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Does anyone have a picture showing the location of a engine block serial number for a 1937 Model 120?

It sounds like a simple question, but I have scoured the left side of the block on my Windsor, Ontario built 120 and cannot find a number, or a casting pad where it could be stamped.

I do have an oil filter on the very top left side, adjacent to the thermostat housing. It is bolted into the front left corner of the head. I can feel a flat spot under the bracket, but haven't dislodged the filter housing yet (I didn't think that the number would be stamped on the head).

It's gotta be there somewhere?!?

Thanks!

This 1946 article is the only thing I remember seeing from Packard--but no info as to what years it covers.

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Michael:

If you car still has a 1937 120 engine the serial number should be located on a flat spot underneath the distributor. For 1937 120s they began with an X. You might have to get a wire brush if that spot is oil encased.

By the way, if you refer to the data plate on the fire wall, the production numbers for Windsor-built Packard 120s started with 100 for each body type. The first one built will be number 100 and the highest would be 1000 since the American cars built in Detroit started at serial number 1001. For example, a serial number starting with 1092-110 means it was a 4-door Touring Sedan model (1092), and was the 10th one produced (110).

Hope this helps.

Packick

You may have to wire brush the spot, and then rub with white chalk to make the numbers readable.

Thanks to all. The "region" detailed in the clipping from HH56 helps a lot. That zone is directly under the plug wires/loom. I'll dislodge that and see what I find. Thanks.

I did specfically look for the flat spot under the distributor, but came up empty. Distributor does have the "adjustment quandrant" (used to re-tune for gas octane), and thought that that gizmo was hiding the number, but did not want to move it just yet.

Thanks, Packick, for confirming what I have. My data plate is indeed a Windsor plate, with 1092-2xx listed. I'm gonna need some help with headlights as well, as the screw holding lenses, and chrome trim surrounding the lens, doesn't match anything for '37 Packards. May be a Canadian thing.... Will post separate question with pics on Saturday.

Michael, congrats on your Canadian-built Packard. I've posted the attached quite a few times before but on the chance you won't find it by searching, I'll do it again on the chance it will be new and of interest to you.

Also, perhaps you've read my several published articles on the "thief-proof" numbers (large embossed # on the cowl), could you PM me your VN and thief-proof number for my continuing efforts to gather and analyze this data?

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Canadian built 1935-37 Junior cars used different headlight lenses and trim rings than US models.
Lenses are Flexbeam H-16161 and H-16162, Left & Right. The outside diameter is 7-5/8" versus 7-3/8" for the US ones
The trim rings are much narrower.

Michael:

There are several differences between the American headlights and the Canadian designed headlights. Here are some differences:

Please refer to the attached pictures.

- The Canadian headlight has a narrower chromed bezel than the American headlight. I think there is the potential for scraping the paint when installing the Canadian bezel. The Canadian bezel is pictured.

- In profile they look almost identical but the Canadian bucket is a bit shorter. In the picture of the two buckets, the American bucket is on the left and the Canadian bucket is on the right.

- They both use Flex Beam lenses but as I recall the Canadian lens is marked "Flex" at the tip; the American one is marked "Flex Beam."

- The lenses, however, are not the same. The Canadian model uses H-16161 (L) and H-16162 (R), and the American version uses H-14925 / 6 (L/R).

- The Canadian lenses have a flatter profile.

- The reflector mounts are different. The Canadian ones are "nasty" to install and remove. The Canadian one is shown in the picture.

- The bezel mounting differs.


Hope this helps.

Packick

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Packick, Thanks for you help. You 'splained it to me faster than I could ask the question!

I just recently bought the car, and thought I was dealing with just broken lenses. It was apparent that I was dealing with something other than that detailed in my tech literature. I am only glad that I could autopsy the broken lenses so that I could see how to handle assembly.

The lenses are installed dry - there are no obvious clips holding them into the chrome bezel, and the bezel stays behind while one pulls out the lens (only) at a 30 degree angle from vertical.

I'm researching correct lenses as you detailed above, but I'm also toying with the idea of swapping out to US buckets, bezels and lenses. Need a ruling on that... Another option is to adapt the US lenses with a gasketing arrangement on the inside of the bezel, to mimimize the possibility of breakage.

The lens chome bezel is very thin and fragile. It appears that it is meant to stay put, and definitely NOT come off when removing the lens. Nasty, with high degree of difficulty and expensive learning curve!

Michael:

As Columbo says, "Just one more thing." Actually two more things.

The Canadian designers did design one item better than the American designers. Or maybe it was a law up in Canada that we didn't have here. They used a 50-candle power bulb as compared to the American 30-candle power. I am now using 50-candle power in my 120. It DOES make a difference. They are somewhat hard to find but they are still out there:

Mazda 2330 - headlight (USA, 30 power)
Mazda 2530 - headlight (Canadian, 50 power)

The other thing that I wanted to note is that you mentioned the lack of lens retainers (clips) to hold the lens to the bezel on the Canadian set-up. The American set-up uses 3-4 clips per lens (they are in the shape of a "W") to hold the lens onto the chrome bezel. Then the whole unit is mounted to the bucket.

Packick