Packard Forum Index » Project Blogs

No real progress on the car for the last few days as I have been down with the Flu. But my Antenna switch knob arrived in the mail from Seattle Packards. So baby steps!

Hi Kev

Great job on cleaning the tranny. I hope it repays you with working great!
The magnet idea is also good. If you can get a old computer hard drive they have VERY strong magnets inside. I use them on all my drain plugs. When draining the nonsense will stick to the plugs. Just remove the plug together with the magnet. These magnets are so strong that they will not fall of.

Your progress is impressive!

Goodluck!
Barrie

THrottle linkage:
Similar too my 56 Exec. There is a rite angle spring anchor bracket about 8 inches below the pedal linkage bracket. It screws into the floor.
I prefer the spring relocated to the carb throttle arm.

Well a little work on the car tonight. I took the measurements provided by Dave, and also the '51-'53 diagram in the Service Manual and worked up this new template that can be printed out and taped to the dash for drilling the dash holes. This will works for '51-'54 cars as it includes the '53 ignition switch, and also the '54 ash receiver.

With this now in hand I was able to position this on the dash using the top of the ash receiver for horizontal alignment, and the headlight switch shaft for placement. With it taped in place a step-drill bit was used to drill the hole. The switch was positioned thru the back side, and the bezel and knob attached. I had bought two knobs from David Moe as my headlight switch knob was pretty pitted. So I installed that knob also.

Attach file:

---

  (29.93 KB)


  (18.32 KB)


  (23.32 KB)


  (20.63 KB)


  (30.27 KB)

That antenna switch will likely serve you well. At least one, and probably many more Packards have been sold on the strength of an antenna switch that works. There's something about sitting in the driver's seat and running that aerial up and down... a true feeling of 1950's power. Men's eyes get moist and they decide that if a cool option like that still works, the car must be ready to drive home.

Kev,
I just did the same thing on my 51 although I was adding the rear speaker fader and not the antenna switch. Was looking at your pictures and it doesn't look like you have the wedge shaped pieces that go between the dash and the switch to compensate for the dash round under. There should be a small spacer cut square on one surface and at an angle on the other that goes between the switch and the back of the dash and a chrome wedge shaped spacer for in front. The knob should leave the dash at the same angle as the knob to the right. When I bought my accessory speaker fader I was fortunate enough that it came with all the appropriate hardware.



Edit: Looked at your picture again. Maybe there isn't supposed to be a spacer when the switch is placed as high as it is on your dash. Looks like your switch goes where the ignition switch is on a 51. My speaker fader was below and to the left of the position you drilled and did need the wedge shaped spacers.

Bob, I have both spacers. The front chrome piece, and the rear one that goes behind the dash. Take a look at this picture:

Attach file:

---

  (18.96 KB)

Yea, that's them. Just didn't look like they were there in your picture.

Well a couple of small updates today now that I am back from the PI Meet.

I was able to score some good parts. I picked up a bunch of spare dash knobs and bezels that are better than some of the ones I currently have. I also picked up the speaker switch knob and bezel. Then later on I was able to find a speaker switch with all the factory wiring in place. So mounting that switch will be the next project.

Also I located window division rubber, cowl seal to hood rubber, and front door leading edge rubber pretty cheaply. All of them are new and still in the Steele Rubber polybags.

I also found a perfect headlight ring (I think I finally now have two good ones). I also found a very nice taillight housing. So I think I have two good ones now also. I found a piece of script I was missing that will work for now as a driver.

Next I found a rusty looking Tri-Five Chevy wiper motor in a box of old parts. So for $40 I thought I would risk it. Brought it home, media blasted it, and bingo, works perfectly.

So I know these will mount right up on a 55-56 car. But on a 51-54 there are a couple of things that have to be done. First you have to be running 12 volts (which I am). Second you have to cut off the corner of the lower bracket of the wiper motor to clear the lip on the firewall. The 51-54 Briggs built bodies have the lip right in the way. So that is why the bracket has to trimmed. Next the round portion of the motor housing hits the lip and interferes with the mounting. So you have to (purists look away), bend a small one inch porting of the lip up about 1/4 inch. Basically the lip normally rolls down at the edge. So where the housing hits the lip, you have to straighten the rolled portion. This is only about a one inch section that is completely hidden with the motor in place. Plus it can be bend back into place easily if needed. I gently used a pair of vise-grips to do this.

Then it is simple a matter of hooking up the small wire to the mounting bolt, and the longer wire to switched 12v source. Then of course you need to hook up the metal cable from the old wiper motor to the new one. I just needed to lubricate the plastic switch slide on the motor, and adjust the cable. It works like a champ. This conversion is perfect for my driver, non-show car. I can easily convert it back if needed, and the old wiper motor covers the required bend in the lip.

Attach file:

---

  (46.12 KB)


  (38.95 KB)


  (29.24 KB)


  (33.23 KB)

Those Tri-5 Chevy car wiper motors are the cat's meow man, I loved the one on my '56. As a side note, they'll also fit the '50 and back cars if you either have the rectangular wiper drive or swap out the "propeller" drive for the '49 and up version, which is rectangular.