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Kev!

Hi BigKev
It is a 2662 26th edition 53 Clipper Deluxe I even have dads original build sheet and ordering info but I guess I'm not Crazy well thats debatable!But I have been noticing several different things than even in the service manuals and also parts numbers cross references It reminds me of one restoration I did years ago on one of those half year cars it was a 70 1/2 Olds Cutlass it drove me nuts my Dad told me it was one of those cars built early Monday or late on a Friday night shift! Ha! Well I have been following your build and I thank you I appreiciate the attention to detail and you are doing a very good build and what I like is you are helping out alot with so many if I can ever help you or anyone else in this Packard family don't hesitate to drop a line and I look forward to maybe meeting up at a meet somewhere Thank You again!

Thank You Ken
I am so glad you are enjoying my blog and also share a common bond with our Fathers cars. I know I am blessed to be able to do this cause it really helps me with dealing with Dads loss. I miss him alot but was such a lucky kid to have such a wonderful Dad like him in my life. I will do the very best to bring this car back to life and I hope your project will bring you the joy mine does. I will follow your progress also and look forward to hearing from you!
Thank You again and by the way my name is Bart and was great chatting with you!

Well hope everybody had a good 4th of July! It was a hot one here today got to 103 Degrees in the shade Wow! that is hot so waited to work on the Packard until after the fireworks. Still in process of tearing down bagging and tagging parts and grouping parts and pieces that are going to get sent out for chrome ect. I believe most of the sheetmetal fenders doors ect are in good enough shape to soda blast but still have alot of work to go before starting that. I just got the right side fender and inner fender off and front grill assy and am calling it a night. Here are a few pics of todays progress.

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Bart,

Looking good. Seems you're well organised which can be half the battle especially down the track. So, and I'm probably preaching to the converted here, take plenty of pictures of everything before you start dis-assembling things. It's a real good means of documenting what comes from where and how it should look. Likewise in taking apart components lay the parts out in the order they come apart, helps a lot when the time comes to re-assemble.

Welcome Bart. Looks like you've gotten stuck right into the dismantling already.It should be a great project, with so much family history in the background to this car. A great way to honour the memory of your dad.

Totally amazing help available on this website, so that will make things much easier for you. As Mal says, label and photograph every item. Also, the pics are great to look back on sometime in the distant future.

Doing a body off resto can make things a bit easier if you have space for the frame as well as the body. You could maybe consider making a 'roll-around' support frame to sit the body on while you work on the chassis etc -? Just a suggestion . . . whatever works best for you.

Cost will be a few hundred bucks and it'll take around two days to build. It does help you to get up and under the body for repairs, painting etc. I did that so I could have the frame (chassis) at home and work on it for about five months while a metalworker did the rust repairs on the body. He could get to any area of the body very easily.

Here's a few pics of the frame I built. Of course this way doesn't suit every resto, especially if you don't have much rust to be removed from underneath, or much room to sit a frame with the body on it. (Your '53 doesn't look too bad for rust, am I right?)

Hello
This website is a real God send! Thank you for checking out my 53 project. Its funny but I was just mocking up a roll off dolly over at my Dads old shop! You are right it will make it alot easier. I normally restore old vintage motorcycles they don't take up as much space but I'm really excited about this project and sure will take any advice or help I can get You guys on here are great! Well off to the shop you have a great day. Oh your question on the rust issue its not bad but as I get into it it has enough that the dolly idea will help out alot.

Hello BigKev
I have a few pics of some of Dads original paperwork thought I'd share it. Hope you like Its kind of neat.

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Well today we finally got some rain and it cooled down alittle so I got some more progress done on my 53 teardown. After yesterdays temp of 107 I suffered thru I didn't think I'd have it in me today but temp was only 90 and so I went to the shop! After using a few cans of good old PB Blaster and letting it work over night everything came off pretty easy. Got the rest of the radiator support off along with the left side fender assy, electric antenna motor and assy ( It will need repaired the plastic strip that pushes and pulls the antenna shaft is broke and motor is not working) also removed the pressure tank and mounts labeled all my wires and parts and added them to the other parts already baged and tagged! Lots of work ahead but all in all she is in fairly good shape. Mom stopped in and made my day by helping with the parts labeling and she also cleans up after my messes I leave! She makes my day I am so blessed to have her she is a dandy. She lives right up the road from me so she is a regular in the shop and after all she knows the history of the car better than me she was with dad the day he bought the car and has alot of wheel time behind it! Anyway here are a few pics of todays progress and hope you enjoy them

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