Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

Hi everybody,

Well, I am not finding those footrests for a 1929 Packard. Is anybody out there familiar with how to reproduce old parts? Sorry, I am new to this.

There is a company called Classic Auto Reproduction Service that will cast them in brass, which is probably the route I will wind up going. Is anybody familiar with these guys? They seem pretty knowledgeable. Their website isbrassauto.com/

Next question...is anybody looking for a set of these? I am not interested in making any money. The guy says he could reduce the price per set on a larger order, so I would be willing to have him make more than one set of castings if anybody needs them.

Are they flat? If so may be cheaper to get them cnc'd or waterjetted, out of metal stock.

Unfortunately they are not flat. I am curious about what would be the best metal to have them made of. I have heard stainless and brass, with more leaning toward brass.

I looked for years for the foot rest brackets for my 1929 633 and finally came across a set that had been reproduced from originals by sand casting in brass.
There are 2 casting processes to consider, sand casting and lost wax investment casting. Mine are sand cast ones and are fine, the sides have an inset area that is not easily accessible to polishing so that face is not as smooth as the faces that are polished. The lost wax process will yield a near perfect reproduction all over however it is a much more expensive process.
My view is sand cast brass is appropriate for these brackets. If money is no object, go for lost wax stainless steel but the end result will only be better on the closest examination. The other benefit of SS is that it does not need to be plated, just polished.
I have not used the company you mentioned but they would not last long if their work was not up to scratch.

You might see if Jere Verdone has the parts, he had a very large array of non-precision Packard and other car parts cast in stainless steel by the lost wax process. He has been a regular at Hershey for many years though I didn't see him this year. I've bought a part or two from him over the years with satisfaction, though on some parts the small amount of shrinkage can be an issue.

verdones.com/

Great advice. Thanks for helping a newbie. As with everything else (or so it seems), money is a factor, so I will probably go with the sand casting option in brass. My originals are in decent shape, considering they are over 80 years old (just broken off where they bolt to the floorboards), so I think the end result will be good.

I don't have a 6th Series parts book handy but Packard tended to use some of the same interior trim parts for many years; might yours be the same as the one show here (about the 7th, 13th and 14th photos down from the top)?

packardclub.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=686

If so, not that I'd call them common but you do see them for sale occasionally, I saw several sets at Hershey this year for very reasonable prices. It's die-cast and nickel plated.

You guys are great! I learn something every time I look at this website. Unfortunately...nope, my footrests are different from the 7th series, but my door and window cranks appear to be identical. Thanks for the pics. I will throw up a picture of my busted pot metal later tonight.

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Jere died in June 2008. His wife may have continued on with the business.

The brackets pictured in Owens post #7 look identical to the ones on my 48 LWB sedan. A picture of what you need would help identify the part.