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Hi Joe,
I've tried to pm you several times but it returns the info and says not known on website. The gripe was very minor and about the trim company,which seems to be solved now. Sorry to bother you and keep up the good work on the "Duchess" hich looks as if its nearly there now.
Regards
Terry

WHICH WAY TO I-5?

Marathon day. Dog waited patiently until 8 pm for her morning walk. Too tired to write but will post pix.

If you would like a lesson on how to get the parking light wires back into the loom, let me know.

Tomorrow, weatherstripping, windows, finishing touches on other doors.

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Joe,

Wish I had a house like yours with Packard parts in every room. Trouble is, I have a wife and she has a problem with that!

Hopefully they won't be around for long or I won't have a Brazilian housekeeper.

I thought about putting them around the bed to make a sleeping car, but the hood is on that trunk whose wheels can scratch the floor if there's weight on it, and you really need to have that long nose to make it work, so I bagged the idea. But if I'd done it, then you and others here would be eating their hearts out.

When we bought our house about 5/6 years ago, I made a deal with my wife, the house was hers, and the garage was mine, and never the two should mix. So none of the household stuff gets stored and the garage, and no parts get brought into the house.

Now that being said I have probably tracked 15 lbs of grease and grim into the house over the years much to my wife's chagrin.

Except when they came off the assembly line, these parts have never been as pristine as they are at this moment. New chrome, rubber, freshly painted parts, and wiring. Nothing from the engine is in the house proper, altho you could eat off that too. But after upholstery...headin' down the highway, looking for adventure...

Today is a good day to remember, you only live once, Big Kev.

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REAR DOORS: Door handles, moulding, and weatherstrip installed. Now waiting for the roll-up window gear pins to be machined in order to install windows, which I restored in the 90s with total clean up, new rubber around the glass and channel. So nice to be able to pull something out of the trunk and have all that work already done.

FRONT DOOR: Right front door is the next challenge. I'm trying to remove the lock from an extra handle to use in the re-chromed one whose lock is shot. One comes out, the other does not.
I spent almost 2 hours just loosening the vent window handle back then, working it back and forth in 100ths of an inch. The metals must have migrated together. All new rubber and channel lining for the front door windows, too.
The finish on the door is like glass. Magnificent job. Metal in the bottoms of all these doors was replaced. When rubber dries out, water gets in. Rust in the bottom of a door is the worst. You don't see it until it's too late.

The left front door will be ready today to pick up.

BODY: The final piece, which probably should have gone in first, will go in late today or tomorrow. Just a problem of space at the shop at the time we started.

UPHOLSTERY: To start this week.

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At long last, the Duchess was transported to the beauty parlor at Canyon Auto Repair and Collision for some TLC. Bill shakes his head at every flaw, so meeting tomorrow to review work and schedule. Objective is to make it to Beaverton Auto Upholstery on Monday.

I contacted my old (meaning from long ago) friends John and Vaughn. I found the original note John left on my car on Jan 26, 1973 (He's a lawyer. Dates everything) asking if I might be interested in selling this Packard.

I now have a garage to put my parts in.

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Paid a visit to the Duchess at the paint shop on their off day. Twan, who is the primary person prepping and painting the car manages the other shop on Saturdays.

Nevertheless I plan to take a load of items to Beaverton Auto Upholstery Monday morning, items I'm cleaning and painting, frames, other metal pieces.

DOORS: I picked up some weatherstrip with a self-adhesive and a 3/8 rubber lip ro try in the outer position alongside the windows to keep the dust out, listed as a dust seal, I think, in the parts book.

I'm also cleaning the garage floor to ceiling and reorganizing while the car is away. Yes, away. Post partem blues? Can I trust having her in other hands? No choice really.

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BODY: Finally in the paint booth. Another coat of sanding primer and Twan's talent at creating a glass-like finish being applied. Final paint should be today. Then she goes from Canyon Auto Repair to Beaverton Auto Upholstery.

UPHOLSTERY: I wired and sanded the rust off seat frames and parts, and painted them before delivery the seats and new leather yesterday morning. This is a very tight schedule, tighter now. I may have to take doors in without their windows because of questions about the mechanisms and those darn pins for the rear window gears. After the panels are upholstered but not attached, I'll finish assembly.

ASHTRAY: Received a rear seat ashtray lid from Seattle Packard, David Moe, but actually have 2 armrest ashtrays that I needed the face plate for. By cutting the larger cover in half, I'll have 2 armrest face plates, the last pieces in line for woodgraining.

BEAUTY RINGS. Polished these on the buffing wheel (3 edges) and with the drill for one edge. Stainless can gleam.

TRUNK INTERIOR FINISH: Still a question of what to put on it, in it, etc. Apparently this is the one area you are allowed to customize. Asking Jim to look again in his original car. Posted as Trunk Interior Finish for 1940 with pictures.

FRONT WINDOW MECHANISM: Still stuck on what connects the to arms to get a scissor action.Posted as 1940 Front Window Mechanism with picture.

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