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Hey all, I am a new Packard owner, just bought a 726 Standard Eight and am trying to get an handle on parts. I have looked all over the net for a set of points for the original North East dual point distributor. I know there is a single point conversion available but I would kind of like to keep it original. Any Ideas? Thanks in advance...

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Welcome aboard Scott. Very nice looking car. You'll find a lot of knowledgable and helpful people at this site, only wish I could say I was one of them and give you the advice you require. But, never fear, soon someone will respond to your request. My limited suggestion would be to try Kanter or Max Merritt.

Any chance you can add the car into the Owners Registry together with it's history, if known, or the story of your acquisition of it so all can enjoy?

That's one fine looking machine, nice to see someone into the bona fide Classic Packards. My 34 Eight also has a NorthEast dual point distributor and just a few years ago points for mine were going for $300 or more a set if you could find them, which more often that not you couldn't. Fortunately I have plenty bought up from decades back when they were dirt cheap. Yours uses more common points but still not that common, if you can't get them from Max Merritt, you'll probably need to scrounge the ignition guys at larger flea markets, I saw several sets at Hershey just this past year. Although point synchronizers can still be found, if you need advice on how to bench-synchronize your points, leave me a message with your email address.

Scott-beautiful car, keep those disc wheels on her!
A fellow in the CCCA (Classic Car Club of America) has manufactured a retro-fit distributor plate for the northeast distributor, adapting it to use very inexpensive, readily available points from your local NAPA. No, it isn't original, but at $300 a set (which I have seen with my own eyes) and the relative scarcity of the original points the new plate makes a lot of sense. You would still have your old plate and points should you ever want to put them back.

Thanks Guys, it is a gorgeous car; my wife and I feel very fortunate to have it. We bought it from Stu White in Washington and as you can see, he took immaculate care of it. As for the history, I don't really know who owned the car before the 1980's but I will post something in the registry when I get a photo that I really like. It's running well now but it looks like I will need to keep my eye on one of the single point conversions. I have also read about solid state adapters that greatly reduce the amount of current running through the points prolonging their life. I may look at one of those if I stay with the dual points set up.

Scott,

Welcome aboard and congrats on your new lovely purchase.

I have dual points in my distributor also. I did not realize the price until now. Ouch and Wow.

MrPushbutton any idea what the conversion cost?

I think it was $125, which seems pretty reasonable considering you can then use $7 NAPA points common to a big three distributor, all day long. I have only seen this offered in a CCCA publication. I'm not a member, I always see their publications where I work. It's a great idea, and I don't know why it wasn't advertised in either the PAC,PI publications or Hemmings.

I've seen that adapter kit to convert from NE to modern points advertised in a number of places, though I don't remember just where. Check a recent issue of PAC's Cormorant News Bulletin as I believe I've seen it there. If you don't see it, call Bob Connolle (who also advertised in PAC's CNB and Perhaps the CCCA as well), the guy who remakes the NE ignition coils, and I'm sure he'll know who has the kit. Or if you're at all mechanical you can make the kit yourself -- extremely simple, I have a home-made conversion kit in my spare distributor for my 34. If your interested in how I did it, send me a note with your email and I'll send it to you.

The points conversions are available from The Pacific Northwest Region of P.I.
The 6th thru 9th kit is $100, the 33-34 kit is $120.
Paul

Mark II--welcome to the party! always glad to have another contributor.

do you have a Lincoln Mark II?