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I guess i'm by far the baby here...In 1975 my dad would have been....18? It was 6 more years before i came along. His eyes were set on a 69 GTO convertible that he still has to this day, not a thought of a packard would come to me until last year when i was viewing a collection of them and the owner said "you can have that one cheap"

Don't think you're necessarily the youngest as there are a few more close in age that post regularly. What is nice to see is the younger guys appreciating, wanting to know more, and having the energy and enthusiasm to work on and maintain an "old mans car" that was defunct a generation before you existed. When us older geezers shuffle on, and assuming the fortune tellers are wrong again in 2012, at least the cars will still be around and appreciated.

Of course, gas will be $10 a gallon or non existent or crapped up so bad that to keep the car running it might be as much a challenge to install a fusion converter or battery drive in the next few years as it is AC now. Guess when that time comes, it will still be the 64 million dollar (by then) question. Modify to keep it running or park it & keep it original.

In 1975, I had been out of the USAF for a year having taken the plunge into entrepreneurship with my startup business H-O Racing Specialties. H-O was a company which both drag raced Pontiacs and provided high performance parts and info for same. H-O still exists today, albeit in a somewhat different business form, but I am no longer directly involved having sold it to its present owner in 1981.

I had been exposed to Packards before and during High School as my dad owned both a 1951 200 and a 1955 Clipper Super (w/T-L). I assisted him on the latter as a teenager, even helping R&R the T-U at one point.

But, in 1975 Packards were hardly being restored much less being modified. Thankfully, enough Packards were "saved" or at least benignly ignored that there are enough around today to support what seems to be a growing niche of the collector car hobby.

BTW, Happy Birthday, Eric!

Craig

In 1975 my parents got married and I was still 2 years away from being.

Well Happy Birthday for whenever it was Eric!

For the record I was 5 1/2 years old and this week of that year I would have been running around the pits at a Historic race car meeting. It was probably 40degC in the shade and I would have been covered in a thin coating of engine oil and dust and nostrils filled with the scent of Shell 'Racing A' methanol fuel as I raced from pit to pit helping who ever I could between watching my old man race. Having a ball!

Funny, but if they hadn't closed down Amaroo Park Raceway I would probably be doing exactly the same thing again now...

"THE OLDER I GET THE BETTER I WAS."

Happy birthday Eric, a Packard Engineering Adventurer! You are helping to keep the Packard name alive by re-inventing the theme of Packard. You, as I do, want Packard to be respected for the sound engineering, good looks and reliability of the Marque, 50 years and more after it's demise. My eldest son was born in 1975 and now has a nine year old daughter. My first Packard was a 37-115 in 1966.
I admire your efforts and perhaps we shall meet one day to share a cold beer. Best Regards, Peter Toet PS will you still respect me in the morning if I keep the BTV on the 56 Patrician?

Gentlemen, my birthday is in November, you're all a little late to the party.


Peter, as for the BTV, I wish you wouldn't. Ask Mat about the safety of the BTV. The reason why I say this as I'd like to have that beer with you one of these days.

1975. Dad had a 61 Lemans. Gold with a blacked out hood. Mom had a Javelin I think. I was practiced for but didn't appear until 9 years later. Pops had long since given up the racing, and was stationed back around valley center, Kansas. My dad was quite a gearhead and definitly passed those genes on to me. It spured an obssesion with Volkswagens until I was around 19 and I bought my first non-vw a 70 challenger. Last summer I bought a Packard mostly because I never owned one and its began another obssesion. I'm 25 now and you should see the looks I get when folks come out to the garage. It's usually a " I dunno what that is " type deal from my generation and even some older than me folks. Last year after my basket case purchase, I was informed by pops that he used to race packards. I'm still awaiting the pictures he's promised, but I stumbled across a name he mentioned from yesteryear. Dave Koffel ( I think). Koffel had an Ohio based drag deal in the 60's, and raced packards and studes. I've come across a few photos of some of his cars and its very exciting to see a mid 40's Packard launching with its nose in the air. Hot Rod deluxe claims they have an article of said koffel coming soon. Will let you know.

Ps. Happy birthday Eric. Lol. I'll have that irs out soon if you still need it. Sorry about taking so long as Christmas and the weather have put a damper on even my projects. Cheers!

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Yes I still need it, and as our Aussie friends say, "no worries mate!"

Quote:See this earlier thread Flintstone Flyer