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

Good Morning!
I am new to Packard ownership and I wanted to ask honestly if it is worth restoring or selling.

I have a 1942 One-Sixty Super Eight Touring Sedan (Model #1562).

The car is all there but is semi-stripped and I am told nothing is missing. I have no idea on what the car is worth in its present state or ball-park figure to restore to a nice driver/show car (I know I cannot afford a Concours restoration).

I have no other information on the car or it's history.

Suggestions and help in value etc... are most welcome.

Thank You....Simon

Pictures are always helpful when asking about value or restoration costs.

A '42 eh! Very nice; not many ever made from that particular year.

If "value" is your concern vs money invested, usually the cost of full restoration far exceeds the value when finished, no matter what condition you start with or the amount in which you paid for it (even free). As Dave mentioned, photos would be helpful, as you may not need a full restoration to make it "usable."

How nice do you want it when you're finished? Show car or tour car?

A 100-point show car is probably worth $40-50,000. Not taking into consideration how much you paid for it, you can easily put in $50-100,000 to get it into that condition.

If you are more interested in having the car as a hobby, as opposed to worrying about the amount it costs, that's another matter. Then you have to consider "opportunity" costs. What else can you buy for $100,000?

The 1562 shares some parts with 41-42 and with other series, including the more plentiful juniors. However, be careful of the "complete" part - trim pieces can be relatively hard to find and expensive. Price a complete taillight. The interior can be done authentically but the wool is not cheap. The advice of knowing what you want at the end is sound.

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The 356 engine can also be more expensive to maintain/repair than the 288/327 engines. Are you asking how much you should pay for the car? If so, then as Owen_Dyneto has indicated, pictures of the car are really necessary since the value can vary enormously depending on condition.

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Amen to that! Not trying to dissuade you in any way as Packard ownership can be fun and fulfilling but it can also get pretty darned expensive particularly with the pre-war senior cars. As pointed out already, make sure that the 'nothing is missing' premise is correct. The stainless steel decorative strips on the running boards can set you back a small fortune if you have to go find some (unless, of course, the car has the 'running board delete feature'... photos, photos, photos).

the running board delete means finding the stainless body trim (not same size as used on running boards) and the fender shields - choose your poison.

Everyone is saying do it because you want to and not to flip for a profit, and you can enjoy the rest

I read your caption, "The car is all there but is semi-stripped and I am told nothing is missing." with a sad smile. I recently bought a car in a similar condition and was accurately told that the engine was in pieces but that the all the pieces were there. I rented an enclosed trailer (because of all the parts) and drove two days to pick the car up. From the firewall back the car is complete. The front end had been removed as was described to me. The extra parts were there as described.
After I got home and finally started inventorying the parts in preparation for rebuilding I discovered that the water pump and clutch pad and assembly were both missing and the radiator splash pans and supports were missing. These support parts difficult parts, at best, to find while the clutch and water pump are simply obscenely expensive.
The moral of my story is to be sure before you buy that all of the parts are there and know, in advance, what parts should be there. I take responsibility for not doing enough research to know that some of the much needed parts were missing. Hopefully the previous owner will eventually find them somewhere in one of the storage garages.
I wish you the best of luck with your car and hope it will not be quite as much of an adventure as mine is being. Please keep a blog here on the site and let us know how everything goes. My thoughts are with you.
Gene

Quote:G'day Simon,

to PackardInfo and congratulations on the purchase of your '42 Packard. I also invite you to include it in the Packard Owner's Registry here on PackardInfo.