Packard Forum Index » General

I'm a generalist.

If it's Packard (or, for that matter, any OTHER make), I like it.

I like 'em all from rusty, weed-encrusted hulk to high-zoot, megabuck restoration.

They're all rolling history lessons of How Things Used To Be.

And if I recall correctly, the late Roy Warshawsky (of JC Whitney fame) thought nothing of driving his restored classic cars ANYWHERE, any time. I'm sure there are others...

When we had the Nixon 55 mph speed limits things were a lot easier. My cheap modern car cruises easily at 90, but I don't because the tires are rated to 80 mph.

And I'm telling ya these Packard won't test anywhere near new on a dyno no matter how much money is spent on the motor short of rebuilding the Packard plant.

Why? Because, like your grandmother, they are worn and not as fast as they used to be.

I knew somebody who had a low low mileage 443 and that car was fast. It easily outran a high mileage rebuilt 840. Nothing from the period could touch it.

I don't think that it is an unreasonable thing to drive an antique car, provided, of course, common sense and an acute sense of awareness are paramount. It goes without saying that a person with a car valued at $250,000 will be a lot more paranoid in traffic than another with a car costing $25,000, although each will be just as concerned about his car as the other. You can't place an emotional value in monetary terms on what a car means to an owner.

That said, it still holds true that every car that is capable needs to be driven in order to keep it in proper condition. Cars that are not run will eventually deteriorate. I read an article in USA Today about a 95-year-old former Chevrolet dealer who is selling his "collection" of nearly 500 extremely low-mileage cars, some with as little as one mile on the odometer. The gentleman I was with asked me if I would want one of them. I rolled my eyes, chuckled, and replied, "Hell, no!"

Any car that has less than 50 miles after 50 years may look OK on the outside, but it would be a wreck in terms of the gaskets, rubber, etc., especially since most of this "collection" sat outside in the elements all of those years. This old man did not do anything to add value to these cars. Maybe putting a few miles and changing the oil now and then might have salvaged a few, but now all of those that are sold are mostly going for their novelty value. I wouldnt't want one, because to do anything with one would require a total restoration. Further, most of them are simply Plain Jane four-door sedans, not desireable coupes or convertibles.

So, to conclude, it doesn't matter how much a car is worth, whether it is a beauty queen 100-point classic or a simple old survivor, it needs to be run.

A restored car drives like a restored car. An original low mileage car drives like a Packard. The more you drive it the more that goes away. You can't take it with you, but you can leave something behind. Eventually none of this stuff is going to run anymore.

I was at the Ford museum looking at that original Duesy with the roof leaking on it and thought "that's a pretty good place for it."