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Here is what the 51-4 manual has to offer.

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HH,

I think your instructions were at least as good as any the manual offered for setting the hood latch. I did not make any adjustments to the "bonnet" but I did get the thing to latch right, as follows:

There is quite a difference, in my observation, between the '55 and later hood latches and the '54 and earlier. I just took a guess and unscrewed (counterclockwise) the plunger about 8 turns, as I suspected that rather than tightening the hood by screwing it clockwise I had just screwed the plunger in so far it was unable to "catch" in the hole.

Well, it worked. After the hood latch was set properly, I tightened the lock nut on the plunger. You can get an open end wrench between the spring coils and onto the nut, but it's a tight squeeze.

The hood is firm as can be now, and has been tested over 500 miles of mostly rotten roads between here and Duluth, Superior, and parts of northern Wisconsin lake country.

When I was up in Duluth, I stopped in to see Mike Dulinski. He gave me the grand tour, and I salute him for taking the time to introduce me to his Packard lode and even give me a ride in the 440 powered Pacsler. Whoo!

Mike suggested that the safety catch on the hood could be adjusted to clear the edge of the hole by just putting a little piece of material under the base by the return spring to hold the hook out a bit further. Easier to show than to explain, but I'm sure it will work. When I get to it, I'll post a pic. This is likely a common problem on '51-'54 hood latches.

A few pics of the trip to come, as soon as I can get them downsized. They're always a couple of megs in their raw jpg state, and I'm jumping through hoops to get them to a reasonable size. I don't have much editing capacity, but there must be a better way, haven't found it yet.

For resizing images to put on the website, I use the free resizing tool Bigkev made. Here is the link:

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=5220&forum=14

Been working on these almost two months (not really). So little time for Packarding since I got back. It's sad. Will be storing it at the State Fair Grounds Monday. Just went out and started it, took right off as soon as gas got to carb. Charging the battery overnight, then driving it for a fill of clear gas and adding some "Startron". Not much else to do. Air the tires up a little extra so they'll stay up over winter. Putting stinky dryer sheets in the interior, and maybe trunk. Supposed to keep rodents at bay. Who knows? They keep me at bay.

Following pics are from my trip to Duluth/Superior at the end of August.

One is just a shot from the Duluth "Sky Line" drive overlooking the harbor from Duluth to Superior.

The next three are of the Clipper in its hometown of Superior, WI.

Of these, the first two are of the Clipper parked by its first home on Tower Ave. which is no longer a residence. (No, it isn't a Goodwill, I just wanted to get the Tower Ave. sign in the pic.)

The last one is in front of the Clipper's second home elsewhere in Superior. I was happy to meet the original owner's son there (he was home!). He was pleased to see "the old Packard" still on the road. His father had bought it new, and he had personally driven it in high school. Apparently the car was pretty famous around the neighborhood

I made the trip in part to take the car back "home." Luckily, the previous owner had registrations and service receipts that gave both addresses. I believe that from there the car went to where I bought it in Lake Benton, MN. But who can tell for sure?. If these cars could just talk.

Hope these look OK.

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Thought I'd post this pic of what I did before the trip to reduce the toxic engine compartment fumes and heat from coming into the car with the fresh air inlets open. The old air duct hose was shot, so I picked up a piece of 5" semi-rigid aluminum vent pipe at the hardware store. I also gave the front passenger side vent duct the same treatment. The original one back by the heater core on the passenger side seemed relatively OK, and I left it.

I wonder how much underhood air could come through on the heater side in the winter if these duct hoses leaked badly? With the windows rolled up, carbon monoxide levels inside the car must've made for some light-headed driving, at best. You probably wouldn't need a blocked tailpipe to smoke yourself pretty well if you sat in an idling car for very long with the heater fan blowing.

The aluminum vent pipe is an inexpensive, although unoriginal look. I suppose you could paint it black and fool some people, but this is a strictly utilitarian solution.

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As you said, utilitarian but it works. As to CO, if the exhaust system is intact I don't think it would be that much entering but the other fumes off the engine such as burning oil etc can really be nauseating enough to gag a maggot. The hoses definitely should be present as well as having a decent seal with the rubber on the flappers to control the air admitted to the car.

It has been my thinking more CO probably enters because of the positioning of the air vents. IMO, you really can't use them in traffic because the car in front usually has his tail pipe pointed directly at the Packard vent tube openings. One of the nice reasons to have an underseat heater. At least you can use that one in winter without having the outside vent open which is the only way the under dash heater can get air.

I'd just add that in summertime, the underhood air coming in through a broken flexible duct is HOT HOT HOT! You're better off under those conditions to just shut off the under dash air and open the wing windows. Those things are almost indispensable when temps are high, by that I mean above 75.

Howard touched upon it but it needs to be reemphasized- the condition and adj of the flap vent controls have a rubber sealing lip. When I was bodyworking the clipper I had the fenders off and just happened to look in the vent tubes and sooo glad I did. This prompted me to totally remove and disassemble the air ducts, clean, sand, paint the tubes and remove and renew the rubber on the flappers and this is key to clean fresh air delivery when wanted and NO hot air leakage of when unwanted. I can give you rec on rubber size and procedure if you like. Do not over look this as your comfort and driving exp will suffer. My 55 was cable actuated- not sure if the earlier years are the same or rod actuated and if they have the oval rubber seals as my clipper.

BTW the same material I used was available by the yd and I used the same to make very nice , black rubber ducts as a very cost effective and inconspicuous replacement for those "dryer duct" connections. I think a vendor may have them for purchase. Someone have a link? they were pricey as I recall

Hi

I was told years ago by a friend active with a local theater organ society that the coated, flexible tubing used for car vent ducting is the same as that used by the blower tubes for organs. There is a organ supply outfit that still supplies it, very much cheaper than auto parts suppliers do.

I'll ask him for the source, though an on-line search should find it.

Steve