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Okay I'm starting a new project blog because I didn't like the title

"New member new project"

Going forward. If I follow through and continue to post as I finish this car.... three years from now I won't be a new member and this won't be a new project!

Ok let's start at the beginning... Many years ago my wife and I went to a charity fundraiser at the Auburn, Cord, Duecenburg Museum. Where I fell hard in love with a boat tail speedster. Several years later while at Barrett Jackson in Scottsdale I fell again for a Packard boat tail speedster. Please note these cars are totally out of my league. Besides I like to drive my cars.

Three weeks ago I'm at the Ducktail Run car show in Gas City, IN and I see a really rough Packard sitting at the swap meet. A phone call and some intense negotiations (with my wife) and a deal was done. A week later she's in my backyard shop and the rest is chronicled here.

I have a lot to learn about Packards and this site has been great in this regard. I'm looking forward to getting to know people in this "community" and learn from you all.

I have found out that this is a 1930 standard 8 and it's been modified and pieced together. The rust and rot makes it a great perfect candidate for a restomod. My plan is to rebuild this car to respect the original beauty and fine engineering that this Packard was born with. I will along the way add safety features, styling notes and some hidden modern technology.

Time to head out to the shop.

Hi RodBuilder

Welcome and kudos for taking up that '30 Packard for your boat-tail roadster project. Returning one more Packard to the road one at a time is the primary purpose of this site. You'll find a wealth of helpful, knowledgeable, generous and enthusiastic Packard folks standing by to help and encourage as you progress through your project.

On your design for the boat-tail, might I suggest you closely draw inspiration from not only Packard's own '30 734 Speedster runabout but also contemporary '28-'29 & '31-'33 Auburn boat-tail speedsters. They have the nicely sloping configuration that suggest movement even when standing still.

Good luck with your project, welcome again and we'll be following your efforts with interest.

Steve

Got some more accomplished on the cowl rebuild today. Will post a video later.

Here is the link to the blog that I started...

packardinfo.com/xoops/html/uploads/newbb/144928_57fc0bf82371d.jpg

Here is my starting point as I found the 30 at the swap meet

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Rodbuilder,

Maybe the Webmaster, BigKev, can merge your other thread into this one? Send Kev a PM or an email, there's an email link to the Webmaster at the bottom of the page.

This looks like 1 of the cars that got pulled out of that estate by san Francisco last year.

I have been told that it came from Huntington IN sitting outside under a tarp.

Here is a link to Saturday's work on the cowl.

youtu.be/9ek1iOnwnVU

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Possibly one that John Fisher (RIP) of Huntington had stashed away?

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Quote:
This one is a LaSalle.

Hi

Glad you brought this one up, its a excellent example of how not to build a boat-tail roadster body. The chassis is a 1928 Graham-Paige 835, the 'one-off' body credited to Hayes-Hunt Body Co. by the coachbuilder tag.

Comparing real boat-tail bodies built in the period such as Auburns and the Packard 734 Speedster runabout, one immediately sees the lack of surface development on the rear section of this body. On this, the panels are dead flat, the seams covered by moldings. Integration into the original body section is crude, overall workmanship poor. It has all the hallmarks of a body built to deceive.

Most likely this 835, which was Graham-Paige's top-of-the-line luxury contender competing with Packard 526-533, survived as a fire department crew car conversion. During the 1930's-1940's, large used luxury cars in good condition were virtually worthless at resale. Smaller fire departments received these as donations to convert to fire trucks and crew cars.

For Rodbuilder: we hope you'll take note of what the differences are between a poorly done boat-tail and one that plausibly represents a period-built custom body. Good luck with your worthwhile project.

Steve

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You'll just have to wait and see what you think about the quality and design of my efforts. I build my cars to make me happy. I'm sharing my progress because I've always wanted to...

Here is a link to today's vid.

m.youtube.com/watch?v=mp6BNJyFKTc

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