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I have an all-original 1936, 120-B Packard, 2 door convertible with 58,000 miles on it. The car has never had anything done to it. The body is straight and the paint is just “OK”. The seats are torn. My question is, do I replace the seats and maybe have the car painted? Will it depreciate the value of the car?

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I have the same car/situation. Your car is lovely.

My personal opinion -

Have the paint professionally cleaned/claybar/buffed. Do not get into repainting. If you went down that path, you'd get into chrome, rubber, top, etc. Your car is lovely as is.
The seats deserved to be recovered in the original manner. Just the seats, as my guess is the springs may be a bit soft and need some attention. Maybe the carpet, but leave the rest of the interior as original. Drive the car and enjoy not worrying about a scratch.

OH, and consider a new wiring harness. As for everything else, you are most welcome to post all questions.

As to the value, I doubt that matters if you intend on keeping the car. Originality will trump a poorly done restoration every time. Once a car is restored, every nit/detail/quality will be scrutinized. Any time you want, I'll trade you a trailer queen for your original, straight up.

Good Morning...I totally agree with The Flackmaster...Your car is too close to how it left the factory to attempt any sort of restoration. Just do the seats and the exterior detailed by someone who knows all the tricks for the original paint...Ernie in Arizona

G'day 1936 120B,
to PackardInfo.

I invite you to include your '36 One Twenty Convertible Coupe in PackardInfo's Packard Vehicle Registry.

Hi

The Flackmaster gives the best advice, do only what is absolutely necessary to keep it presentable and reliable. Wonderfully original cars are become scarcer every day, keep yours original as long as possible.

Steve

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From the point of view of a lay person with lots of money - not sure. From a point of view of a collector - absolutely!

Original things are always more rare and, thus, more desirable regardless of the restoration quality.
Think about it this way: we have two identical cars leave the factory. One car sat in the garage for most of the last 50 years and preserved well, aside from some expected aging. The other one has seen some normal use, got some rust patches, was repainted 2 times, maybe an engine rebuilt, etc. Which one do you think is more valuable right now?

Now, the owner of the first car did not do anything to it, while the owner of the second car had it restored for a lot of money. Which car, do you think is more valuable, now? (Not selling for a higher price, but is more valuable?)

What a sharp car. Flackmaster nails it, gives the best advice. Do only what he suggests and absolutely nothing else.
Love that gray, and the soft tan top makes it sing. My girlfriend has a silver Miata with a tan top; it looks understated, even elegant, despite silver today done to death.

Your '36's gray is one of my favorite colors for an old car. Might remove the trunk and carefully store it if driving the car. Looks like a big ancient Miata. That's the car that saved Packard.

Of course, fresh GL1 oil in the transmission, GL5 in the differential, flush the cooling system, 10W/30 oil, DOT5 silicone brake fluid, lube every chassis fitting 'til you see fresh starting to emerge, lube the speedometer cable, oil the clock, door, trunk, hood hinges, etc.

Looks like Santa was good to you this year.

I'm in the same boat with my '39 but looking to find someone who can simply do a nice/tight slipcover for the seats (really front seat) that has some minor tears. Body has scratches and crackling where you expect. Right now, simple approach is avoid rain and weather. I'm even trying to minimize any replacements that I can live without. If I run across the right gear knob (NOS, or original better) or window knob I might add those but having such a nice survivor I can't see myself replacing with new replicas. Maybe my opinion will change way down the road but for now I like the visible age.

1936 120B: I absolutely love your car. It looks so stunning with the factory fender skirts and the rear mounted trunk. Do as little as you can possibly get away with and preserve the originality of your car. There are so few Packards of this era, especially convertibles that have survived to the present day in such original condition. Your car is of significant historical value to Packard enthusiasts and restorers. Almost all 1930's convertibles have been restored at some point, and many quite badly. I have an idea for preserving the originality of your interior. How about custom made clear plastic seat covers? This would preserve the original materials, prevent or at least minimize further damage and still allow you to use the car. Wonder if anyone else on the forum thinks this might be a workable solution.

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I think so. Only, I would probably use cloth covers instead of plastic. Cloth will feel better, when in use, and it is also breathable, which, I assume, is a good thing.

For the paint, I would just clean, polish it, and have it waxed all the time. I prefer to use that wet wax, or what ever it is called, so that you do not have to rub it. I am sure that the car will look well cared for, and at the same time authentic and antique.

You might also want to put some covers onto the stepping boards and maybe even consider getting a custom top, so that you can keep the original in a safe place, to use for car shows etc. Moreover, if you do not already have one, I would get a car cover to keep the sun\rain away when not garaged.

Also, please share more pictures!