard engine, with 4L60E transmission time to come back to idle. Don't shift selector into DRIVE while RPM's are somewhat above normal!
Boom! Holy %^)(DDFH%$#@!))KKJ&^. I didn't even need to get out of the Packard. I knew it, heard it and felt it! I blew up the rear u-joint. Clank! Son of a sea cook!
Well.............I called AAA and had another couple of Bud Lights waiting for them to arrive. Nice young man showed up. And what the heck .......... let's rain on Tucson's prettiest 1955 Packard too while we are at it.
I survived, the Packard is now in the carport (not the garage) and I hope you all take similar adventures in stride.

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Did the U-joint itself break or did the prop shaft break ruining the prop shaft???

Hey Kevin, those full throttle starts with slicks at the local drag strip will do that. Been there, done that, got the T-shirt.

JK

That's a weird failure. I presume that the driveshaft was altered during the 4L60E conversion, so that would explain it.

Craig

Sorry to hear you are down for a while. Should be a minor repair. Let us know when you go back to finish your beer.

i'm glad it wasn't worse (or a power steering pump that failed you.)

Just for clarification, you were not using the electric pump?? If you were, kind of scary thinking the main reason for having one (to help prevent vapor lock) might not be valid.

The rolling backwards at the stop brings up bad memories. We were on a fairly steep narrow winding road and no place to pull off when mine vapor locked. A friend who weighed a good 300# was driving and thank goodness for that because he was standing on that brake pedal with all he had. There are few things more exhilarating or seat staining than trying to stop a 5000 lb car rolling backwards for almost a quarter mile with an Easamatic that has run out of vacuum.

Thank goodness your drama was elsewhere and short lived. Let us know what was broken -- hopefully not the rear yoke to pinion shaft. One of our Australian friends had a time finding one of those. I guess the originals for his model are NLA but finally he did find a complete but different assy that would fit the splined shaft and the seal.

Hope you've got AAA Premium!!!

Kevin - sorry to hear about the problem but those moments come to all of us sooner or later who enjoy the hobby and drive our cars. We picked the hobby, it didn't pick us, so we just shrug it off as part and parcel of the experience. It's only happened to me on 2 occasions; a broken axle on the 1934 in 1999 and luckily about 2 blocks from home (took many months to find a replacement axle) and once in the 56 Carib (push button relay). For what must be more than 150,000 pleasurable miles of driving vintage Packards it isn't even hiccup.