Packard Forum Index » Modification Discussion

Thank you Mark for your encouraging words. I have been restoring cars for more than thirty years but this is the first Packard. It has been an exciting challenge to create a unique car. Hopefully others will like the end result.

What front end kit did you use? I've been eyeballing them but not sure who's good.
I'm torn between a dropped straight axle and a rack/A arm/disc brake kit. I like a bit of rake, ~2" lift, in the front not the sled or tail dragger. But may go air bags. FASTBACKS FOREVER! Let the lake pipes roar!
Like that front and back treatment. I had an idea, came across an early P grill shell and thought about incorporating in my '49 to get rid of the school bus look, if I go V12. Right now, I'm going stroker & recessed lights with '55 chevy eyelids. '49 cad lts frenched in the back. I have to decide fast, first fender in on the weld stand but I'm doing another quick driver project now.

Hey Fish'n Jim
The front assy. is from www.helixsuspension.com they were the only ones we could find with a wide enough crossmember and track width. You've got some good ideas but when you say stroker your not talking chev are you? Say it isn't so.

Thanks for the Helix info.
fishnjim sez; "it ain't so". (yet!) Still deciding. It's what I'm comfortable with and HP/torq is right for this body wt.
I'd like to do the biturbo V12, but don't want to get in over my head. Not a mercedes ECM programmer. I almost bought motor, but the weather interfered w/ trip(omen). Almost bought a AMG wreck with same WB, but I figured it was better to fix the AMG... Beemer racing wanted to many $ just to open up and look.
Soon as I get the Cad on the road, I can go back to the "P". I'm close, got the plates today. Hopefully, by this weekend.

I love it. Nice work. Dont worry about the negative comments. I agree with you and if you leave all the nameplates off, when the young kids at the car shows point and say, cool what is it? You answer "its a Packard" hopefully it will light the fire of someone of the next generation. There is room for the factory correct restorations, hot rods, customs, resto mods etc and i can appreciate them all. Lets face it, a 40 or 41 Willys coupe with a 65 horse flat 4 was not what thrust it to the forefront of iconic american automotive history. Hemi and blown v8 drag racing did. While I agree some cars have engineering and performance worthy of preserving, hot rodding anything with production numbers over 500 is ok by me. Hope to see pix of the finished project!

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Just a little update,I finely got all the power window frames made and working, made new drip rails with moldings. Extended the lower part of the grille and finished the tail lamp bezels and licence pocket.

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The craftsmanship is amazing. Truly a nice build. Keep the pictures coming.

I am not generally into customs, but this is going to be one very striking car. My tendency would be not to go overboard with the exterior -- the lines say it all. I would hate to see any of J.C. Whitney crap, you know, fake side pipes, superficial stick-on chrome, etc. which is too often the case with Toyota Corollas and Honda Civics. I do not think you'd go in that direction anyway.

Pardon my ignorance, but is it possible to boost the output of a Packard straight 8 by say, adding a blower? I have never seen it done before. Mated with a 5-speed stick shift and a 9-inch Ford rear end, the car should be able to keep up with most modern V-8s, wouldn't you say?

Here is a video of a guy driving a supercharged Packard straight 8:

youtube.com/watch?v=l9F5t7JLbY0

Here is a walk-around of the same car:

youtube.com/watch?v=RQcqO-BLMV0

Here is a Hot Rod magazine article about the car:

hotrod.com/featuredvehicles/hrdp_1002_packard_retro_rod/

Granted, this car is a pretty rough compared to what you are doing, but I think you'd probably have the space under the hood for such an engine and blower. The beauty of this would be that your car would remain all Packard!

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I like what you have done with the front end styling. The side extensions that compliment the vertical grill work well. Actually, in my opinion, better looking than what Packard did. It is going to be a nice street rod.

(o{}o)