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IMO, for a long sitting car you should do the wheel cylinders just to have peace of mind. If you don't want to do them all at this time then at least pull and check one. If it is full of fluid that looks in decent condition then when you get the new master, bleed the system and check the condition of the fluid in the other cylinders. If each cylinder runs clearish when the first purge of the cylinders happen then probably OK but with the master completely dry there is a good chance issues may be found in the wheel cylinders.

Since the old fluid collects moisture, corrosion and rust in the cylinder could be present. Also check the condition of the hoses. They should be changed if old and if the car has sat long enough for the master to dry the hoses could be in poor shape.

Thanks, Kevin. That’s kind of what I was thinking. My guess is that the wheel cylinders are bone dry as well. The hoses appear to be in good condition, but they aren’t very expensive. If I’m going to do the rest, I may as well do those.

The brakes are definitely an area where I don’t want to “cheap out”.

Those headlight reflectors cleaned up amazingly. I never would have guessed that they would polish up so nicely.

-Kevin

Today I ordered a brake overhaul kit from Kanter, including new wheel cylinders. I just don’t want to take any chances with the brakes.

That said, there was some good news. I took apart one front and one rear (keeping the other side in tact for now for reference), and both wheel cylinders still had fluid. There was some gunk as well, but the cylinders could likely be rebuilt.

Now to wait for parts.

I’m really excited that I’m finally making some progress and looking forward to my first trip to Hershey!!

I need some help. The wiring in my car had been mostly replaced previously....but, the switches in the dash are a mess. I can figure out how to wire everything if I can determine what switch goes to what device(s).

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I need some help. The wiring in my car had been mostly replaced previously....but, the switches in the dash are a mess. I can figure out how to wire everything if I can determine what switch goes to what device(s).

Devices to be controlled are:

1) instrument lights (speedometer and gauges)
2) dome light
3) heater
4) defroster

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the tan switches, one for heater, one for defroster. use the lighted one for the heater,as that is the one most likely to use. the small on/off could be for anything...dunno....its not original.. could be for accy lights, or an electric fuel pump....time to follow some wires..

manual choke is what it is.

The potentiometers could be for either the heater or for the defroster but in most models that had under dash controls the heater was the switch illuminated. From the looks of the switch placement they were probably installed by a dealer and where a control was located could have been a driver decision.

Packard says the 3 position switch above the manual choke is for the instrument or panel lights and reading light. It is fed from the headlight switch so that needs to be on for those lights to work. No idea on the dome light as before the 22nd series Packard usually did not provide much if any body wiring information as part of the documentation that went to the field. Body wiring is shown on a miscellaneous drawing that is body specific and was not part of ordinary info. Kev has some photos and info on the dome/reading light switch in his 37 project blog.

Could the ordinary toggle switch be for the dome light or do you have an electric fuel pump it might control?

Here is a very nice 37 drawing of the 120C that according to the file info notation was put together by Bob Johnston. I didn't see this particular drawing in the wiring diagram archive and not sure how it might be labeled so it could be somewhere else.

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The toggle switch might be for a fog light. My 115c has one fog light controlled by a switch in that exact location.

Switch number 1 should be documented in your owners manual. But in short, its a on off on. One side turns on the instrument lights, the other side turns on the map light.

If you have a backup light, then one of the other switches your control that.