Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

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That's exactly what I'm looking to do. I'm a retired mechanic, now a full-time sculptor. I know how to do all the mechanical stuff but don't have the desire to have an everlasting tinker project at this time in my life.

Yes, I'm seriously considering selling the 356. I'd like to get it sold while it's still in the car so the buyer can start it up and here it run.

Thanks all!

Tristar, take a deep breath, relax, focus. Slow down. You're letting stone simple mechanics--certainly compared with Crown Vic/F-150--whelm you. Listen to PDon and KevinP. They speak the truth. I've mentioned them all before: Mike Grimes at Merritt, (317) 736-6233, ext. 103, mike@packardparts.com, John Ulrich (below), and the others, but make sure Mike Chirco, cell (520) 336-0057, at Tucson Packards ships promptly as the others.

I repeat, Jeff Adkins, Moose Motors has not just brake drums, but every mechanical and electrical part for Packard 1935-56, and drum brake parts for all domestics Auburn through Zephyr: (707) 792-9985, packardguy54@sbcglobal.net. Please tell all these worthies that Mike, '47 Super Clipper, Walnut Creek, CA referred you.

Good drum brakes will stop you quickly as discs, but can fade if racing in the mountains, not that it inhibited Juan Fangio's early South American Andes competitions in a '37 Chevy coupe with a canvas trunk lid to save weight.

Have you priced modern disc parts lately?

I've lamented the 1948-50 tubs, but still think it moronic to turn any vintage, special interest, "Classic," old car into a hodge podge. People routinely depended on Packards like yours for long, fast business trips. Carry an extra set of points. Have a spare fuel pump already boxed and left with your wife or paramour, or both, who can overnight ship anywhere in the US in this day and age. You imagine it'll be easier for some poor sap at a shop in East Jesus, Kansas to figure out what goes where on another Frankencar?

By and large, the fellows involved with "retro rods" are less educated--and less interesting-- than those owning genuine old cars. Run radial tires. Your '48 Custom is with all 356-engined Packards on the 127" wb and a 1941-42 Buick Century/Roadmaster with the rare option 3.6:1 "economy" rear axle, one of the only cars of the '40s that could do an honest 100 off a showroom floor.
What more do you want? Today's greases and full synthetic 10W/30 motor oils are another galaxy better than the premium editions from the 1970s, let alone 1940s.

https://julrichpackard.com/

Ex-Python John Cleese, speaking of someone i can't name because we're not supposed to invoke politics here, earlier this year shook his head and said, "I think we have to accept that 35-40 million Americans are morons."

Do not become one of them, Tristar. We're all here to help.

Ross in Parkton MD or Bob's Packard Parts in Marietta PA probably have brake drums lying around.

Again, trying to do a frame swap where you don't end up with a car that looks and drives like an oversize lawn tractor will be quite a trick, and will be a much more difficult and skilled operation than just getting this going. Most of the brake parts are on RockAuto even, btw. These bathtub Packards have the distinction of having the lowest overall parts cost in Packard land, by a slim margin.

I know a guy who did this on a 41 Buick. Doesn't look too bad but it's obviously a rod. But even he had to use parts from at least 2 different cars in that. Some GM V8 engine with a Monte Carlo rear end and he kept the original frame.

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Tristar500-I'm sure you were ready for some of the responses you received, and I can't deny that I don't find the idea of a frame swap exciting. Having said that, I would rather see a modified Packard on the road than an original Packard rotting in a field.

Maybe I can offer an alternative. I'm guessing the 49 you acquired does not have sentimental value, and that it's just a cool car you came across at some point. What if instead of either fixing up the 49, or doing a frame swap, you sell it and get a different/roadworthy car? Either the same series as your current car, or you could go a bit newer if you weren't hooked on the body style. You could have an original car for less money and time than doing a frame swap. You would have a car that you could take on trouble free road trips, and that I think would retain it's value better. If the availability of parts was still a concern, pick up spares of things that could leave you stranded and put them in the trunk, I think you'd still be money ahead. It won't drive like a newer car, but for me that's half the appeal! I have a 53 Cavalier, very original, that is awesome for road trips. I'm starting to wonder why I even bother putting my tool box in the trunk!

Good luck with your project!

I love the experience of piloting a seventy-year old land-yacht along two-lane highways on summer evenings. Sailing along at 50 mph, the audible rush of the intake, the subtle burble of the exhaust along with the faint smell of gasoline, oil and grease wafting through a cabin ventilated with wide-open windows fills me with delight. Wheeling around corners, arms spinning the oversized steering wheel before clamping down on drum brakes to haul the car to an eventual halt just adds to the fun.

But I get it, sometimes you just want the style without the hassle. Few here will argue that the resources necessary to return a car like this to service requires a huge commitment. Keeping up with ongoing maintenance once it's on the road demands even more time and treasure. Sometimes it's just not in the cards.

Enter resto-mods. They've been around for years and, when done well, often hit that sweet-spot for drama-free motoring. While they aren't in my wheelhouse, I can't argue the convenience and comfort they can provide. If most of us were completely honest, I'd guess the thought of A/C on a brutally hot afternoon, or the predictability of power disc brakes while in unexpectedly heavy traffic has flashed through all of our minds at least once.

That said, I am of the opinion that your 49 Custom Eight is a poor platform for your ideas. The 127" wheelbase, alone, limits you to a p/u chassis unless you are prepared to extend the Panther frame a bit over 12". Adding A/C is going to be difficult at best given the tight under-dash area and the thought of coaxing Packard's analog gauges to play nice with a computer-controlled engine makes my head hurt. Plus, all of your dash and body wiring is still crispy and will need replaced with a Packard specific loom. Assuming you successfully navigate all of these issues, you will have built a very large sedan that handles like a truck. I know modern pickups ride quite nicely, but they're still trucks and I just can't conceive of a scenario where a Packard that drives like a truck is a desirable outcome.

If I were in your shoes, I'd put the Packard up for sale. If it's reasonably solid and runs well, you'll find a buyer that wants to preserve its originality (a good-running 356 is always desirable considering the rebuild costs). Then go out and find a presentable '49-'54 era Ford or Brand-X sedan and start dialing 1-800 numbers. Rack and pinion? It'll be in the mail with all the necessary hardware. Front power discs? Order to suit and designed by engineers just for your application. Drop in an LS and mate it to a Ford 9" and you're on your way. It's been done a million times, but you'll put your own spin on it and have something that drives nice and is reliable. When it's hot, you'll reach over to the in-dash Vintage Air A/C unit that was built to fit your project, turn on the Bluetooth enabled stereo that fits your dash (with no cutting!) and never think about that old Packard again.

Chopping up a sound car with an already excellent chassis design, and throwing half of it away, will not address issues with crumbling wiring, deteriorated rubber, glass, chrome, window channel and glass setting, upholstery, paint, tires, etc, commonly found on 75 to 80 year-old vehicles. Parts for "modern" chassis and drive trains are expensive. Most modern vehicles are designed such that the body and frame, if a separate frame is even present, share the job of creating a sound structure. Replacing the body of a late model chassis with something entirely different will require a lot of modification and re-engineering, and expense, to get a satisfactory result. NOTHING will fit. You may also encounter issues getting the vehicle titled and registered, and you may find that you have created what the state deems to be a 2024 vehicle that will be required to meet 2024 emissions standards and perhaps other standards as well. If you must have an air conditioner, you can buy a system built to fit the Packard, and have a custom radiator made to accommodate it, which you'd have to do anyway. Power steering? Why? disc brakes? Again, why? As for cost, hassle, parts hunting, etc, you can buy a "resto mod" for a lot less than you can create one, and there are some very attractive ones on the market right now, and many of them have been built in well-equipped shops that specialize in such projects. (See: Hemmings Motor news)