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That is the correct way to measure and the voltage is good. 6.5 at low idle is standing battery voltage before the generator is going fast enough to output. 7.3-5 is the regulated voltage and is adjusted properly so also good. If the field wire is shorted for the test a 6v generator should be putting out voltage somewhere in the low teens.

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Thanks Howard. It's good to know that I'm checking it right, and good to know that the generator is working as expected. As long as my solder joint holds I should be in good shape. I popped the cover on the voltage regulator, and everything in there looks brand new. If the regulator was out of spec, I know nothing about them and would need to read up on them in the Motors manual. Eventually I'll have to teach myself to adjust it. But hopefully not for a while.

-Kevin

I think that wire was originally spot welded in place so keep an eye on it!

The Panama has been running great. Not getting hot at all while driving, and once the engine is warmed up to operating temp it really feels smooth and quiet.

I'm getting ready to do the yearly oil change and want to know if anyone has/recommends dumping Seafoam or Marvel Mystery Oil into the crankcase before I change it. I believe after using Seafoam the oil needs to be changed soon after. I'm not sure if MMO can stay in there or not. I'd like to do a little something extra to help clean the deposits on the inside of the engine, as well as provide a bit of extra lubrication to the valves. I still have one that's a bit noisy sometimes.

-Kevin

When I remember, I add an ounce of MMO to 10 gal of gas. I use Valvoline VR 1 high zinc racing oil 20-50 weight. I feel very confident running that. The engine is so quiet, a guy at cars and coffee said “ O, it’s electric?” Of course most of the cars are sports cars that are noisy.

Thanks Joe. I have run MMO and Seafoam in the gas and that has helped quiet down the valves some. It does tend to smoke more when I do that. I'm running Shell Rotella 15W-40 and from what I can tell it's been doing fine.

Nobody has put either additive into the crankcase? Just wondering if anyone has had any experiences positive or negative when adding to the oil.

-Kevin

I had some time over the weekend and was able to change the oil on the Panama. I ended up not throwing anything in the oil before I changed it. The old oil came out pretty black....definitely time for a change. I got a new filter, Fram C-4, and refilled with 7 quarts of Shell Rotella 15W-40. I used 10W-30 last time. With the 15W-40 my oil pressure seems better at idle, and is steady at 33-35 PSI at normal driving speeds.

The engine sounds nice and smooth. The more I drive it, the better the engine seems to get. When it's warmed up to operating temp there is no shudder or movement of the block, and it's nearly silent. The only thing that drives me nuts is my vacuum pump/fuel pump making that annoying hollow noise.

I have lots of work to do on the interior. Once it warms up here I will pull off the interior trim, sand it down, prime and repaint. Then I'm going to try my hand at doing door panels. Lastly, I'm going to have to do something about the rear seat. The top of it is disintegrating and is flapping around in the breeze while I drive. It's incredibly annoying.

-Kevin

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Drove the Panama back to work after lunch this afternoon, enjoyed a nice leisurely drive this afternoon in beautiful 70 degree temps and sunny skies. 5% chance of rain.

Then an hour later it started to hail and downpour out of nowhere. Great......most of the weather stripping is non-existent. 10 minutes of deluge isn't great for the car.

I took a quick peek at it once the rain let up. It's dripping from the A pillars (no surprise there, the weather stripping is mostly missing), and also under the dash. Not sure where that one is coming from. There may be some other places that have yet to show up. So excited!

-Kevin

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Been enjoying some nice weather finally, and driving the Panama to and from work whenever I can. Patients love it, especially the "more experienced with age" guys who are into classics and remember what a Packard actually was.

A nice relaxing drive home from work:

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That's what its all about Kevin, getting them out and driving them!