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Flackmaster, many wait in anticipation of your insight into what is now a Packard mystery. O_D saying "...it was something I was completely unaware of..." only adds to the intrigue!

Yes, Flackmaster, we're all waiting with baited breath...

Must be on "double secret probation"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0cF2piwjYQ&feature=youtube_gdata_player

If the Packard is still available, please send me a p.m.

I too would like to know the closely guarded and boring secret from Flackmaster. Not just because there's now so much suspense in this thread, but because I bought a 38 Super 8 Club Sedan earlier this year. And infact Flackmaster had a history with that same car. You may recall his post:

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=9207&viewmode=flat&order=ASC&type=&mode=0&start=10

Hmmm....I know part of that story. Someone called me a while back looking for the headlight parts for the car. Said he owned the car, long story about the missing engine. I'd have to dig into my list of referrals, but long story short, he challenged me to buy the engine from Ducketts estate. Which I did!. turned out not to be a 38 engine, so both of them were right. Weird small world...

I'm going to guess the achiles heel is that '38 Super 8 1604's don't come with '38 Super 8 engines -- based on Flackmaster's sad experience with the Duckett estate.

Oh c'mon guys...its not like its some secret; I didn't think it worth the time to rehash. The blocks on 38 Super 8's are cracked, will crack or have attempted repairs on cracks and will crack again. Couple factors in play, first and foremost the through section of the upper portion of the block was thinner in 38. Result is cracks around valve seats, in between valve seats, to water jacket holes and to cylinder walls. Period, game over. Anybody that tells you they have a 38 block that is just fine is either looking at it as a piece of garage art, or does not drive their car. And that ignores the trash original aluminum cylinder heads, most, if not all, long since replaced as they deteriorated as fast as a mid-fiftier Chrysler rusted, or the argument about early and late versions of '38 blocks. Would you '37 and '38 Super 8 owners PLEASE read the service notes regarding using '39 Super 8 heads with better water flow....or replacing with a 288/327 per factory instructions like the '37 Su8 that surfaced recently, on ebait I think.

And Don, my involvement with your '38 ended exactly as discussed - the guy you bought it from contacted me a while back looking for a few things, you know, like some headlight stuff, a door handle and, umm...yeah, the engine. I passed on the car without an engine, but did buy "an" engine from Duckett's estate that was alleged to have been for your car. Twasn't. I was thrilled when you bought the car to put on your twelve chassis. Thrilled. Bravo!

And back to this thread, the car originated in New Orleans, non-running project, and went to White Post Restorations in the '80's and languished there for years due to non-payment of fees. Subsequently sold via a mechanics lien to current family and has been hibernating for about the last 10 years with little more done to it. I am considering buying it, but am concerned about the condition of.....the block! I have now confirmed it has a '38 engine in it and it appear to have had the head off it, but further details are becoming difficult to clarify. I will look at it in about a week with my truck and trailer at ready.

The 16th series V-12s can also crack like crazy, so something was being done wrong at the factory. Ken Fahnestock had a 38 Su8 that he used for years, and Turnquist had one that got totalled. It's still around. The 16th series was Turnquist's favorite driving series. These problems sure stoke the fires of the Cadillac crowd. I knew an old timer named Kavenagh who bought a pair of 41 Lebaron's. He was a Cadillac guy (owned a 38 75 from which most of those old CCCA caravan photos were taken) and after dealing with the windows he forever swore he'd never own another Packard.

As for the vehicle plate, as long as the VIN is good the standard plate can be used. Nobody from the cops is going to say "Hey you can't use that plate in place of a decal." I've also seen them titled using the motor number.