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

Very snappy looking car.

What would this have had for engine options?

Is the large "round" object protruding below the back of the engine, a muffler?

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Looks to be a 1910/1911 Model 30 though the headlamps are different on the maroon one. These Packard models were based on engine size so no engine options, if you wanted the larger engine you bought the Model 30, if you wanted the smaller engine you bought the Model 18.

View from the passenger (left-side) seat in a 1910 Model 30 cruising at a brisk pace. And a pair of them at the Gilmore "Experience" this year.

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Dave (32model901), -> this article seems to confirm Model 30, mentioned by Dave (O_D). The muffler is vaguely perceptible in pic #5 but the cumbersome tin drum is a flywheel sheeting, a forerunner of the clutch bell housing.


image source: theoldmotor.com

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Well, there really is no doubt, it's a Model 30; only question is if it's a 1910, 1911 or 1912 and I don't know enough to know the differences. The two in my photos are both 1910s. Just for comparison here's a photo of a 1911 Model 18; though a different body style the very much foreshortened hood of the 18 is quite apparent.

I'm looking at the 1910 Model 30 owner's manual; the clutch cover is very much smaller than that underbelly "thing" in the B&W photo. Remember, these are transaxle cars so the transmission is incorporated into the differential at the rear and the clutch is a quite small diameter multiplate affair. Or perhaps the 1911 or 1912 models had some differences?

PS - I had a great 40 or 50 mile ride in this Model 18; quite a thrill, longest ride I've had in a Packard of that vintage.

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Gents,

Thanks to both for the clarification / education.

Amazing wealth of knowledge!

I was surprised to see such a large object on the underbelly of the car, exposed to road hazards.

Massive flywheel used to dampen inherent vibration of the four?

Did more research and the Model 30 UDS Runabout came with a 4 cyl. 5" bore x 5.5" Stroke.

108" wheelbase, 1,865 total produced 1910 to 1911 (Model UD Touring 123" wheelbase, Model UDS Runabout, and Model NC Touring 112" wheelbase).

1911 factory list of $4200.

Dave

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What's $4200 in 1911 worth today?

Dave, I'm glad to see you're developing an interest in the Model 30, it's only been since a friend of mine obtained the maroon one pictured above that I've gotten the chance to study it and begin to appreciate what an outstanding car it is. The taxable hp is 30 but it probably develops about 60 brake hp and with a roadster weight of perhaps 3300 lbs its a "rocket" to about 55 mph or so.

From the 1910 Model 30 owner's manual are the following images of the chassis layout with the transaxle, and the clutch. The manual has many illustrations and some very detailed instructions about maintenance, engine oiling (combination of splash and overhead drip from a pump-fed reservoir) but no illustration showing that large protruding shield or cover. Next time I down to visit the Model 30 I'll crawl under and take a gander and ask the owner.

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Quote:

BDC, if you are asking what a monetary value in the past is "worth" today, there is no one correct answer. A price or an income in the past would have been valued in different ways in that time by different people and under different contexts. That must be taken into account when asking the same question today.
The answer, given by measuringworth.com (an exquisite online service for calculating relative worth over time) reads:

In 2014, the relative worth of $4,200.00 from 1911 was:

$...108,000.00 using the Consumer Price Index
$....78,400.00 using the GDP (Gross Domestic Product)deflator
$...216,000.00 using the value of consumer bundle
$...461,000.00 using the unskilled wage
$...694,000.00 using the Production Worker Compensation
$...618,000.00 using the nominal GDP per capita
$2,100,000.00 using the relative share of GDP

That clutch is quite the affair and I imagine an expensive piece to make. Was it a dry clutch and if so, what about longevity of what appears to be thin plates and linings.

All the mfgs were experimenting with various types then and we know the single disc finally won out. Am sure expense was one major factor to its adoption but was there any other reasons such as a significant improvement in life and power handling ability or was that a tossup and it mostly came down to simplicity and cost reduction. I know the racing cars still use multiple discs and it would seem that Packard item would transmit a fair amount of torque more than a single disc.

It was a dry clutch, and quite reminiscent of what later appeared in automatic transmissions. No doubt it was an expensive feature but at that point in Packards history I'd think the quest for mechanical perfection was their foremost concern. As late as the very early 30s Packard (as well as others) was still using a multiple (2 disc) dry clutch.