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I obtained a very nice adapter from Bob Bendtsen's Speed Gems

http://www.transmissionadaptors.com/index.htm

and plan to use a GM 700 R4 auto overdrive lockup unit behind my 356 Custom-Eight engine. The 'drive-ability' of the car will be improved and I think in the long run the transmission will handle the engine just fine and the highway RPM will be greatly reduced...which will extend the life of the engine quite a bit.

I'm also using the 3.9 rear axle from a donor '48 instead of the 4.1 originally in the car.

Mike

There's a 38 jr Packard transmission for sale in Arizona looks very reasonable:

Radiator???(Used) for a '38 Junior Six fair condition, $75?Used?3 Speed Transmission?for '38-'47(?) Column?shift types, gears look good, $125. Used?Gas Tank?'38 junior six sedan, been cleaned and sealed, ready to go but has no sender, $150. Pictures available through e-mail.? Call after 7pm.?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????alpdavegre@msm.com?? Dave?Green, Tucson 520-747-2901

at the risk of asking an incredibly stupid question, how does an automatic improve "driveability"? Not looking to start any tirades, it's just not obvious to me, unless you do a lot of heavy city traffic driving.

Depends in part upon your health. I have a bad knee and some leg muscle issues, so shifting is problematic. Automatic makes a huge difference to me.

Also, the trans in question can be had with overdrive, which offers much higher gearing for highway use. Better mileage, easier on the car.

Mendo here,

The jury is still out. A fella on this forum indicated that he'd send me some instructions and so forth on how to hook up the R11. That may be the tipping point. Especially since I already have one. I'm keeping my mind open to the automatic world though. who knows, maybe one will pop up relatively cheap and the stars will align in that direction. I have a bit more work to do before I make the final decision.

Thanks for the input. Valuable stuff!

Autos are "easier" to drive no clutch to worry about and generally they are stronger. You have options on torque converters as well so you can more "fine tune" it to your setup. With a modern Auto serviceability is also very easy for the occasional fluid and filter changes. The down side is weight and the reduction in HP over a manual. But if you are not planning on racing that shouldn't really be a problem for anyone.

I checked out Benstedt's adapter and thought that would be the ticket. I have some experience with the 700r4 (I put it in a '55 Chevy) and just loved the thing....so smooth. That's what got me going on this whole thing...that and I know some people put them behind the Hudson 308 with positive results.

Right now the old cross member is out and the front clip is off, so it's perfect timing to mock things up. I've never seen this car with the engine mounted, and without doing a trial run with engine and original transmission, how do I know what angle to put he motor? I know that a SBC is tilted approx. 3-4 degrees downward at the rear. Is there something similar on Parkards? Am I wrong in assuming that I could work backwards from the rear diff.? I think the pinion angle needs to cancel the transmission angle.

-As before, thanks for any input.

Erik

From what I know from engine placement you want the carbs to sit level in the car. The tilt of the engines are usually a packaging issue but even a SBC with a factory intake the engine is tilted but the carb mounting flange is cut so it sits level (or close to it). The transmission will obviously follow the engine placement. With the rear end there is a bit of science involved and whole books have been written on how to properly set up rear suspension and its way to in-depth to go into here. just a generalization on it your pinion angle will be a few degrees down (as in the yoke is facing the road by 2-3 degrees from level) this allows for the pinion to raise up during acceleration to a "level" position. Remember the whole equal and opposite reaction thing from high school the wheels are moving one direction the axle housing and the pinion with it want to go the other way. In an ideal world you want to keep your yoke on the transmission, drive-shaft, and pinion in a straight line (in relation to how it will be under acceleration/ driving conditions) with no deviation top bottom left right ect. where it sits when the car is at rest really doesn't matter as long as its straight when the car is moving. having this done properly will aid in traction as well as free up some horsepower. You will see this in a lot of drag vehicles where the center section of the rear end is shifted to one side but by doing that the pinion is center to the drive-shaft/transmission/engine assemblies.

Mendo, For what it is worth, I put the borg warner R9 in my 1939 Six and it is a wonderful driver, quite a pleasure. Packard began offering OD in 39 with the Borg Warner R6, then the R9 from 40 through mid 48, then the R11. The installation was quite straightforward (as long as you don't mind handling a couple hundred pounds!).

I suggest going ahead with the R11, especially if you have it in hand. Don't worry too much about the electrical connections, they are straightforward and simpler than the R9 that I have. You won't regret it.

As for authenticity, I would trust Pete's instructions on the straightforward modifications to use the floor shifter with the normally column shift OD/Transmission combinations.

Pete is the master. Listen to him.

Hope this helps,
Pat

Erik,
for including your '38 Six 4 Door Touring Sedan, now with R11 OD, in the Packard Owner's Registry.