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Gusha, I'm no fan of chrome wheels on these cars thru 1936, makes them look "gaudy". With most color schemes the wheel color was the same as the pinstripe color.

And yes, there is something strange about the distributor, looks like some sort of adapter was made and perhaps an incorrect distributor modified and fitted, it appears to me to stand about 3 or 4 inches higher over the cylinder head than it should.

Looks a bit small for a mag. But maybe it is??? What was the last year Packard offered a hand crank????? Last year for the hole thru the radiator shell?????

Magneto? Maybe because there is no coil to be seen? Could be.

(o{I}o)

Good point about the ignition coil. I didn't think to look at the pics for a coil. It mite be mounted out of site. Maybe recessed in the firewall directly inline with ignition switch.
Owen or some of the other prewar experts mite elaborate.

I don't know if it's mag ignition or not. The "distributor" looks a bit too small to be a magneto. If there is evidence of facilities for a HAND engine crank then it is very likely to be a magneto. The 'adapter' sleeve between the head and the 'distributor' is somewhat similar to mag conversions. Altho sometimes on mag conversions of this vintage of automobile the mag wouild have been driven from the front timing chain cover some way.

If the car was used in remote or desolate areas where battery reliability/availability/cost mite be questionable then it is very likely to be a magneto, especialy during the prewar era. As well as a hand crank to start the engine.

After having read thru this thread and seen the pictures below, I have a question. Is it possible for a car to have a theft proof number, tag vin number, frame stamped serial number and steering gear stamped serial number (1929 6th series)all different with the firewall tag number being the title vin number? Should the frame serial number be the same as the firewall tag number?

No. For 6th, 7th and 8th series the vehicle number should match the motor number and I'm not aware of any correlation to frame or steering gear numbers.

Where is the engine number on a 6th series? I have looked all over the alum. block on the oil filler side and see no numbers.

If memory serves, I believe 6th series is on the left (driver) side, on the front engine casting arm which is intergral with the motor mount, towards the outboard end. It should be quite apparent.

626/633: 233,017 to 276,166
640/645: 167,001 to 178,879

Checked and do not see it. It is possible it might be under the fender....

Thanks for the data, Gusha. This is one of the fairly uncommon cases in my database where I have data on vehicles of the same chassis and body style with consecutive vehicle numbers. #613-32 was at the Gettysburg National this year, a lovely fresh restoration, it's BDN was <173603>. Earlier VN with a somewhat later BDN not uncommon.

PS - also interesting to see how nice and crisp the embossed numbers are on the earlier cars compared especially those from the mid-50s where they are often difficult to discern. By then it is often difficult to tell the difference between an "0" and a "D".