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Good afternoon all...We've a 1949 Packard Deluxe with a 288 and an R-11 overdrive. Miss Prudence goes along at 55 quite well...any faster and she lets you know she doesn't like it. Modern cars go around us but ALWAYS with a thumbs up and a smile...NEVER with a frown and a middle finger...We also have a 31 Model A Tudor,Miss Princess, which has a Mitchell Overdrive and just a little extra power in her four banger...she is also happy at 50-55 and receives the same reception on the freeway in the wilds of Arizona...we go a bit slower and provide smiles and unintended conversations...in the modern cars and pickups! Ernie in Arizona

Thanks to all who replied regarding a safe highway speed for a super eight engine. While it would be nice to generally keep up with traffic at 65 mph on an interstate where the speed limit is 70, the consensus seems to be that 65 would not be advisable and that 55 to 60 would be a preferable top speed. I appreciate the advice of experienced Packard owners and will keep off the interstates as much as possible and adjust my speed to the recommended limits.

This forum is truly a great place for a newbie to get information about being a responsible temporary custodian of a fine Packard with the hope I can pass it down to the next person who will respect and cherish it as I do. I will likely be posting often as I get to know the car better and am pleased the forum allows me to "ask the man who owns one"

Glen

My rule of thumb in regarding traveling on the freeway: If my vehicle is not capable of maintaining the speed limit for long periods of time, AND is not capable of going 10mph over the speed limit (~80mph) I DO NOT get on the freeway.

If I had a Model A, I would NEVER get on the freeway with it.

Yeah a Model A on the freeway is a bit crazy... pretty sure you'll be foot to the floor the whole time.

Good Morning...Actually Miss Princess, at 55, with the Mitchell Overdrive, is turning the same revs as 40 miles an hour in regular 3rd gear. Not much traffic on the Arizona Freeways at 7am on Saturday Morning on the way to breakfast. Coming back around 9am...it is sort of a crap shoot and depends on my mood and that of Miss Princess...Ernie in Arizona

I recently moved my 1947 Custom Super Clipper from my home in SC to my new home in Florida which is about 3 hours away. Before the trip, I had an engine oil analysis done and the oil and the engine passed with flying colors.

I do have the overdrive and the 356 engine in this car. I carefully listened to the car while driving on the interstate and it seemed comfortable at 70. I also noticed, in an experiment, there was still a lot of power available beyond 70 but reasoned that the car and I are about the same age and it would be unwise to push either of us beyond 70 MPH.

But it is interesting to note that the car was not built for such high speeds. The builders probably anticipated highway speeds of about 50. But the engineering was so robust, that modern speeds can be achieved, within reason of course.

As a footnote to the drive, I noticed the car used about 1/2 a quart of oil during that drive. I cornered Ross Miller at the national meet and asked him about the oil consumption. He thought that was about normal for the car. We have to remember that the high degree of machine finishing we have on newer cars was not available when they were built so we need to apply standards to them that existed when they were built.