Packard Forum Index » Modification Discussion

Ok, for the FINAL time, the car in the video I posted is NOT my car, it belongs to a guy in Utah.

Nice backpedal, BTW.

packprince -

Sharing info is one thing, but what happened in the other thread had little to do with how people spend their money. I'm not surprised that you didn't get good reception at the Ford site, either.

Although a wise schoolteacher once told me that "it takes two to tango", the fact is, you "caught guff" in that other thread because you gave "guff", and you pretty much drove things downhill from there. A situation like this that occured in another forum years ago was aptly likened to a dick-waving contest. I can't speak for others, but that's a pretty big turn-off for me.

I celebrate the Packards for what they are. Others may do with their cars as they please, but they have no right to rub anyone's nose in it or to expect anyone to lavish praise on them.

As for how one spends their money in this hobby, a wise owner will try to do as much quality work as they are able to do themselves - so long as they do no harm to themselves, others, or the car. The money saved can then be put toward those things that they cannot do themselves, but must sublet to more expereinced hands. I'm sure you recognize this same approach being referred to as "sweat equity" in home improvment circles.

Feel free to stick around post news of your Packard projects, but understand that not everyone will agree with your work. You should also expect questions from others who are wanting to make sure you are legit and not just another poser in the hobby.

As a relative newbie to this site, I'd like to ante up my .02 on this whole issue.
As I see it, there is enough credit and blame to go around regarding this fiasco. I have been lurking long enough to know that there are a handful of individuals here who really delve into this marque, and who have gotten the short end of the stick when it comes to credit, i.e Turbopackman. There are a lot of us who are building/rebuilding/restoring these vehicles on a budget, and some who have no financial worries. There are also purists, rodders, racers, and drivers, and we all have different opinions and goals in mind.
I looked at Packprince's site and have to agree that "they" do some very nice work, and they should be proud of that. I use the "they", because since it is a business, it is unlikely that one person performs all, or most, of the work on any single vehicle like most of us do. I also understand that this is their livelyhood, and when their work is criticised, it's easy to take it down to the personal level.
There also seems to be a bit of personal friction between some of the posters, which may or may not relate to incidents aired on this forum. To this, I say "Take it offline". First off, people will say online things that they would not say in person. It's also very easy to misunderstand what someone has typed since there is no emotion in text. We have become accustomed to the writing styles of the "old timers" on this forum, and it's sometimes difficult to accept that they were "newbies" here at one time as well.
BigKev has done a great job here, and is providing a valuable service to us all by keeping this site up and running. I don't think that he needs to be burdened with policing the threads, so we need to make sure to act like responsible adults when posting. We also need to acknowledge that there will always be differences of opinion, and that there will always be some validity in each one.
I, for one, relish the ability to be able to pick the brains of those with more knowledge that myself, be they a newbie or an established member. There are many things that I can learn from posters like Turbopackman, Mrpushbutton, Bigkev, and many others because they have
"been there and done that". I'd also like to be able to query new members like Packprince regarding things like metalwork, new shop tools, front end mods, etc.
In the words of Mr. King; "can't we all just get along"....
John

turbopack,
this is my first post on here and this conversation has forced me to respond...

I had a 51 dodge pickup that I was halfway through a turbo setup before I gave in on a trade. I just bought a 49 deluxe touring sedan. this is the first car that I have wanted to restore to stock. of course i will throw some nitrous to it when she's in paint and road worthy but she will have a stock appearance.
don't give up, torquer motors are great with turbos. this motor would sound INCREDIBLE with one of those hybrid turbo and a nicely muffled blow off valve.
I want to know what happens. I have an old volvo turbo that I might want to do something with. what is redline on a straight 288? thanks ~mac

On a 288, I wouldn't go more than 5000 rpm. I plan on using an MSD 6AL box with a 5000 rpm limit chip on my 327. Also, since it's a straight eight, I'll be using two turbos for better fuel distribution.

As for a first post, that's a pretty dang good one! Welcome to the forum!

The usual schism between the Orthodox and the Reform LOL.

On the question of turbocharging a flathead. I have thought for years, that the flathead was well suited to turbocharging for various reasons. But in a discussion on another board someone pointed out that most flatheads suffer from cracking around the exhaust valve seat area indicating excess heat buildup.

If flatheads are prone to overheating in this area of course, a turbocharger will only make the problem worse.

The solution is to use a belt driven supercharger, either a positive displacement salvaged from a late model Thunderbird or Buick, or else a centrifugal blower like a McCulloch or Paxton.

Dick Datson has done some interesting work adapting turbos to belt drive. He has a web site I'm too lazy to link to.

I still think a blown flathead would be a very interesting project. There are a lot of angles to consider aren't there?

Didn't Packard try a McCulloch on a 54 but decided not to go any further for one reason or another?

Yes they did. The McCulloch supercharger was introduced to the public in 1953. Packard showed 4 "Panther" show cars with McCulloch blown straight eights in 1954.

One of them made 131 MPH on Daytona Beach in unofficial tests. They claimed the supercharger upped the standard 212HP 359 engine to 275HP.

They also had a few standard sedans with them running around the proving grounds and probably on the road as well.

I assume they never pursued the blown straight eight because they had the new V8 from 1955 on. It gave all the power and performance they wanted, without the blower.

The 1955 352 4 barrel also had 275HP.

After Studebaker Packard dropped the Packard engine they replaced it with a McCulloch blown 289 that also had.... 275HP.

Wouldn't it be great to find a factory Packard blower setup? I assume they are long gone, except for the ones on the surviving Panthers. One Panther has been written up several times in old car magazines. Photos reveal the supercharger has been removed. Perhaps another one survives intact someplace.

I would think that hardened valve seats would solve the cracking valve seat problem. This, coupled with a few other "modifications" that I plan on doing, will make my 327 run as cool, if not cooler, than a stock 327. Even with twin turbos on it.

TurboPackman: I am very new to this site, but already have seen that you know a LOT about Packards, engines, and more. Please keep the info coming.

I am trying to make my 1952 200 Deluxe into a reliable daily driver. I need advice o:

- HEI ignition

- Eliminating the "priming" of the carb after the car has sat

- Converting to 12 volt so I can add air conditioning (hey, I live in Texas, and 102 degrees without AC is no fun at all in your daily driver)

- A sensible approach to adding the required AC compressor drive

and much much more. PLEASE don't self-sensor just because some folks have different preferences than you do.

My "other" project is a 1955 Chevy pickup into which my buddy and I have transplanted a cammed 6 liter LQ9 from an Escalade, fiberglass leaf springs (cut the weight by 108 pounds AND lowered the truck by 4 inches), a Flaming River T-bucket steering box and custom-made Pitman arm, etc. When finished, it will be an under-3000 pound 1/2 ton pickup with 425 to 500 hp on tap (depends on how freeflowing an exhaust we can fit in there).

Jim G