Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

I wasn't sure if there was a thread for this already but, what would be your points of interest for maintenance, wear, or body/ structural problems. When purchasing a new packard for restoration that has been sitting, or for those who have just gotten them home.

Depending on where it may've been set up problems are numerous. My car had been stored inside since about 1989.
ALL of the rubber on it was hard, rubber bushings shot, door, window seals, etc. Car had not been lubricated in years. All grease was hard. Body/surface rust is easy to determine and sometimes a factor and sometimes not. Pitted cylinder wall in engines is common - just from sitting and not being run/lubricated for years. Condensation and moisture invades nearly everything unless stored in climate controlled environment and, even then, if the car has sat long enough. Many other things too numerous to mention. ANY vehicle that's been sitting for ANY length of time exceeding a few months needs brakes (master and wheel cylinders, lines, hoses)and steering gone through (see above about grease being hardened).

Sometimes you can luck out but most times not. All you can do is look and see what you've got after you get the car somewhere that you can do so. A car that has sat inside will usually be in better shape than one sitting outside in the weather, naturally, but if one has been set up for four or five years, or longer, you really need to go through it.

Some times you do get lucky. I found my 51 sitting outside behind a house in San Mateo, CA. The owner said it quit running 10 years ago. He couldn't fix it so it sat. All that was wrong was it needed points. It was hard to get started but after a new set of points and a lot of priming it started. It did smoke some but ran rather smoothly. The smoking subsided after a couple of hundred miles and has been running good for the past three years. It did need a complete break job. Replaced all the wheel cylinders as well as the master cylinder and the three rubber break lines. I did change the engine oil as well as checked and topped off all the fluids. One thing that comes to mind is the tires. If a car has sat for very long the tires are probably not safe anymore no matter how good the tire tread looks.

Did you buy your '51 from a guy by the name of Taylor in San Mateo?

Yes, The 51 was Dick Taylors grandfathers car. Do you know Dick?

Yes, I have known Dick and his dad Ray for about, oh---25 years. I saw the car first in 1985 at the house on Parrot drive (I think, it's been a while)and then other trips there. Dick and his father are tryly great people.
I knew one day they would sell that car, I'm glad "one of us" got it.
Now if I could only get him to sell some of the Wurlitzer theatre organ pipe sets he owns to me for a project I've been working on here!

Small world, I've been working with Dick and Ed Stout on and off for ten or so years. I too had a pipe organ project I was working on for years. The pipe dream has pretty much come to an end. I will be renting out my house in Hayward so the organ has to go. I'm really grateful to Dick for the car. I have a lot of fun with it. It's neat knowing the history of the car from the time it was new. In the glove box was the receipt from AAA When Dick's grandfather originally registered the car. It was September 1951.

Id like to tell Dick I ran into someone he knows over the internet but I don't know who you are. If you would send me a private message I'll tell Dick you said hello.

What pipe organ parts are you looking for?

I was looking for a 10" Wurlitzer tibia, 4'-up and a Wurlitzer 10" Tuba horn/Harmonic tuba. I got a donation of the tuba rank, and I now have a line on a Tibia to long-term borrow, from a group that should either long term loan or gift rather than have it collect dust in storage.