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

1) The front interior is the original black leather, does anyone know what color the front carpet should be?

2)Do the numbers stamped on the fire wall indicate anything?
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3) what is the estimated value of nice looking and good running 1937 model 1502 business limo.

can you post some pics?

Pictures would help. I've never heard of a business limousine. I don't think there were any options on carpet color in the front, except if the customer custom ordered something.
No. The numbers on the firewall do not indicate anything in regards to how a car was fitted with options, trimmed or painted.

West, "Business" executive sedans and limos were offered to the funeral & livery trade from 1935 thru 1941, perhaps in 1942; they had their own dedicated catalogs sometimes combined with the hearse & ambulance catalogs. There is a '37 version here in NJ, and I have seen 2 1941 models which were based on a 160 but de-trimmed somewhat externally (for example, no side fender trim strips). The 1941 version that I saw (up around Poughkeepsie a few years ago was also fitted with the removable right side center door pillar.

Here are portions of the 1937 and 1940 catalogs.

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There was a 1937 limo for sale in the Tulsa area about a yr ago.

The 1940 Business car catalog was all fluff - no discussion of differences between it and the standard limos or executive sedans. But the 1937 Business car catalog did have some details; wider rear axle tread and different rear fender wheel housings to allow wider seats, more utilitarian upholstery, full-width jump seats that meet in the center for 3-person seating, etc. The 1937 Business Sedan and Limo are advertised for 8-passenger seating, the standard limo and LWB sedan are for 7-passenger seating.

They are also differentiated from the standard limo and lwb sedan by the addition of a suffix letter ("B") after the body type portion of the vehicle number. For example"

1014-XXXX = 7 passenger sedan
1014B-XXXX = 8 passenger Business sedan

1015-XXXX = 7 passenger limo
1015B-XXXX = 8 passenger Business Limo

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I knew of a 1942 senior sedan that had the "One Sixty/Eighty" script deleted off the hood sides from the factory. It was originally sold to a funeral home and only had around 24K original miles on it. It also was an overdrive delete car. I bet it was one of the business sedans.

Sounds like it may have been. But it wouldn't have taken a "delete" option to eliminate the overdrive, it wasn't standard equipment - so it simply wasn't ordered.

There is so little information on these Business Cars that anything new would be welcome, they've kind of escaped the usual study. If anyone comes across any bona fide examples, it would be nice to hear more. I'm curious how they extended the rear tread on the 1502 Business Cars; if anyone has a parts list for 1937 Super 8, would you take a look and see if it had it's own unique rear axle housing and longer axles, or if they used some sort of spacers plus longer axles It would also be interesting to know for how many years they used the longer rear tread and modified wheel wells - perhaps only thru 38 as that was the end of that body as far as the Super Eight is concerned.

There was 1 for sale in Nebraska in January. I looked at it, it was a 1014B. It was an older restoration with poor paint job, and a typical late 70's early 80's upholstery materials and colors. it was below 0 when I looked at it with a nasty wind, so they couldn't get it running so I made my offer accordingly. I didn't get it someone else offered him $6k more.

ps Sorry Dave, I forgot to get the numbers on the cowl for you; after looking at it and crawling under it I was so cold that I didnt think about numbers anymore