Packard Forum Index » Modification Discussion

"Stole" this pic from an Aussie Model A Ford Facebook page. Page didn't contain any info about the setup.

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All one can say is, "That's unique. Of all the possible means of supercharging a Packard I8, that's one that never occurred to me.

The builder was a very good machinist, an even better welder, conceptually on a plane of his own.

jack vines

I have that picture on my phone, and I don't recall where I got it. I have studied it. Looks to be a royal PITA to change some middle spark plugs. I guess that the blower is center engine to align the pulley with the crank. I'm not sure that matters.


Also, I think I'd split the headers. Four for 3 - 7 and the other set for 1 and 2 and 7 and 8.

Good afternoon...I suspect that that machine must politely Haul Ass! Ernie in Arizona

Supercharged Packard Straight Eights.

I believe I'm correct in attributing the Panther photo to Leon Dixon. The others are factory photos.

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A supercharged Packard st8 hot rod has shown up at the Pikes peak Hill climb and at Bonneville Speed Week in past years. Videos of the car on youtube:
https://www.roadandtrack.com/car-culture/classic-cars/a27033329/supercharged-straight-8-engine-sound/

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We've kicked the tires on this before. I've never been convinced this is worth the effort. The max. boost is determined by the flat head pressure rating, which isn't stellar as a flat piece of iron, so even if it can hold 15-20 psig without gasket blowing, that's not much HP. Plus one needs to enhance the spark system for igniting pressure charges. Yes, ~twice HP what was stock(circa 130), but still way low to current stds. <<300. HP/wt ratio still sucks as very heavy engine blocks. Of course, hot rodding is/was more about cool factor in some respects. I'd choose a turbo as it's not parasitic and can vent boost. There's several of those around or pictures of same. The supercharger typically has fuel mixed in and spins relative to the rpm, so care has to be taken to not scatter things at WOT. Much like a run-away condition can occur. Typical at the drag strip to see a blower explosion back in the day and why they came up with the fragment jackets/blankets. Now with computers and new materials, it's a better HP world. One can take a LS block and make 1000 HP for less than $10K these days. I wouldn't even ride in some of these rat rods. They're not safe. Cool maybe, safe not most.

I've looked at both, and I'm still looking. No decisions. I do think that, if a body can get 300 horses in a 3750-pound car and have a bunch of gears with it, it would be impressive if not record-setting. I'd like to be the first kid in my neighborhood with a blown inline 8.

Forced induction addresses some inherent issues with flathead engines, particularly volumetric efficiency and limited compression, and it can do so without compromising driveability or requiring very high RPM.

In the case of Packard engines, you have a fundamentally good engine design with a good bottom end and lubrication system.

Moderate boost could give a 120 8 cylinder engine a substantial horsepower and torque boost at useable RPM without penalities in driveability or durability.

I believe you could get up around 160 HP at 3600 RPM and 270 ft lbs torque at about 2300 RPM without destroying the engine, unless you drive like a 16 year old boy with a quart of gin in him.



That's a difference you could feel in a stock Packard.

If you don't mind putting modern stuff on you old car, an electonric fuel injection system combined with a nitrous injection system and electronic ignition might be a better path to higher horsepower on demand.