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Don't condone what happened but there are elements in every society who express themselves in robust ways or rebel against authority.
Aussies are no different!

Mal, well said.

(o[]o)

Saturday 28th January 2012

Not a workshop activity but, with this Blog being a catch all, will suffice for this.

Being Secretary of the Aussie Packard Club(PACA) one of my duties is to clear our Post Office Box of mail. This is usually done on a weekly basis, because PACA doesn't receive a great volume of mail. However recently PACA's membership renewal notices were sent out and DavidM, our Membership Secretary included a request in the renewal notice that he wants to be swamped with renewals before March because he'll be away for most of that month, more of that later. Well, from the mail flooding into the PO Box, it looks like PACA members have responded enthusiastically to his request so I've been clearing the box on a daily basis. And in order to pass the renewals on to David I took about 30 of them to his place today. Earlier in the week I'd emailed him that I was going to do that and he responded he'll be home and to call in instead of dropping them into his mail box. Didn't need to be asked twice, as there's always something happening at David's.

Took the Coupe because it needed a run and in doing I'm pleased to say it performed well. Arrived to find David working on his '12 Maxwell in order to have it ready for it's participation in the Centennery re-creation of the first trans Australia crossing in 1912. Some years ago David learnt of this adventure and determined he wanted to be part of it. Trouble was he didn't have a vehicle that qualified, his oldest Packard dated to only 1922! That was fixed about 3 years ago when he bought a '12 Maxwell from the widow of a guy who was restoring one in the US. It was just about all done but needed some finishing touches to complete it. Best of all it was a running car with all the major work done. But since it arrived, some 3 or so years ago, David has been battling to get it right. Sure it was restored but because of the passing of the previous owner had sat for a while and major engine work needed to be done again. Shhhh, don't tell anybody, but David slipped in a pair of custom Arias pistons upping the compression from 3:1 to 4:1 in doing the work. Also had to rebuild the transmission, including a recent rebuild because the planetary system broke. Then there's the diff. David had it apart a number of times before biting the bullet and having a new crown wheel and pinion made for it. Even then there were problems and it took a couple of goes before it came close to being right. Another side to the engine dramas was getting it to run right. The original carburettor in Maxwell circles is considered little more than a decoration piece only, apparently they look good on the mantel, and not fit for automobile use. However David found a guy in Melbourne with a similar Maxwell with original carburettion who is a "guru" as far as these cars are concerned. So David took the Maxwell engine with him in the rumble seat of his '29 633 Roadster when he and Veronique went on the Packard Tour of Tasmania last year. Plan was to drop it off on the way to the Tour and pick it up a couple of weeks later on their way home. David was also able to go for a ride in the "guru's" Maxwell which runs real well. However, David's engine wasn't ready by the end of Packard Tour so David had to make a return trip to Melbourne to pick up the engine at a later date. Still wouldn't run properly so now David is thinking of using the stationary engine carb that came with and was mounted on the car. It's very advanced compared to the Maxwell one, has a choke, adjustable jet and more! The other option that David is exploring is twin, that's right TWIN, Amal motorcycle carbs! One on each Jug(Cylinder), there's a guy in Muswellbrook who does these types of conversions.

Anyway, after delivering the renewals and a bit of chit-chat David asked if I'd like to go for a ride in the Maxwell. Did I ever? Never, repeat NEVER, turn down the opportunity to ride in any old car, it may never happen again! To get the Maxwell out of the garage first it's enclosed trailer had to be moved aside. And in order to do that I had to move the Coupe to down in front of the attached garages to the house. David has a BIG garage, separate from the house, where the Maxwell and Packards are housed. Mentioning the trailer, David built that specifically for the Maxwell in order to transport it to the start point of the 2012 Centenary Expedition which is 4,000kms West. It will also serve as spares, equipment and liquids carrier as well as accommodation for the many stops, hopefully planned ones only, on the journey to Sydney. Mentioning liquids carrier, the trailer will provide tankerage for 1) water, for the Maxwell as well as David and his mate Don who is accompanying him, 2) oil, the Maxwell has a total loss oil system so needs to be monitored and topped up on a very regular basis, and 3) fuel, the route crosses the Nullarbor plain and there are other very long very sparsely inhabited stretches so they will need to carry extra fuel. Now where Was I? That's right, we moved the trailer, but somehow I got sidetracked! Upshot was we now had a clear path for the Maxwell out of the garage. So back in went the original floorboard, all the wood in the Maxwell is original, it was out because David's making a new floor to accommodate underfloor storage for the trip. Then started the Maxwell, with David at the controls and yours truely swinging the crank handle. I was mindful of kickback, employing a grip on the crank handle from my Ford Model days to minimize the risk, although David advised it's never kicked back on him. Into the car besides David, out the garage and started up David's winding steepish drive. And that's as far as went first time. Second time, after a very quick band adjustment for first, which literally took seconds and is easily accessible, same result! Next time David drove the Maxwell and I walked and we made it to the top easily. Then a ride down his access road onto the public road and about a mile or so down to the town, round a round-a-bout and back to David's. I'm now an accredited Maxwell passenger!

Back at David's, Maxwell back in garage and then inside for a cuppa and more chat. Tea and coffee were provided by Veronique, David's wife, together with delicious bikkies(Aussie slang for biscuits). Discussed the Maxwell and it's trip and the preparations David's undertaking. Also discussed my intention to visit the US this year to take in Hershey. On this front Veronique was most helpful benefiting me from the wealth of her travel experience and pointing me in the direction of a couple of websites one of which, but I've only looked at one so far, looks great. After that I bid adieu to Veronique and David but threatened promised to return next week with another swag of membership renewals as a form of passport.

I had intended to provide a link to the Veteran Car Club of Australia website about the trip, it's history and the participants but it seems to be down at present, so I had to settle for this:http://www.eventfinder.com.au/2012/apr/sydney-cbd/royal-automobile-club-1912-centenary-expedition-2012

And here's a link to the pic's I took today at Davids and the short videos of starting and riding in the Maxwell. Think you'll find them interesting:https://picasaweb.google.com/107657757915608915830/DavidMS

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Monday 30th January 2012

While I gave Juniors front shocks and chassis a POR15'ing Wade was "fiddling" with The Fossil. "Fiddling", in this instance, consisted of mounting the accelerator pedal and the throttle arm it mounts to on the engine side of the firewall. Took a lot of "fiddling", there being a lot of drilling and grinding accompanied at times by cries of frustration and at other times by magic words appropriate to the occasion. But he got there, this being another example of RHD parts and the LHD body not co-operating with each other. In the medical world they'd call it rejection and treat with anti-rejection drugs and all would be well, but in the Packard world it's not that simple! And, seeing I had a paint brush in hand, Wade also found time to add to my work load. The bottom quarters of the body, where the front mudguards(fenders) mount to the body, were basically bare metal so they were POR15'd too, as were the edges of the mudguards(fenders) where they are bolted to the body. Wade then dug out some of the engine and other pieces cleaned in recent time and they were POR15'd, likewise the inside lower section of the radiator frame still in the front clip. After that, left Wade to his "fiddling around", but I'll be back on Wednesday. And so too will Noel and Fleurette, they'll be there for a brake adjustment and refitting of the radio rebuilt by Wade.

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Tuesday 31st January 2012

Wade, John and Junior,

Look what arrived today! Not bad, bought 19th and delivered 31st half way around the world.

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Yesterday I included a pic of the accelerator pedal in The Fossil. Today going through my pic's, looking for engine serial number location pic's, came across one I took almost three years ago of a pedal setup in a RHD '34.

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Mal, et al: It looks to me like the accelerator pedal rest in the RHD '34 is installed in a reverse position. Should not the notched out part be on the other side so as to provide a rest for the foot?

(o[]o)

That's a VERY DIFFERENT accelerator pedal set up than I've photographed in other 1934 Eights with RHD. What I've seen is the accelerator placed between the clutch and brake pedals, and just a bit below them. This photo I believe from the Moss 1100 in Australia. I have photos from perhaps another 4 or 5 RHD 34s that are the same. This location makes sense of the accelerator foot rest.

2nd photo is from a 34 Super Eight.

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I wonder if the first photo is an attempt by a frustrated owner to have a conventional layout. The accelerator in the middle seems like it would be an accident waiting to happen should one be used to a modern type layout and need the brake in a hurry--even with a big wide brake pedal.

One thing seems certain when driving in a different country. In addition to trying to remember to keep on the proper side of the road, it seems one also needs to be quite ambidextrous dealing with reversed controls as well.

Howard, here's another photo showing the same layout (see just below the steering wheel rim). This car is a 1932 Eight phaeton delivered new to India.

An accident waiting to happen? I guess it's all what you get acclimated to. This layout is not at all limited to just Packards and was used by many RHD cars, I'm sure Mal can comment further.

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