Packard Forum Index » Post-War (1946-54)

Hello everybody. This is my first post. I came across a 1951 Packard 250 2-door hardtop at an antique car dealer (mostly parts cars actually). I am not real familiar with Pckards. I am considering buying the car as my first middle aged crisis project car. I am wondering what ballpark price you think it is worth if I describe it to you.

It has a 327 straight eight and auto trans (ultramatic?). The motor looks like it is all there to include the air cleaner (oil bath type?). No battery. I would guess the motor turns over but did not try. Four flat tires. Most trim is there. Drivers glass is broke and BB gun type spider cracks in front windshield. Passenger and rear glass good. Interior is all there but needs total resto. Seats feel like the frames and springs are decent to retain and recover. Radio delete plate - that surprised me as I would have thought radio would be standard in a Packard.

The rust is what concerns me. Body looks good overall until you start to look closer. Both rockers have rust through and you could break them off by hand. Rust through on lower fenders all around. The underside of the doors are rusted through. The roof, hood, and trunk lid are solid. The front floor pans have rust through - not sure about the rear because I didn't want to pull up the carpet which would have torn up in my hands. The trunk has rust through in at least one 6" x 6" area over a frame rail. All rubber would need to be replaced and severe pitting on much of the stainless. The grill is all there which is maybe the most appealing part of the car to me along wiht being a 2 door hardtop. Overall the rust is probably in all the normal places but more than I hoped to tackle.

The doors open and close as they should. The hood opens and closes ok. The trunk has not lock cylinder anymore. The owner does not have an ignition or door keys. All hubcaps in place but with faded centers.

I offered him $1,000 and a few hundred more to tow it to my house about 80 miles away but he wants $2,800. The car has been sitting in a field for I don't know how long. It has NC plates and registration stickers from 1979. I'm tempted to up my offer but I'm not sure. I think it's a fairly rare but maybe a not so popular model but I love the grill and it being a hardtop. Your thoughts on what it's worth? Can you get Packard sheet metal, especially rockers?

He also has a 52 four door in similar shape sitting next to it.

Thanks in advance.

Gary

That's a lower end Packard so no surprise on the radio. Windshield is 51-52 only but believe still available for a price. For my that would be a fair amount of rust to try and tackle unless you're pretty handy around sheetmetal. If not, suspect body shop fees will be up there. Some aftermarket panels are available but they apparently are somewhat generic and require a little work to make fit. There is a shop that posts here occasionally that makes some pieces also.

Hopefully the grill is in decent shape. It is potmetal and will cost a fortune to completely re-chrome. Most side trim is stainless so no big deal but there are bits and pieces of potmetal spread around here and there. Most of stuff in back is also potmetal.

Pricewise, I can't offer much. Think out here we pay a bit more for everything as a general rule. Maybe someone closer to your area will chime in, but if you like the car, that's a good part of it because you'll most likely put in more than you get out.

Quote:
G'day Gary,
to PackardInfo. Sorry, can't offer any advice as to price but for my there seems to be a fair bit of rust from your description. If you do buy this '51 or another Packard could you please consider including it in the Owner Registry together with a pic, any known history and how you acquired it?

Unless you have a burning desire to own this car and are talented in almost all aspects of automobile restoration work ,especially engine rebuilding and body work and have an equipped shop or garage where you can do the work I think that it would be a bad idea to buy this car for anywhere near the asking price. The 2 door hardtop is a rare and desirable model but the cost to restore it would vastly exceed the value you would be able to sell it for at todays prices. Unless you really want an ambitious project and can do the necessary work yourself I would keep looking. I am sorry if I rained on your parade but I have been there and done that on more than one occasion.

As much as I don't want to discourage a potential new Packard owner (they are great cars to own)... I must concur with Clipper47. IMHO, you are looking at a potentially serious money pit. BUT, if you want it and can handle the considerable time/expense it will take to bring it back to life, go for it. Next to a convertible, the 2-door hardtop is my favorite 51-54 Packard.

I agree with JD and Clipper47 particularly since you don't know the state of the engine and ultramatic. The interior resto must also be considered. So if you negotiate with the owner and settle at $2,000, you'll spend at least that for body work at shop rates. Add an engine rebuild ($3,000)and interior ($1,000 if you do it yourself)and you're up to 8 grand. You could probably find a good servicable driver for that amount and enjoy tinkering with it while driving it too.

I think all the foregoing opinions are right on target. Just let me add that, though the 250 is barely a notch up from the bottom-of-the-line, it IS a desireable and uncommon body style. If you are handy mechanically, can do or have friends to do body work and paint, and can work on it over time, AND can get a very significant reduction in the asking price, it might be worth considering. It's a rarely seen model.

Just to give you a little perspective, I paid $500 for my '54, and I believe you have more significant rust issues than I have.

Please see my project blog for more details.

I personally would not may more than a $1,000 for that car. If it was not a Hardtop, then it wouldn't even consider it unless it was a parts car for another one I was restoring.

GMan,

Again, we don't want to rain on your parade. Just trying to keep it real. Keep looking. There is a Packard 2 door hardtop with your name on it that will be much less aggravation than this one. You won't see another on like it at the local cruise night either.

For that kind of money you can do way better. For a few hundred more you can buy a decent drivable example that needs little or no work to be presentable.

I would call it a parts car worth $500 tops.