Packard Forum Index » Modification Discussion

Quote: This remains to be proven, as no one here has ever seen a turbocharged 370hp 327" 5-main engine. Who knows what would fail first?

FWIW, rods don't usually fail from the pressure of horsepower, but most often from being pulled apart by inertial forces. Since the Packard won't turn fast enough to generate much inertia and the forged pistons will be considerably lighter than the OEM, thus less inertial force, the OEM rods might not be the weak link.

However, in a $20,000 build, custom rods might be a good investment The best I've ever seen are from Cunningham - now $2000 a set at last quote.

www.cunninghamrods.com

Greg Cunningham Connecting Rods
550 W. 172nd Street
Gardena, Ca. 90248
310-538-0605

jack vines

Thanks very much for the link to Cunningham, I'll have to give them a call 2,000 is a very good price! I personally don't trust a 60 year old rod to hold up.

hey the steering wheel is on the wrong side!

For the metric challenged Peter Packard's 190 Km Hr = 118.75 MPH. Serious horsepower required to get a Packard 120 sedan to go that fast.

The same motor in a 52 Mayfair should do about the same, the body is smoother but has more frontal area.

In other words you don't need 375 HP to burn up the roads. I like the idea of a hopped up straight eight but if you really want that much HP there are easier ways to get it.

For example trade your 52 hardtop for a 55 or 56 V8 and let Jack build you a nice 374.

Or put a 374 in the 52. As Stroker McGirk (sp.?) used to say: "The only substitute for cubic inches is more cubic inches." Bob Aller put a 352 in his 54 300.

(o[]o)

i am interesting in this topic because i had delusions/dreams of putting a straight eight on the salt. turbocharged. in a bellytank/lakester frame. i have seen a Buick 6, but no Packards. a nine bearing would be my choice. the oiling system would have to go dry sump cause the Packard oiling is no good for this.I read "what would blow first " the rods i believe.
anybody have any more ideas i will read them.
a Packard gearheads delusion.

Quote:
Or, "There is no replacement for displacement."

It is true that there are far easier ways to go fast truth be told we all would probably be money ahead if we owned chevys but where is the fun in that? I beleive bruce crower had a nash 8 in a salt flat car and went over 200mph with turbos so the potential it there to say the least. In my side of the world we dont really do much land speed racing its mostly drag or circle track and I really want to se how far these engines can be pushed and survive. The V8 packard is a good engine and I have seen several pictures of them powering racing boats from the 50's-60's and there kind of a known quanity but to the bast of my knowlage there are very few "full race" L8's the only one i know of is in a pan america car and has not been seen for close to 50 years. The realistic limitations of the L8 is part of its appeal to me.

pretty much the same with me. i've seen my whole life chevys run. run them myself. that is not the point here. can i get this Mule to dance... ? or run like hell bent. just fun gear head stuff/

IIRC, the '54 Packard 359" was the highest horsepower flathead ever in a production car. Anyone ever seen anything rated higher?
Quote:
The Crower Nash was an OHV engine with dual plug ignition. It cracked the head and never ran again.

jack vines