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HaHaHa Sorry Todd I guess my compass is broken. Its still where its always been.
Ron

I just found out that after so much time or so much typing it blows everything you just typed out.
Anyway, Got your number Ron. Pack 12 where and when did you live in the S.F. Valley.
Instead of finishing this up tonight, I will break it down and condense a bit more.

Roger driving his Packard 12 he finds around 1954 he needs a few parts. He visits several independent and Packard agencies around the Pasadena, Glendale area. All of the service departments and mechanics tell him that they don't know where to get parts, or they are not familiar working on these. So one day he wanders into Rehwald Packard in Glendale. Which was originally Kelly Motor Co. No one can help him, until an older salesman spots him who evidently had sold Packards pre war. He strikes up a friendship and is told that these parts can either be ordered or found. In order to get these parts and be able to pay for them, he takes on the job of lot boy, and auto delivery person. Shortly after this, the dealership becomes Rehwald-Danyluk Motors, and declines to take on the Studebaker line. So all Packard and Studebaker sales is discontinued. And Roger is out of a job.
He then makes his way to Noll Auto Co. in Pasadena. Noll was originally Bush-Morgan Packard just down the street at 1095 Colorado Street. During World War II this location was switched with the Buick dealership at 1285 East Colorado. Roger says that both buildings are intact, so be sure to visit 1095, and 1285.
He is hired into the parts department, and service. He is employed there from about 1956 thru 1963.
To keep things going at the dealership, it becomes Noll-Baldwin Auto Co. They continue to service Packards until 1963, and become distribtor and sales for Mercedes, and a british line, which includes Triumph, Hillman, Simca, etc. (Bet you have not thought about Simca for awhile!)

A bit later or tomorrow, so that I don't get kicked out again, I will go into a couple of stories about the vehicles serviced, and some of the vehicles he purchased while there.

Thanks again Todd.

Todd,

I've also experienced losing posts I've typed. Advised to draft them in Notepad or Word then copy it over when you're ready. Also have any pic's ready to attach. Seems the system must automatically time-out after a while but you don't know until you try to do something like spellcheck, preview or post. But I'm a glutton for punishment and continue to draft in the system, but save what I've then done to safeguard my work. Goodluck in the future

Great work Todd!!
I really diggin' this story and can't wait for the next installment!

In answer to your question -

East Valley - North Hollywood area is where I lived after I got married in '64 - from '50 to then lived at my parent's house above Barham overlooking Universal Studios.

I bought my V-12 in 1955 (for twenty five bucks) (well, yes, that was a lot of money for un-wanted big pre-war cars in those days - something more practical, like a Ford Model A, or pre-war Chevrolet, would be at least fifty or seventy five bucks).

Roger, myself, and a few other "hard cases" who liked big Packards were the nucleus of the Classic Car Club Of America in those years (ask Roger what happened to his '37 V-12 Club Sedan).

I did a over-haul in Charlie Last's shop in the 1960's, finally escaped Californicated in '99. From the 1950's until we escaped, my V-12 "lived" at my parent's house above Barham Blvd. Of course Roger knew Charlie (Charlie got his Packard Twelve training at the same Packard dealer), but had left and started his own business long before Roger came on the scene.

When I went to Hollywood High School in the mid-1950's, you can imagine (well, I guess you younger folks cant) the contempt and ridicule I got from many of my class-mates for choosing a pre-war luxury car for my "mount". Revenge is sweet - couple of months ago the Hollywood High School "Class '58" had our FIFTY YEAR RE-UNION. Parked at the entrace to the hotel, where you couldn't possibly miss it, was the Twelve. Guess what - they arent laughing any more...!

I spent all of the eighties living in Encino or Woodland Hills.
I spent the last year and a half with Charlie Last. He was getting old and had a bad case of the shakes. He also had a problem of falling asleep most of the time. I wanted to get a 12 engine built for my car. He didn't and couldn't do anymore engines. So I paid him a lesser amount and went to his shop about three times per week to do the actual work while he advised and tried to stay awake. At this time there were two other final straight eight engines, that I had to finish for him, as he could not even put a bolt in or even get the wrench on the head. Again because of his shaking. I never met the two other engine owners, but I hope they worked out ok. At the end I actually purchased the shop, but he had a senior moment for about a week and got confused, Backed out, then wanted to do it. But I purchased a piece of property instead.

Talk soon. Todd.

Todd - were you at E.C. Last's funeral ? If you were, you will remember me - I did the obit., and my Twelve led his funeral procession.

(for those of you who wonder who E.C. Last was, let me give a little background. Charlie bought a '37 V-12 right before the war; converted it to propane so Helen could get fuel (we had gas rationing during the war - since Helen wasn't an essential war worker, she could only get five gallons per week). He was one of our first members of the Classic Car Club of America. He was an aircraft hydraulic mech. during the war - after the war, he got a job at Pasadena Packard, and since he knew Twelves backwards and fowards, he wound up handling their Twelve service customers (lots of Twelves in Pasadena, Calif in those days-an upper income section north and east of down-town Los Angeles).

I met Charlie around '55, "apprenticed" in his shop in Alhambra.

Charlie finally closed his shop in Alhambra and went into semi retirement, but continued to do a little work out of a small place he rented (I forget the name of the street).

Charlie was a really swell guy.

Packfan 12 give me your name and I can pass it on to Roger.
Roger sold his 37 12 in 1957 to Mike McMannus of Atlantic Auto Parts. A parts salvage lot. He then sold it to J.B. Nethercutt. Nethercutt parted it out for another 37 12 club sedan. This 37 is still in the collection to this day.

I now remember Charlie telling how he was the young dump kid, and all the senior Packard mechanics would pass all of the 12 jobs onto him. He said he did not know any better.

So now, onto a couple of stories while Roger is with Noll Auto Co.
Some of you may know the Wrigley's owned much property in the Los Angeles area. One home was in Pasadena, you know the home now as the large mansion the Rose Parade uses, with the Queens and committee members stand in front of for the cameras. They used to have a 39 12 sedan, and for service the cheuffeur would regularly bring it to Noll for service. Roger would occasionally talk with the driver. One day he told Roger that the car was being sold, and in its place the Wrigleys were purchasing a Pontiac Station Wagon. To this day at least once a year Roger will tell me, yikes! one of the wealthiest families and they go to of all things a Pontiac from a Packard 12!
Another story is the grandsons of Sir William Baden-Powell (hope this is spelled correctly)founder of the Boy Scouts owned two 1948 Limos. For a long period of time one car would come all beat up. The dealership would paint, clean, tune up, body work, etc. Out it would go then the other one would come in all beat up. This went on for sometime. Roger finally asked what is happening. He was told that the family owned a ranch in Montana, and the cars would go up there and then be used on the trails and dirt roads. The family loved the cars and always wanted one to drive. So they had to alternate the cars being serviced.

While working at these dealerships Roger purchased several Packards either through his contacts with customers or outside.
He purchased a 1940 Formal Super Eight for 300.00
1940 Darrin convertible for 750.00
1940 Bohman & Schwartz Super Eight Sedan. Yes this is the one when you open the doors the running board comes out from underneath the car, and has factory a/c
1936 120 Convertible sedan for 200.00
1939 12 Limo from Anna Morris, of Fairbanks-Morris Scales. Roger still has this Limo. Trust me, this car is to die for. Mint, mint, mint original. Even with call buzzer for the driver.

In 1963 Roger went to work for Pacific Piano for two years and learned his trade as service technician for both Ampico and Duo-Art reproducing pianos. Then he spent time with his own company working on the pianos.

In 1965 his friend Harold Crosby asked him to join the Nethercutt Collection as curator. A couple of years later he went into the electrical department. And has been there ever since.

Also over the years he has become one of the foremost collectors and restorers of Capeharts.

I will pause here then come back to finish, so that I don't get kicked out again.

And then a quick story of how I came to know Roger. I had just purchased my 39 12. It was 1987. I wanted to have the block and radiator flushed out, as the car had been driven very little in the previous ten to fifteen years. For those of you familiar with Los Angeles. San Fernando Road in the Burbank area was home to many long time garages. Young's Radiator had been there for about 40+ years. I go there, and I start to tell the owner (you can picture the old fashioned type, sixties, big cigar, bib overalls) how to flush the car, when he interrupts me and says "it's a Packard 12, I know what to do I have done hundreds". So I shut up. The back of the car is sticking out of one of the stalls. Roger just happens to be driving by and thinks he recognizes the car and pulls in. Well, you all know when you drive these everyone tries to tell you what to do and how to do it, and they really don't know anything. So Roger starts talking with my wife, we try to be polite all the while I am telling her to just smile and ignore him and he will go away. I don't think I said two words to him. But she got his name and phone number. A few days later I call Carol at PI about a few things and happen to mention who is Roger Morrison, and should I bother to even call back. All I hear is a gasp on the other end, and her saying something like Todd are you crazy?
The rest is history.

I am going to make a copy of all of this for Roger. Remember he does not have a computer. I am working on it! So if many of you can reply with a positive message and any names and phone numbers I will pass it on.
He is going to Pebble Beach in about a week to help take the Nethercutt cars up there and to be a judge for more than thirty years. So I will see him when he gets back. And be sure not to challenge him on the judging of any cars, you will get yourself into trouble.

Again, wonderful site, hope this repays in a small way all the wonderful things all of you are doing. Todd.

Now, someone tell me how to print this whole thing out on my printer for Roger. And how I can send Pack12 fan an email.

Thanks Todd