Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

I think the mechanism rusty describes could easily be built hydraulically or with air bags into most any car...some steel square tubing, suitable wheels and no fear of welding it into an older car that would not be original after that. Would be one heck of a cool accessory.

This Cavalier was on display yesterday at the show associated with the Pittsburgh Vintage Grand Prix, and I had a good chance to examine the mechanism and talk with the owner.

As shown in one pic, there's a huge hydraulic cylinder (presumably activated by a hydraulic pump as used on convertibles, cars with power windows and hearses with Level-draulic systems, but the hood was closed and I didn't think to ask). Anyway, with the car nosed into the intended parking spot, that cylinder forces the continental spare down to the ground and then lifts the rear end off the ground. (Imagine the angle the Cavalier would be at, by this time, and particularly if the pavement is uneven, in order for both wheels to clear the pavement.) At the same time as the rear is lifted, a complex lever system connected to the mechanism engages a drum into the rear of the right rear tire. That drum connects turns the largest fan belt I've ever seen, which turns 90deg under the corner of the right rear quarter. By putting the car in gear - D or R depending on which way you want the rear end to go - the rear wheel turns the drum, which turns the fan belt, which turns a gear at the other end of the arrangement. That gear is engaged with a much larger gear wheel behind the continental spare, moving it slowly in the direction of the parking space. If anyone's interested in the specs, I'd estimate the drum as 8" diameter, the drive gear at maybe 2", and the driven gear at 14", but at the time I looked at it I wasn't trying to estimate sizes.

I guess on a non-level space, the contact of the spare with the ground keeps the car from lurching forward or backward, but there must be some unwanted movement of that sort in such situations. Also, when non-level left-to-right, I imagine that getting both wheels off the ground might be problematic too. Further, knowing that those bodies are not absolutely rigid, I can imagine that if you opened the door to see how things were when the rear end end was off the ground, the door would at best not close well. I imagine that these may well have been reasons why Packard declined to take the patent.

There is a short video about Park-Car which I suspect has been seen by many hobbyists showing the unit in operation (no underhood or undercar details) on a 1951 Cadillac. If anyone cares to PM me with their email address I'd be glad to forward the file. This particular one uses a trunk-mounted spare and not a continental-mounted spare.

Found this article on Facebook via Old Cars Weekly:

http://www.oldcarsweekly.com/car-of-the-week/car-of-the-week-self-parking-1953-packard-cavalier

I believe the Packard is currently at the Frick mansion here in Pittsburgh.