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Hello, Ive built the engine now I'm onto the frame.

Im building a Speedster using a '29 Chrysler Chassis.
I have the 288 almost sitting where it needs to be ( Final location will be aft 3")

Ive measured and drawn a transmission mount cross-member into QCAD . I have no idea what a Packard crossmember looks like, If anyone has a photo of their crossmember I'd appreciate a look at it, otherwise I'll push ahead with my own design. Nothing found in searches.

(As can be seen I've removed the crossmember that was originally behind the Chrysler transmission as it was located where the R9 Overdrive now is. )

Packard used an assembly of almost stunning complexity to catch those two angled mounts on the side of the transmission. Removing it to service the trans or clutch can leave me babbling incoherently.




I'd weld up a sort of flying V shape with a simple bottom crosspiece to prevent your frame rails from rotating apart at the bottom from the load. Bolt it onto the bottom of your flanges so you can remove it easily.



They had an additional crossmember to give a little extra support at the back of the overdrive and a cushioned fore and aft link to prevent clutch chatter on takeoff.

Also, as the photo shows, a stubbier is used on overdrive transmissions which has its own support.

Thanks Ross that photo is exactly what I was looking for.

The Chrysler frame rails are further apart and the gearbox will be sitting lower . I like your sketch, I'll take that and run with it , but I'll truss it per screenshot from CAD .

Once I weld it up & fit it I'll go on with the overdrive mount & that stabiliser rod.

Went to plan.
Just tacked at the moment, will remove and finish it off as the build progresses.

next job, make a floor shifter for that transmission.

Thanks again.

Nice work.

A 37-38 cane shift trans top will bolt right onto your case, but you will have to mod the forks to mate with your later gears. I'm guessing that will not be problem for you.

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That would be nice. Problem for me in Australia would be finding an earlier top . I have not settled on a final seating position but my shift cane will be back about 12- 18" from the case lid so I'm probably better off using a linkage style shifter anyway.

You shouldn't have any trouble finding an earlier transmission top, even in Oz.

For what it's worth, I once bought an OD tranmission which had an earlier top on it, of course that was over 50 years ago and it's long gone now. Bought it from Pendlebury's (also long gone) at North Parramatta who'd swapped a Packard Motor and the trans into a Jeep! It also had the shift lever bent back then up to improve it's usefulness for the environment it was in.

Finally, Forum Member Peter Packard has documented the procedure for adapting the earlier trans top to a later model side shift top equipped trans. I can't find it, at the moment, but maybe someone could post a link to it? After all, we don't want you reinventing the wheel?