Packard Forum Index » Project Blogs

I have plenty of Phillips screws used in places that are hidden. So no worries there. Also Boltdepot.com is my go to for fasteners. You can literally order one of something if you want.

On my '54, being completely broke, I pretty much media blasted and reused every fastener. This car, I replace them. Lots of half wallowed out slotted screws. My local hardware store only has the most basic selection of them. Bolt Depot i can order the exact size, thread, head style and material. This was invaluable when ordering all the different hardware for the convertible top assemble. The have pretty much everything in stainless and zinc, and a very good selection of chrome finished fasterners as well. All at much cheaper prices than the local hw store. The fact I can order 5 if these, and 7 of those and 25 of these, etc is a real winner.

Good to know. I really don’t care about slotted vs Philips except in a few places. For instance, I am missing some screws for my interior trim. I want those to be correct. If you can’t see them without really looking, I’m not going to worry about it.

I did notice when I was replacing my thermostat that all six screws were Phillip head. I’m guessing someone replaced the thermostat back in the 50s…Dad said he doesn’t remember replacing it. Guess what…I reused them and have no plans to change them.

For screws, make sure you know the difference between pan, fillister, cheese, button, and truss head before ordering. Not hard but just something to be aware of.

I made some progress with the carburetor swap. It’s installed, complete with the choke tube (that was a pain) and new fuel lines and filter from the pump to the carb. I do need to make a new support brace for the air cleaner due to the adapter I made.

I ran my electric fuel pump just long enough to fill the filter bowl. That’s all for today. The rest of the day/evening is family time. I’ll be getting with Cli55er tomorrow for a little education before trying to start it up. I have a few questions for him.

The choke tube was a pain due to how short it is and how much bending is required in that short distance, and making sure it doesn’t interfere with the throttle linkage…

Great job Don, a very tidy project.
Do you think it will need a new bracket? Could you set the existing bracket on top of the head nuts and then use a nut on the stud (as there is an amount of thread exposed above the head bolts). If more space is needed then lock a short piece of threaded rod or a cut-off bolt into the nut to act as a spacer to stack some washers onto to have the bracket perch on?
Bob J.

I thought about that, but a new bracket will be very easy to make and will be less than $10 for a piece of flat bar. I made the bracket for my heater tube and this should actually be easier. The bends will be easier due to the part being longer.

Don,

One of your engine pictures shows a flexible lower radiator hose. Be careful, that hose is under considerable pressure from the water pump. Factory was two sections of rubber hose with a metal tube in the middle. Modern cars have a re-inforced rigid lower radiator hose.

Yep. That hose will get replaced at some point. It is a modern reinforced hose.

It’s looking good and I can well imagine how difficult the choke tube was to make! I’ve never owned a 1937 but on my ‘39, ‘several ‘40s and postwar cars, the filter attached directly to the carburetor with no intermediary section of tube, just using a short brass nipple. Maybe, though, on this non-stock carburetor, it was necessary to space it farther out to clear the air cleaner.