Packard Forum Index » Pre-War (1899-1942)

I've sent a request to Bruce Blevins and Myles, and to Andy Beckman at the Studebaker Museum, to see if either source has 1938-1940 gas tank 326662 which works (according to parts book) for 120C, 120CA, 120CD, 138CD, 1601 -1A -1D -2- 1701-1A -2 -3 -3A -5 1801 -1A -3 -3A 4 -5 -6 -7 -8.

Great!
I've had zero success getting drawings from Bruce.
Please keep me posted.

Bruce is currently in New Zealand and won't be back in the US until next month. When he was in Oz, earlier this month, Bruce was saying that although he has lots of blueprints they aren't all indexed and it can be a tedious process trying to find a particular print. That is, if he has it!

Quote:

If I can expand on this comment, we have all the blueprints filed in numerical order, but we have yet to create an index of what we have. And we only have about 35,000 +/- blueprints to index.

So, when you contact us with part number 360425 we go to the file drawer containing the 3XXXXX part numbers. Then we look for the 36XXXX folder and so forth.

If you know of someone that wants to volunteer their time to look at every blueprint and then create an index, then we will sign them on as an intern. BTW, if you can pull the blueprint, record the number in an index, note the name of the part with a brief description and re-file the blueprint in 2 minutes, then this would take them only 1,126 hours to create an index for us. I think you get the idea.

On the basis of another exaggerated perspective, at $75 a pop for those who need a blueprint (and it is not an exclusive use, just a copy), there's a potential of $2,625,000.00 that could be contributed, I'm assuming not to Bruce, but to the Packard Proving Grounds.

Of course, some blueprints are worth more than others. IMHO no blueprint should be provided to a vendor unless a license fee is charged for each part made from that blueprint. Otherwise the blueprint is for one's own use.

If the blueprint for the gas tank can be found and gas tanks made, I'd propose that the use of the blueprint be licensed for each tank at some reduced amount such as $50 or 10% of the purchase price of the item. That could make it well worthwhile for a volunteer or staff member to make the search for gas tank 326662.

For this and other items, not only could a vendor gather pre-production orders through the Proving Ground or club, based on those who prepay the license fee, but the clubs have a database to select every member who owns a car this tank fits (see list above) and an email blast to them could generate many orders. The tank builder could pay the cost to do that as a deductible marketing cost. Then include the $50 license fee in the cost of the tank or only sell to people who have purchased a license for the tank blueprint from the PPG.

This same technique could be applied to any part that many people want that has not been reproduced. The clubs and packardinfo.com could survey members on what parts they'd like to see made. The blueprint pulled and the part made with a license fee, not unlike the trademark rights to the Packard logo.

Looking at these blueprints as a marketing opportunity as opposed a drain on resources, could mean a lot to the Proving Grounds and the Studebaker Museum. Maybe there's an IP lawyer among Packard owners who, instead of being asked to do data entry on the blueprints, could set this up as future revenue for the Proving Grounds. There are people charged with marketing for the clubs and other Packard NPOs who have this in their court.

I really don't even need the prints, the other tanks were all build from replicating the existing tanks.
So if any of you guys wanna send your tank for me to duplicate, I'm good with that too.

Wonder what the cost is gonna be for say a 1934 Super 8? Why when you click on the post it sends you to a wordpress website with literally no information?

Looks like they have a URL and a Wordpress template page, but haven't yet started on creating a website specific to their business. From what was said at the beginning of the thread, I suspect the proper information will be up within a few weeks.

Sorry guys my website is under construction I hope to have more information up there within a couple weeks.
Keep checking back or ask anything here and I'll respond.

The blueprints don't exist in Bruce Blevins or the Studebaker Museum's archives.

There is a source in Florida selling on eBay for $700. I've asked for more details. Perhaps a group order would lower the per unit cost. A lot of cars use this tank:
1938-1940 gas tank 326662 which works (according to parts book) for 120C, 120CA, 120CD, 138CD, 1601 -1A -1D -2- 1701-1A -2 -3 -3A -5 1801 -1A -3 -3A 4 -5 -6 -7 -8.

There may be someone in Ft Lauderdale who can check them out if this gets serious.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/1939-1940-1941-1942-Packard-Fuel-Tank-Darrin-Lebaron/183166782866?hash=item2aa5974d92:g:EHkAAOSw94lan7iv