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Today's update (and since I've been working every weekend since the beginning of September, I don't get much time to do other things), after a lot of work and a badly bruised knuckle, I got the old steering linkage out and the '56 p/s linkage in. I ended up taking the entire front suspension apart, removing both springs, and putting it all back together again. In doing so, I found the passenger's side shock is completely frozen tight!

I think the hardest part was removing the old steering linkage, as the center pivot was rusted pretty bad, and it looks like at one time there were ball bearings in the center pivot, but all that's left now is the races:

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And now on to the good stuff, the '56 power steering in the '37 chassis:

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The main thing that worried me was the power steering ram interfering with the "Safe-T-Flex" suspension arm, but it turns out at full right lock, which puts the ram all the way to the left, it clears the arm by a hair, which made me decide to space the steering box by about 1/2", which will solve this problem completely:

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My next question is, are the springs supposed to have this "bend" in it this much?? It makes me ask because the suspension has sit unloaded for God knows how long, and it seems like it's possible to over time to cause a "bend" in the spring. Any ideas?

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And before I forget, Mitch, NICE TURBO setup! I would have done a couple of things different, however. BUT, it looks dang nice!

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Eric,

The front springs in my '41 Coupe were shot when I got it. Pic below is of one of them, but both had spacers in them to give them back a bit of travel. And when the springs came out they were straight, no bend or kink. Therefore I suggest that new, or at least good 2nd hand springs, be used. Or have some wound up to your spec's, as you'd want to drop the front end in the Speedster a bit I'd imagine.

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Eric - I can help solve the center steering bearing problem. DF

I kinda figured that they were bent un-naturally. But, I'm thinking that the 6cly springs would be the best, as they're going to drop some anyway once the passenger side shock is freed up. I'd bet that the 327 is a couple hundred pounds heavier than the six, but I also won't have any front sheetmetal either, so that point is moot. I actually was thinking of an old hotrodder's trick, and taking a couple of inches off with my cutoff tool. Worth trying at first, IMHO, and might make them a little stiffer and more "race car like".

Dave, I've already solved the center bearing problem, and will probably send you all the '37 linkage when I'm done making sure I won't need it.

Today before I went to work, the nice drivers from America's Packard Museum came to pick up the Patrician, after me waiting for 10 months after I was paid for it.. I did end up getting another 9 main engine for the storage, which will be delivered this spring when they come back with an empty trailer to pick up the parts Pat and the rest of the pieces. The engine is apparently a 356, which if it is, will change the direction of the project a little, meaning I will not be putting the turbos on a 356, as the long rods and stroke worries me quite a bit. So, if that is what it is and it's a good engine, I will be using it instead of the cracked 327. I also will be using four 2" S.U.'s instead of the dual 4GC's. BUT, I've also heard that the 356 is the best engine that Packard made, so we'll see.

Here's some pics of the events of today:

<table style="width:194px;"><tr><td align="center" style="height:194px;background:url<a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/turbopackman327/PackardPatricianPics?feat=embedwebsite"><img src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_a1KseX7Y2Es/SUsssJNRJwE/AAAAAAAAByM/ntxF6Yv6Z40/s160-c/PackardPatricianPics.jpg" width="160" height="160" style="margin:1px 0 0 4px;"></a></td></tr><tr><td style="text-align:center;font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:11px"><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/turbopackman327/PackardPatricianPics?feat=embedwebsite" style="color:#4D4D4D;font-weight:bold;text-decoration:none;">Packard Patrician Pics</a></td></tr></table>