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I decided to start a project blog for my 1937 Packard 120. I won’t have much activity coming up as I pack her away for, hopefully, a short winters nap. But I thought I would set the stage on things I have done, and plan to do in the spring. I joined Packardinfo.com in September 2023, after I inherited my Packard. My Great Grand Father was the original owner and she has been passed down through the generations. Her name is Blanche, given to her by my Great Grand-mother, and it has stuck all these years. Blanche lived in the same barn stall for the first 65 years of her life. In the early 80’s, my Grand Mother decided to get some work done and had the running board mats replaced, reupholstered the interior, and replaced the convertible top fabric, along with some standard maintenance over the years. My Uncle had her prior to me for about 20 years and did not do much outside of standard maintenance. He had larger ambitions, but never got around to it.

When Blanche was delivered to my door, my initial intentions were to sell her. But after walking by her every day, I would notice little things, and say, that wouldn’t be too hard to clean up, or fix. As we all know, once you start, it is very hard and next to impossible to stop! I now have the Packard bug.

My starting point is a very good one, compared to other Blogs I have read, which is good because my background on cars = 0 knowledge. Blanche runs, and always has, ever since I can remember as a little kid. Now my intentions are to keep her patina and getting her ready for the next generation, God willing.

This site has been tremendous in my short journey!

So what have I done,.
- Upgraded Battery Cable to 00 awg. That was a game changer!
- Replaced Spark Plug wires.
- Replaced Goddess of Speed Hood Ornament (Old one had her arms snapped off ☹)
- Replaced broken Defrost Deflector
- Replaced Clock lens as numbers were faded.
- Installed new carpeting.
- Replaced Hood and Cowl Lacing
- New Speedo Cable
- Replaced rear Shock Links
- Replaced Front and Rear bumper Gromets
- Hood Corner pads
- Gear Shift Boot
- Replaced all door grommets and re-vulcanized striker plates

What my Mechanic Friend helped me with.
- Replaced the water pump, as she was over heating!
- Replaced Bushings, King pins etc for the front Suspension

and what is on the horizon for the spring, that I will tackle myself.
- Wire Harness
- Exhaust System
- Gas Tank
- Replace weather stripping on Conv. Top and windows
- Replace Firewall deadener and side kick boards
- Replace Clutch and Brake Shank seal
- Refurbish Deluxe Heater

After that, I will be looking at the engine. When I see BobJ and BigKevs engines, it makes me want to pull mine apart and paint it!!

I will update as I go and I am sure with lots of questions!!
Cheers,
Ben

Just an absolutely beautiful car, you should be very proud of her.
Mine is Greta Garbo, Kev's is The Jackard, so you will need to tell us her appellation!
My 2 cents, I suggest pulling the fuel tank now and getting it off to be dipped/sealed. It takes a while and you will not be driving her for a while anyway. While out undo the gas line at the fuel pump and fill it full of brake clean or its like and blast the line clear too, compressed air will help blow it clear. Better yet, carefully remove the line and replace it with a new one using the old as a bending pattern. Also get a new rubber hose at the filler neck and a new cap (there is also a nice aftermarket Steele gas filler grommet if yours is brittle).
Takes away a lot of issues with the fuel supply if the system is properly purged/cleaned. 1937 was a while ago!
Have fun!
Bob J.

Those are nice driving cars, and easy to maintain.

My first observation would be to lose that tiny little air filter. Its kind of like running a marathon and only breathing through your nostrils. I'm sure someone can find a correct filter for you.

Thank Bob. I was leaning toward buying a new tank and installing, but for sure replacing the other items as well.
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I will add that to the list! Every time i see other engines, I notice the that larger canister siting there. I assume putting one of those on would open things up vs the nostril breathing as you note.

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Ben, I will be following along with interest as you re-furbish Blanche.

Regarding painting the engine, as you may have seen in other posts, removal of the whole front clip is the way to go, relatively easy to do, giving much easier access to the engine.

Yes, remove the front sheet metal. Its really the best way. Also you can then cleanup up the front frame and suspension and check for any needed maintenance there. This is what I did on both the '37 and the '54.

Nice car! I’m very new to all this as well. My car has a family history that is priceless to me.

What I’ve found so far is that with every bit of progress, I get a little more addicted to saving a beautiful piece of history.

I look forward to following your progress!

So the Packard elves have started their progress. Wire harness has come in. Have gas tank and exhaust system on order. Exhaust is longest lead time at 10 weeks.

So I am starting the prep work. Cross referenced the directions from YnZ to a 18x24 wire diagram.

Everything ties out very nicely. By the way, YnZ is a bit more expensive but I found them to be very helpful and responsive.

I couldn't agree more about YnZ. Their products are excellent and they have great customer service. Even when I drive them crazy with questions, they always reply quickly and in a nice, friendly fashion. One of the other harness suppliers said they were too busy to answer questions which told me that they weren't interested in my business.