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I'm just home from two months away, and the weatherman was promising 8 inches of snow this morning. I figured I'd better get out one of the winter cars from the back lot before it became impossible. The 50 Champion, untouched by human hands for some 70 days fired up easily but couldn't move as it is in some ruts and the wheels are frozen solid to the ground. The 54 Clipper aka "thousanddollarwonder" also fired up easily from its long winter's nap. Parked on asphalt, I could break it free.

Both cars still have 6v and the batteries are 4 and 5 years old. They do have nice 2 gage cables as original, and both have had their starters refreshed by oiling the bushings, making sure the brushes were free in their holders, and undercutting the mica on the commutators. I am never in a rush to turn a commutator if they are round already, but starter performance greatly improves when the brushes aren't skipping over the mica.

These simple and inexpensive expedients returned both of these cars to reliable cold and hot starting with very little expense and without having to double the voltage.

Then it was off to tour the back roads before the plows came out. The 54 is effortless to drive in snow as the contour Packards are such well balanced cars. Here are views of Prettyboy Dam and its spillway, completed in 1934.

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Welcome home, Ross! And thanks for the pictures.

I would have to agree. It is amazing how, a well maintained 6 volt system will give the reliability that will match any 12 volt system. I had toyed with the idea of converting my Buick but this will be the 5th year with the same 6 volt and this picture was taken on a day that it was in the single digits.

<a href="http://s671.photobucket.com/user/JamesRFrom/media/Packard%20400/10885235_913214775060_3924483371693976415_n%201.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv72/JamesRFrom/Packard%20400/10885235_913214775060_3924483371693976415_n%201.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo 10885235_913214775060_3924483371693976415_n 1.jpg"/></a>

The old ones are the best ones

Tom

Now I know who drove through the neighborhood! 😉

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Hi

Thanks for the great pictures.....and the advice on how to maintain those six volt systems for top performance!

Steve

Love the pics...looks like the vacuum wipers are doing their job too

I will have to admit to grinning and rolling my eyes when folks rush off to install electric wipers for $200+. I spend about $100 with Mr Ficken and get excellent performance from his rebuilt vacuum motors. The 54 just got a fresh motor this morning as the original sixty year old motor no longer responded to oiling as it used to. My punishment for being such a procrastinating cheapskate was that I had to install it while standing in the snow as the shop doors are blocked with ice. I think it took 6 minutes.

Attached photo (Northwestern Illinois) tells it all, and reason my Packard is still in hibernation.

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What a difference 8 hours of sunshine makes! 😎

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