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

I'm wondering if anyone recognizes/knows anything about the Deluxe Eight for sale by Hyman? He doesn't list an SN...wondering if it's an original body.

http://www.hymanltd.com/search/details.asp?stockno=4991

Cheers!

Contact the seller and request the (1) data plate information, (2) the motor number, (3) the six-digit number embossed in the firewall and (4)the body tag number. The last mentioned will be found by opening the right rear door and lifting up the edge of the carpet. A small brass plate should be fastened to the wood floor, in plain view. On it will be stamped the body style number for an 8-40 sport phaeton followed by the production number of that car.

I've heard about the brass plate stuff and couldn't find it on a 9th series car. I knew somebody who had a genuine 8th series car and he looked years for it - and he was very well connected. However, actual production numbers don't exist.

There is a genuine 9th series car in California. You could contact them and ask about the plate stuff. It's a well know car and belonged to Jean Harlow. The only ironclad genuine 8th series car I know of belonged to John Cavalero and I don't know where it is. However, it was so rough who knows if the plate didn't fall off into the swap where he found it. The car was restored.

I've seen dozens of body swaps and lots of conversions so you are correct to be concerned. However, you can always ask Mark

Eight DeLuxe BTW

Custom Eight (if you want to be that way ... hehehe)

Serial 189074. We'll see if the rest is present. Thanks.

I'd like to extend a sincere thank you to Bill Scorah, who has found the relevant details in his files.

I stand corrected. You are right. There is no body tag on an Eighth Series or later series Packard car. The use of the body tag ended with Seventh Series cars.

Am I correct in thinking that from 1931 back, there isn't any way of knowing what the original body was based on serial numbers? You pretty much have to have a paper trail to know if it's a "real" car or not. I'm not sure if there's a registry for those cars, but I'd guess if you can find a longtime owner of an 840 roadster or phaeton, he may be the one to talk to in regards to knowing which closets the skeletons are found.

This particular car DOES have the B-pillar vents, which are usually not duplicated when faking a dual cowl. That, however, does not tell us weather or not this body was removed from an 833 chassis. And it's very possible that someone took the extra time and a lot of effort to duplicate that B-pillar vents.

Starting with the 9th series they started using the body type in the serial number. Before that the motor number was the VIN. However, exceptions abound. There are VIN's on original cars that don't match anything.

The only way to trace a pre 9th series body is with the thief number. However, Packard dealers swapped bodies and the factory even advertised available bodies within the dealer network. So technically, there is no such thing as a modified body Packard without witnesses.

Part of the current stigmatization of body swaps came out of club politics. Some converted phaetons were showing up in the hands of club bigshots who, of course, claimed they were legitimate cars.

Another old case is a 33 Super 8 sedan that was sold via the newspaper in New Jersey. When they picked up the car there was a phaeton body in the rafters that was installed by the dealer each spring.

One thing that is neglected is the fact that open cars had different springs. So if the car has a lousy ride it probably is a swap. I dealt with a 32 Twin-Six phaeton that had a bogus VIN plate with a Jan. 1 1932 delivery date (totally bogus). Everybody knocked it, but the car rode like a real car. I can't remember what the VIN was but the number was junk. Sometimes those parts disappear.