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Hey all,

I recently have “inherited” what appears to be a ‘39 Business Coupe that has been sitting in a barn for about 35 years. The story I am told is that the straight 8 is a fresh rebuild (35 years ago) and all the parts are in the barn and the car just needs to be put together.

I will stop here and say even though I don’t have any real experience with Packards, I have built enough cars to know anything sitting un-touched for that long isn’t as simple as just putting together and all is good.

That said, I’m trying to decide what to do with this car. I find myself enamored with the lines and sheer beauty of the design, I just stare at it sometimes and think wow, I’ve never seen anything like it and it’s timeless. But, at the same time, I don’t have the time or money to sink into something that will ultimately cause me heartache. I still have kids to send to college.

My request for help is this...in the condition that you see in the following pics, is it worth the time to restore it, or is it past the point of a viable restoration. Also, if I had to pay someone to do the restoration, what is a really broad ballpark figure I could expect? Lastly, if I decide to sell it, what is this car actually worth?

I know there are several unknowns in the questions I just asked, but I’m really just trying to get a feel for my options since I know this isn’t just a run of the mill car in a barn.

Thanks in advance for any help....here are a couple pics:

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I have a couple of Packards, both four door sedans. I have never seen a Packard coupe in person.

They're quite rare in terms of survivors. My two, a '37 (nearly finished) and '40 (needs everything) really are a joy to work on, simply because they're well engineered.

If there's one to restore well, this is the one. That said, form follows budget. Set realistic expectations.

You will be 20,000 leagues under the sea if you pay someone else to restore this. Even if you have buckets of sweat equity and an equal amount of talent, you will still be over budget and time. The only rational reason to dive into this would be if it was "the car of your dreams". Otherwise, the following applies -
Firstly, highly unlikely any sane Packard person would think otherwise from the above.
- Second, yes, the coupes are highly desireable by the streetrod crowd. This is most likely the market for the body and chassis.
- Following the above, if the engine can be resurrected, that is to say open it back up again as the assembly lube has long past its sell by date, and verify everything else is in order, get it fired up and listed for sale. The cost to rebuild one of these engines would certainly suggest you have something sale-able.
- And yes, the balance of the parts not necessary to make the sale of the body/chassis to the aforementioned streetrodder, are definitely worth sorting and getting back into Packard owners hands. No, you're not gonna fund the college educations, but will certainly help with the beer money fund.

Let us know what you do, and how we can help.

DAF

Hi Newton25,

If you're still on the fence after the above advice, just price out a body & paint, a full-on interior refurb, and a mechanical redo of the drive train; then hit the Hemmings 'Packards for sale' listings and you will see that you can probably pick one of these up, pretty much done (with some minor tweaking yet to go) for probably around the cost of just the paint job. I saw some pretty nice Packards go across the block at the last Barrett Jackson auction for anywhere between $10 and $20K. Some of them didn't look like the sell price would cover the chrome!! DEFINITELY not something that can be done as any kind of investment, that's for sure! Having said that, I sure get that you are taken by the mystique of the car, it's lines and the Packard pedigree; just gotta go in 'eyes wide open'. Chris.

My thoughts would be to just put it back together leaving everything untouched that doesn't actually require rebuilding. Thoroughly check out the engine (rebuilt 35 years ago or not) and transmission (open the top and see how it looks inside and feel the bearings by hand-turning and shifting, then put them back in. Inspect the brake shoes and drums, replacing if needed but do rebuild all the cylinders and master, and replace all the flexible hoses. Do the same with the fuel system. Determine if it can be made to run - or not.

The point is to basically make it into a Packard again rather than a pile of parts which will drastically increase its sale value if nothing else but it will also give you an excellent feel of whether or not you want to commit more time and money in it. It will give you an excellent ides of what it needs, if anything is missing, or if there is anything major needed. Coupes are desirable so I doubt you will be risking much by take the time and a very little money to do these things.

I guess I am an idiot but this coupe looks solid. If the parts are all there and you want a learning experience....take some time and put it together.
I agree with Flackmaster that paying someone else to do any significant work will not be worthwhile. That being said, there are few Packards left that warrant spending the money for a professional restoration.
I found a basket case Caribbean in 2010 that fell within my project starting price of $15000. At that time Hagerty valued a fully restored car in the $150,000- $200,000 range. A decade later and cars being offered seldom pull $100,000 and many are far less.
If you hope to make money on selling most Packards you will be disappointed. The market is drying up as those who aspired to own a Packard in their youth are looking to retire or are headed to Boothill. There has not been a “ real” Packard since 1956.
None of this detracts from the fact that these were great cars . Finding parts is not easy or cheap and there is far less information or knowledgeable help than you might like ....but this Forum is nothing if not friendly.
I am doing a 39 .six convertible coupe that is costing far too much for chrome , top, interior and other required parts than I hope to recoup on sale...but God willing , I will enjoy driving it on a sunny day.
If you don’t feel up to a serious challenge., sell it and work on something newer. You can get every part for a 1955-57 Chevy on line.
That may be my next project. LOL

I'm not so negative as the others. This appears to be a 120, junior eight cylinder. Take a good inventory on how complete the car is. Are all the body panels there, rust addressed, and in primer? Is the major trim and interior parts there? Plating has become very expensive. You are not going to get rich, as others have said, but it's a fine looking car - does it turn your crank?

Thanks for all your input guys, I'm not necessarily looking to make money, but rather do right by the car. It sounds like unless I would be doing most everything myself, the cost wont really justify the means. I already have 1 other project vehicle my son loves working on, so adding something this time intensive may not be in my wheelhouse. I will definitely keep you all posted on my direction, and thanks again for helping out a Packard newbie!

Here's a pic of the '39 sedan we pulled out from behind the barn, her fate appears to be much less fortunate than the Coupe...

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likely a parts car for the indoor project. More photos will allow better suggestions for what to keep, and what to scrap...

That '36 is likely destined for wall art in a man cave. Sad.