Packard Forum Index » Project Blogs

Do you know if it was the original plastic that warped or was it one of the repros made by, I think, a Packards International member starting sometime in the late 70s or early 80s?

Very nice work Joe and glad to see your beautiful car coming along so nicely. When I saw it a few years ago, it didn't look like it needed much.

On the transmission, the bolts should be painted too as it was done originally as an assembly.

Howard, my original dash plastic was the mottled marble fudge. When I got the car in 1959, it was already a corroded mess, probably worse because it was a convertible. Somewhere in the late ‘60s/early ‘70s I acquired a 120 dash with no plastic. Hooray! Instead of woodgraing it, I had it painted in 1971 a dark chocolate metallic that matched the accent color of the exterior which painted Cuban Tan with a dark chocolate metallic “spear” as ‘20s/‘30s cars had on each side. The section over the top of the side mount covers was also chocolate. There’s prob a pic on page 1 or 2 of this blog. It actually looked great, wrong as it was. Then my buddy Vaughn found a complete cream-colored original dash in Washington State sometime in the late ‘70s with near perfect plastic. I replaced other marble fudge pieces with cream. I still have some un-corroded respectable marble fudge pieces. I dont think that dash went into the car until I woodgrained that dash and had the instruments restored in 2010. About half the pieces are still in good condition, which I’ll save if someone needs them, same as marble fudge, but to be sure they all match, LaVine is making a full set.

I’ll mention that to Bill, Don. But as a guy who likes everything super clean, he may not be keen to paint the bolt heads. The new transmission was installed today except for linkage and some supports. There’s no point in rebuilding the old tranny/OD since it’s wrong for the car. Ross Miller said that this new one means I will never need another transmission for as long as I live. At 80, I took that to heart, more likely ‘as long as I drive.’ I still see myself in Paris at a little bistro at 93 with my girlfriend sipping on nice Bordeaux and making observations about the world with no further obligation to rescue it from the folly of youth.

Was just curious if that was a repro done by the guy who did dash plastic that PI promoted for a few years -- think he went by the name Troosh. He did some really nice pieces including, I believe, the intricate multi piece white marbled finish used in the 180s. Never knew what type plastic he used and there were fewer compounds available then than there are now. Always wondered how well his stood up to heat that builds up in a closed car after sitting in the sun.

I’m pretty sure Troosh is still out there. I have contact info for him in my files.
I was told he was the only one doing marble fudge. I could not justify that level of craftsmanship for my car. I think LaVine will do an excellent job. They’ve recreated their own dice and formulated the plastic after acquiring the business of Jerry’s yesterday’s radio.

Here are pictures of the heat shield that should be on your carb maybe you already added it

Attach file:

---

  F78A28D0-8493-4AD1-AC9C-E30D76F601FB.jpeg (214.87 KB)


  83E6BBF2-9F57-4FD2-A4B5-F5B1EC4C875D.jpeg (203.57 KB)


  60102C11-1FB2-4A18-B6E8-DB2A76D77228.jpeg (185.79 KB)

Ok Thanks. Yes , Ross Miller added a heat shield along side the carburetor.

Attach file:

---

  60DD4D8E-9AB8-415E-BA48-641A4A119B54.jpeg (225.66 KB)

Have not talked with Troosh in around fifteen years, but I was the first one to receive his brown mottled dash and steering wheel plastic. Car not out in the sun much, but in the Las Vegas heat has held up great, no issues.

For anyone else who needs a carb heat shield for a 356 and cannot find an original there is an old thread with photos of the original and a nice dimensional drawing all provided by JD in KC.

There is a different shield used for some of the 327 engines but I do not have info on that one. The 356 basic shield shape and size would probably work but I suspect the carb bolt mounting tabs and maybe the notch to clear the choke tube location would need different spacing for the later engines.