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

Has anyone had experience with Naragansett Reproductions of Rhode Island? They say they make harnesses exactly as they were originally made for the car. The prices aren't too bad either, assuming their price sheet is up-to-date.

Narragansett gets high praise and excellent marks. Great vendor!

Price sheet is a bit out of date, but I'm going to go with them. They will add turn signal wiring for 10% more. Worth it?

10% more seems extremely high considering the cost of the harness. Did you perhaps mean $10 more?

They are making a bit of profit but I'd say 10% is the number. Using a round number, if $1000 was the harness cost that would be $100 extra. Figure approx 50+ ft of 16ga copper wire plus connectors and the labor to include it in the harness and it adds up. If you had to do it yourself afterwards in a separate loom, cloth covered 16ga wire is going for around $1 per foot and the period looking cloth loom and connectors are not cheap either.

The turn signal wiring is 10% of the price of the main lighting harness, which on a 1930 is pretty simple. The updated price for a 7-40 Packard is $421.00, so the turn signal wiring would be $42 more.

I've read quite a bit on here about how no one understands hand signals anymore (or for that matter an amber brake light). So I guess maybe it's a "no-brainer," IF a guy could find something that wasn't ugly and modern like most of the add-ons I've seen out there.

I've been thinking there are always a number of unidentified cowl and fender lamps on ebay. If you could find a pair that looked approximately like they belonged on the car, and one of the old fashioned steering column mounted switches, it wouldn't be too bad a set-up.

For the most part I find other drivers generally respectful of hand signals. True that they often don't know the meaning of what I'm signaling but they do usually recognize that something is about to happen and the hold back and allow space for my manoeuvre. That said, I do not drive the '34 on Interstates unless absolutely essential so my comments apply to slower and less dense traffic situations, state and county highways and local municipal traffic. And these days I rarely drive after dusk.

Maybe I'm just lucky but in 50+ years with the car and something like 40K miles, never even a close call.

If I were rewiring, I'd probably add directional signals.

This bundle of items on ebay is the right idea. Those Victory parking lights would look pretty good on a late teens or early '20s car, not so much on a car from the classic era.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/1920s-1930s-Cars-Trucks-Turn-Signal-Kit-Cadillac-Packard-Mack-White-Reo-Buick-/322543194206?hash=item4b1912905e:g:1DcAAOSw~FJZNOpg&vxp=mtr

Model 740 was factory equipped with prominent fender lamps which can be altered to accept dual filament bulbs. In the rear many owners put an additional left hand rear lamp on the right hand and make a mirror image bracket.

All very simple, been done hundreds of times.

I've seen '30s with that extra tail lamp. Good idea if one can be found. They do seem to come up on ebay once in while.