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

Quote:

Unless it was built for a market that used trafficators, it would not have them. The standard equipment was turn signal lights built into the taillights and front parking lights.

G'day PaulUK,
to PackardInfo.

If you purchase the '49 Deluxe Eight Coupe or any other Packard, for that matter, I invite you to include in PackardInfo's Packard Vehicle Registry.

I looked at the ad for this car and here is my take:

The interior was redone probably many years ago with modern fabric. I am guessing that it is not wool broadcloth, which is what these cars originally had. The pattern is not correct for a Deluxe Eight. Still, it appears to be relatively well done and is fine for a driver quality car as long as the owner is not a stickler for authenticity.

I would ask the seller for the ID number (it is on a plate on top of the firewall on the driver's side). This will confirm the model. It could also be a Standard Eight as there is not much difference between a Standard and a Deluxe aside from the upholstery pattern and some trim. The first four digits of the ID number will identify the model:

2395: Standard Eight Club Sedan
2365: Deluxe Eight Club Sedan

There were also more the expensive models: Super Eight, Super Eight Deluxe, Custom Eight. These models were on the longer 127-inch wheelbase. Your prospective car is on the shorter 120-inch wheelbase. These models also had more elaborate grilles and trim than the lower priced models, bigger engines and fancier interiors. But fewer of them were built. Longer wheelbase Club Sedans are extremely rare and a real find if you come across one.

2385: Super Eight Club Sedan
2375: Super Eight Deluxe Club Sedan

There was no Club Sedan available in the Custom Eight lineup for the 23rd Series.

One significant problem with the bathtub era Packards of 1948-1950 (22nd and 23rd Series) is water leaks. As a result, these cars are noted for floor rust. I once owned a 22nd Series Super Eight Club sedan and even though it was an original California car, the floor was pretty much shot. In addition to the rust I see on the passenger side front, I also see some rust out in the trunk pan. Rust is always worse than it looks, so this car probably needs some pretty extensive metal work in these areas. Depending on your welding skills, this could get expensive.

Another concern I have is that the engine bay looks really grungy, and the car probably has not had any significant work done to it for years, if not decades. From the ad, it sounds like the car at least yard drives, but there is a big difference between having a car you can drive around a yard vs. one that is truly road worthy. This one could have a lot of mechanical issues, and it really should be checked out thoroughly by a trained mechanic. This car looks like it may have been a "barn find". Although barn find cars can be exciting, one should wonder why the car was parked in the barn in the first place. It could be due to a major mechanical issue such as badly worn-out engine that uses excessive amounts of oil to keep running at all. Rebuilding one of the Packard straight eights will be very expensive, particularly if the block has to be machined due to excessive wear.

Translating the asking price into U.S. dollars, I am coming up with an asking price of over $10k US for this car which is excessively high for a car in this condition. I'm thinking half that or less is realistic, but as you are in Great Britain, prices for these cars will be much higher than over here. You will have to look at the car and determine if this is something you can financially handle to get it into a condition you will be happy with. I would not be too enthusiastic about this car and think you might do better to find a better example, even if you have to ship it from the U.S. These cars can turn into real money pits if you are not careful and I'm afraid that this car may have all the earmarks of one.

Paul, run, not walk, from this nightmare. The only love that car was ever shown in recent years was incorrect seat upholstery. It's got rust out in the rear floor, the chrome is not just shot, but pitted, which means the plater will have to grind and grind before it ever gets its first dip into the "copper strike" tank. The engine looks like no one's bothered to so much as wipe a kerosene rag over it in 50 years. You can bet it needs rebuilding, at very least new rings.

If someone g a v e you that car, you'd still be so far in the hole the sun will never shine. It is not a rare car. You can find restored, good-running examples here in the states, if you really want a 1948-50 bathtub (?) from all the cars produced their first 48 years (est. 1899), for a minute fraction of bringing such a forlorn hulk back to life.

If the seller in the US sounds like a square bloke and you hit it off, it is vastly cheaper for you to fly over, get a rental car, drive over to his house and look at, take it for a spin, perhaps to a local old car/Packard specialist, pay him to put it on his lift and check it out like you would any used car. If it's as he says, ship it back to the Sceptered Isle. You'll still be far ahead financially.

Paul, you'll get some "misery loves company" countering. That's the trouble with some suffering "one marque-itis."

Now, we like what we like, and if that pudgy look sings to you, so be it. But have you looked at junior 1942-47 Packard Clipper 8 fastbacks (two-door club sedans)? Or 1936-42 One-Twenty coupes? Packard didn't make overdrive standard equipment so they could advertise lower base prices in that cutthroat market, and because it takes a certain amount of sense to operate correctly. That doesn't mean you should suffer such a car.

Electromatic was a quick Rube Goldberg response from an already troubled Packard to GM's HydraMatic, optional in the 1940 Oldsmobiles, '41 Cadillacs. My car had it, and after rebuilding by a Packard owner/specialist, worked fine, if you're idea of luxury is moving your column shift lever without the Herculean effort of depressing a light, easy, semi-centrifugal clutch. It is far from "automatic" other than that. If you're smart, you drive a couple miles to warm up your engine before engaging it. Electromatic operates only the clutch, not the transmission. The latter's your part. One thing i loathed about EM is when at a long light, your clutch pedal remains depressed, doing your throw out bearing no favors. Packard was on the skids and could care less. In fact, they were so afraid of GM, they ran ads suggesting the Packard driver with EM in city traffic leave his or her gearshift in second and drive all day like that, doing the pressure plate no good.

If you get a restored/rejunated/rebuilt Packard with EM, it will be finicky no matter what. The smart thing is to remove all that hardware from your engine bay. Packards are good road cars. Part of that allure is d r i v i n g the car, not suffering a last-ditch gimmick. Hudsons 1935-on offered vacuum clutch control, later christened "Drive-Master." Ask anyone debating this if he'll fly to England and service yours.

The market for all old cars, other than '34 Packard Dietrichs, Packard Darrins, Duesenbergs, Alfa-Romeo 2900 8C 2900Bs, a few of the gaudier Delahayes and the like is shrinking by the day. So there are p l e n t y of nice examples of whatever you really want (c'mon, a bathub?), where someone else has already done or commissioned all the time-consuming and very expensive work.

To your general old car question: No, you do not need lead additive unless you're pulling a trailer or you've a car full of friends the size of Sumo wrestlers and are racing in the highlands. For decades, tens of millions of cars in the eastern and central US performed fine on Amoco, which was always unleaded. However, many of us hedge our bets and use Red Line Lead Substitute, which uses benign sodium to protect valve and seat from the nanosecond micro kiss. Potassium was tried in Europe but formed deposits.

Once again, many thanks for replies.
All advice took on board .
And the tales of usage back-in the-day appreciated.
Having studied the electromatic clutch service docs , does certainly seem a host of palavar ( bit reminiscent of Land Rover’s style of improvements ).
( seems that the electromatic clutch means that the vehicle originally had overdrive. Unless I’ve read the manual wrongly )
I should perhaps point out that the car is open to offers ………..
Am certainly not hoping for concours condition , am happy to work on cars and drive them.
Car is only 30 miles away so will satisfy my curiosity later this week

Paul, it would seem there is a growing consensus that the car you're currently looking at is overpriced and appears to be neglected.

Maybe a better route would be to look for another? Not sure what is available in the UK, but our club president has a 48 and a 49 for sale. There would be shipping and whatever other fees, but these are priced in Cdn dollars and you would get a much better car to start with.

I think you'll be happy to have a Packard as a project car..........if it's not so rough that it costs you far more than it will ever be worth to fix it up.

kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/calgary/1948-packard-super-eight/1698692198

kijiji.ca/v-classic-cars/calgary/1949-pa ... -eight-7-passenger-sedan/1701674689

Quote:

Overdrive and ElectroMatic were two separate options so either was available by itself.

As for all the comments against buying this car, they are all right on the spot but if you can get the price far, far lower than it is, and if you understand all the work involved but want to do it for fun, that’s another matter!

The ElectroMatic Clutch was available only with the Overdrive transmission, you could not order it by itself.

Not true as far as I know. It was available by itself and I've even seen transmissions made for it without overdrive. They have a governor on the rear housing similar to that on an overdrive transmission but it's on the transmission's own output casting with no overdrive unit at the back. Maybe the governor was mistaken as being part of overdrive?

I have to agee with Don,

I have seen an original 1941 manual transmission without overdrive that had the EMC switches for the early version on the right side of extended shift lever shafts and a governor on the rear speedo housing.
Not sure about the later model Clippers and 1948-50 models with the much simpler EMC system