Packard Forum Index » V-8 (1955-56)

Well while many of our wives and family were out fighting the crowds for tv's and the one must have Christmas gift. I was busy early black Friday morning hooking up my trailer and gathering my tools to make the trip down to south jersey to pick a 56 400. All I can say is thank you to my wife for letting me get this one last car.

As some of you may know I work for Fred and Dan Kanter, I currently work in thier marketing department. Before coming to Kanter Auto Products I worked in the industry restoring all types of antique and vintage automobiles. So vintage cars have been a passion of mine nearly all my life.

Now back to Packard I purchased, I bought the car from Stu Blond he had owned the car for many years and had purchase the car back in the 80's in California. My current plan is to get the car in mechanical order and then attend to the body and paint. This is my first Packard and I am very excited on bringing it back to life.

<a href="http://s671.photobucket.com/user/JamesRFrom/media/Packard%20400/pac400-1.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv72/JamesRFrom/Packard%20400/pac400-1.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo pac400-1.jpg"/></a>

<a href="http://s671.photobucket.com/user/JamesRFrom/media/Packard%20400/pac400-2.jpg.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://i671.photobucket.com/albums/vv72/JamesRFrom/Packard%20400/pac400-2.jpg" border="0" alt=" photo pac400-2.jpg"/></a>

Thanks
James

Congratulations and the forum members also thank your wife for letting you save a decent Packard. I wonder if that is the car Stuart drove on one of the joint Packard tours when the LA club visited in the Hanford area. One nice thing about finally getting your Packard now. You sure won't have any problems finding expertise and parts -- they are both a few steps away.

I remember the car from when Stu had it out to Warren Ohio. It was a good sound vehicle and should be a fine restoration. Congratulations and welcome to this Packard fraternity.

Randy,

It's funny that you mentioned Warren Ohio. I was out last night cleaning out the 400 inspecting the trunk floor and vacuuming out the interior. I came across a poster from that event and the cars display information was that back around 2002?

The car was bear to get out from where it had been hibernating that last 10yrs. When I got there I started with filling up the tires and then worked my way up to the engine. I cleaned the cap,rotor, and filed the points. Sure enough the engine woke up rather easily and ran good. Then on to the next issue the float was stuck and fuel was pouring out all over. But a few knocks from a screw drive handle and the float free'd up. So at this point I put the car in reverse and nothing. So then I jack up each side of the car making sure each wheel spun free. Sure enough left rear locked solid. So after about 35 minutes and few choice words I was able to remove the drum free up the frozen adjuster and get wheel to spin free. So I jumped back into the car, started it up and put in reverse now the car moves but the brakes themselves do not work. So I Carefully and Slowly idled car out of the driveway and over to my trailer and winched it up. On the way we received many thumbs up by many other cars on the road. What a great feeling

Thanks
James

It is a great feeling to finely be the owner of a 56Packard, and even greater when all the punch list items are resolved. Maybe we'll see you at Warren next year.

Bernardi

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Well...uh...ok....

It's not too early to start figuring what you will tell her next time...


Welcome! If you get as much enjoyment as I do, you will be happy. Say what you will about other Packard vintages, the TLR cars are a special joy to drive.

PS
Picture links say the pictures were removed...

That has the makins of a beautiful car. Doing the work yourself is a long, arduous undertaking, that will also reduce your bank account considerably. However, when done, you will know every nut and bolt on it, and if it ever even burps going down the road, you will probably be able to put your finger on the problem mentally, while pulling off the side of the road.

I have never owned a Packard, but my dad owned several. During the mid 1950s, we moved from Eastern Kentucky to near Louisville, in a Henny Hearse, pulling a U'Haul trailer. Dad still talks about that trip at family reunions when we meet.

Congrats on such a beautiful find.

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Well she let me get the car, but there was a catch I would have to sell one of my other antique (3)cars. I hoping to avoid that lol.

It's funny you stated "TLR cars are a special joy to drive" Fred and Dan Kanter said the same thing.

Well I did some more work on the 400 this evening and ran it for a little bit. Well it looks as though I will be replacing the drive side exhaust manifold. The manifold has a cracked at the rear port.