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Some of you have sent me emails to asking if I was ok and still alive as I have been a ghost on here lately.

I am doing just fine, but I have been on the road traveling for work for the last 3 weeks. So by the time the weekend rolls around all I want to do is relax with the family.

I have been to Chicago, Dallas, Minneapolis, and am current on Amelia Island Plantation in Florida. Hopefully this is the last of my traveling for the next month or so and I can get back to things.

I have been checking the website daily to make sure nothing has come off the track, but my email and web has been limited to quick checks between flights and meetings.

I hope to begin work on the pre-war Model Info pages within the next couples of weeks. So if anyone has factory renderings/photos, or has any pre-war advertising, owners manuals or Sales Manuals/Data Books that may have photos or illustrations of the various pre-war models I would be interesting in getting copies to help with this project.

I would imagine that you are going to see me bring a series online at a time working backwards. I may also quickly put some of the 1899-1910 models up as they are pretty well documented and there were only a few models each year. The 20's-40's are going to be the hardest with when you figure in the custom bodies and one-off variants.

I will try to also create a section for the Packard Trucks if I can find anyone that has a good enough reference library to share with me.

If anyone has any contacts at either the various Packard Museums, or the any of the University of Michigan websites that has factory photos online that can help by giving us permission to use pictures the currently have for this project I would appreciate any help you can give.

Thanks again,

BIGKEVIN: I might know of a person that might be able to supply you with the pre war models information. IE general models produced for both Packard trucks and Packard car pre-war.

John F. Shireman

Excellent! Thanks John.

I am still trying to locate a copy of the Catalog of American Cars that contains the per-war info. If I dont find one, I may need to see if you can scan some of the infomation for me from your copy if you are inclined to do so.

Also on that note, if someone knows where I can pick up a copy of "Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942" (preferably the latest edition) for a fair price please let me know. They are currently selling for around $380-$400 dollars on Amazon, and that is well beyond the website's meager budget.

BIGKEVIN: Don't waste your time in trying to obtain a copy. I will take care of supplying all the information that you need. I have more than one source in my reference library.


John F. Shireman

BigKev -

I think plenty of us have been busy lately. My summer has been too busy with too much work at work and home, but I don't have much forward progress to show for all my effort. (I've been fighting too many old fires.) If I'm lucky, I have a second chance this weekend to get the planting done that that I missed this spring.

Just take it nice and easy with your expansion of the Model Info pages - they will be a valuable reference for newbies, old-timers, and everyone in-between. Try to identify closely related Series and work on them together as a set, and release them a set at a time. Meanwhile, post an APB for help with a specific set that you're working on, and hopefully some additional savvy owners will be able to fill in any blanks.

I look forward to seeing your progress, in due time.

Well I think the time has come for me to start working on the model info pages. If someone has a copy of he "Standard Catalog of American Cars 1805-1942" I could borrow, or could make a good quality scan of the Packard Section I would appreciate it.

While that book is never 100% accurate (no book ever is), that was what I used as the basis for general information with some tweaks and edits on the 46-56 models (in addition to the superb work that Brian (BH) did on the 55-56 models).

Big Kev: I will supply what you have requested. I will have the book in the mail by the end of the week to you, along with the pictures I took at Warren. Included in the package be will be a 1952 Packard owners manual, and a 1953 full line sales brochure.

Please send my a private email so we can arrange shipping.

PS: Keith: The copy of the letter arrived today THANK YOU.

John F. Shireman

John, thanks, I really appreciate it. I will send you a PM with my shipping address.

Thanks again!

I have started to work on the Model Info pages again. The 1899-1905 years are now online as my first rough draft, as well as the 1946-56 that were up from before. I still need to do a little tweaking and fact checking, but I just thought I would let you guys see that I am actually working on it. I will be adding one model year at a time.
So the next one may be 1906 or 1942, just depends on which way I want to research that particular night.

Brian has offered to take a shot at the 1957-58 models, and I will add those when he gets those completed and as his schedule permits.

I hope to be able to add a couple of Model years a week to the list. Please bear with me on this as sometimes the research can be long, and once I move into the realm of the custom built cars, it only going to get worse.

If you see something that is incorrect, then please let me know. As the Pre-War and Brass-Era cars are not my area of greatest knowledge, I have to rely on the reference materials I have available. Hopefully you guys will be able to fact check stuff for me as we go along. Just please dont blast me if I make a huge mistake.

John, I still have your book, sorry about that. Life got busy, plus I was waiting to include something back in the package to you as a thank you.