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

Read something the other day that the speedster offered 2 engines. A 125 HP and a 145 HP. TRUE ?

I'd be interested to know where you read that. The smaller engine option would seem to defy the entire thrust behind having a "speedster". I don't have any original Speedster brochures, but West may have. Sounds like just another of the many Packard myths. Without the Speedster engine it would just be a lightly modified 733.

Supposedly with the standard head it is 125hp ... 145hp with the HC head. As Dave implied, why anyone would order a Speedster and not get the HC head, I don't know. Probably none were delivered that way. The car never really made it into production, although some 113 are thought to have been built in 5 body styles (six, if you include the coupe of which I have a factory photo).

Even at 125, though, it's a LOT better than the 733, which was only 90hp.

Packardbarry
Are you familiar with the car that DeWayne Ashmead has? He lives in Fruit Heights, Utah. Supposedly his car has an authentic body, but it was built in 1930 at Packard New York upon a standard 733 chassis with the Custom Eight engine. I haven't seen it yet, and don't know if the Custom Eight was modified to Speedster configuration, but I will see it next month.

The Custom Eight engine basically uses a cylinder head identical to the 1931 models, except with enlarged exhaust ports. The 1931 cylinder head had the 45-degree (35-degree??) exhaust outlet and separate intake and exhaust manifolds. In addition, it was equipped with an auxilliary vacuum fuel pump operated off of the cam in the front of the engine, plus the Speedster-only dual-throat Detroit Lubricator carburetor.

AND finned brake drums?

Yes. You are correct. I was just focusing on the powerplant.