Packard Forum Index » Modification Discussion

Aluminum V8s would be very cool. If you keep posted on here I will be posting some prototype pictures as they become available. The proposed parts list as of right now is the head, finned side plates, finned front cover. An intake is in the works but its configuration is not finalized yet.

i have no problem with mods,

but to keep these cars going, we need someone with play money, to start making the basic parts ..

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And therein lies the rub. Most small shops are not set up to do production. To make one or two of something by hand, machine shops want a fortune. To make the part affordable, production shops want an order of magnitude probably more than there are cars still around that can use the item -- and they want it paid for up front. Even some of the oddball hardware items we need are a problem. They are still around but try buying in quantities less than a thousand and what vendor is going to stock 1000 when he might sell one or two a year.

I don't know if the OP is still monitoring this thread but someone should mention that the 54 Patrician straight eight came stock with a high compression aluminum head, and most of them have worn out and been replaced by iron. This might be a market.

Yes the original aluminum heads are pretty beat these days and if you can find on in "usable" condition the aluminum is likely annealed and it would be difficult to make the head seal.

These will be a small market honestly not many people want an aluminum performance head for the Packard L8 but they will be cast in the US (Georgia specifically) and then CNC machined to completion. I am putting out the word for the guy who will be tackling the project and he knows that it will be a limited production/ selling item but he doesn't have all his eggs in one basket, he also makes other parts for forgotten engines (Pontiac straight 8 V12 Lincoln etc.).

This will not be a stock replacement part but a performance/ dress up part, it will be finned and the final compression ratio should be around 8:1, which is pretty ideal for a flathead.

Orders are not being taken right now as we are in the initial R&D stage but if anyone is seriously interested PM me and I can keep you updated on the progress.

This may be a viable project if tooling costs are low. With the advances in lost foam casting, 3d printing and CNC machining it may be possible to make such parts in small numbers without spending a fortune on tooling, jigs, molds and patterns.

Would be interesting to learn how it can be done.

Not too far off the subject. A fellow that worked for Nethercutt manufactured Packard 12, Lincoln 12. and Cadillac 12 and 16 caps and rotors. When he passed on, production stopped. Might there be a possibility of tracking down these molds to start manufacture again. Probably The Nethercutt Collection retains these. Might they allow the molds put back in use? Just saw a Packard 12 cap and rotor sell for 3000!

That would be really cool, I would love to see more parts available for these engines stock replacement or performance. Injection molding plastics is very difficult from what I understand. Maybe 3D printing would be an option?

I used to work in a small plastics factory that made distributor caps. The process is surprisingly simple, if you have the mold and the machine.

I don't build many I8s but I'd commit to taking two if it would help move from bench racing to production.

FWIW, I get more requests for aluminum intakes for the V8s than anything else.

jack vines