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Hi all,

I am very seriously considering buying a Packard. Never owned one before. I'm looking at a '49 that has a 356 in it. I will be physically looking over the car next week or so while traveling on business. All seems to be in nice order but I do have one question: In detailed discussion I learned the engine developed a cracked block in the late 90's. This was attributed to a wrong muffler being installed. This muffler was since corrected. The seller stated the block is fine and as is and the engine operates wonderfully Knowing these engines and working on them are not cheap!... any thoughts regarding the topic of the block?

Grateful for all the input received!

(FYI - the balance of the car appears immaculate and I've had other questions answered by guys from the local Packard club who have been very generous with their time/knowledge).

selling a 1954 packard clipper 1000

My first inclination to this would be to run, not walk, away from this car.

However, if the gravitational field is too strong to achieve escape velocity, then I would aggressively question the seller about how the cracked block was repaired. When you get this information, and answers to other questions you pose, please share them with us and we will try to offer constructive feedback.

These 1949 22nd/23rd series Customs come up for sale often, and you should be able to pick a nice one the one that best suits your needs and wallet. They are great cars, especially if it is a 22nd series and the original interior has been maintained.

(o {} o)

There is something funny about this story. A bad muffler will not crack an engine block. And a cracked block will not fix itself.

Practically every car I ever bought came with some kind of garbled up story, sometimes the seller is a liar sometimes he doesn't know what he is talking about.

I would not reject the car out of hand. 9 chances out of 10 there is nothing wrong with the block. I would like to quiz the seller and get to the bottom of this business. If you are not that familiar with Packards and old cars maybe you should bring along someone who is.

Or just ignore it, that's what I usually do. You can safely ignore 90% of what a seller says. Of course if the car is costing a significant amount of dough (over $500) I get a lot more critical.

I also agree you should run like the wind and never get involved with old cars. I am serious. If I had to advise you I would say blow your dough on wine, women, and song or take it to the track. At least you will get some fun out of it.

Remember a fool and his money are popular everywhere.

It depends on how much they are asking for the car. If the interior is correct and in nice condition and the body is rust free and doesn't need paint, then it is still worth exploring. It is easier/cheaper to fix mechanical problems than body work and interior. Just base your asking price on the fact that you would need a new block/rebuild the engine. If the car is not perfect otherwise, I would see what other cars are available in a condition you can deal with.

I agree with Rusty O\'Toole. The story doesn't add up. If you are not comfortable evaluating the car, maybe you can take it to a mechanic for a quick check. They may not know a lot about Packards, but I'm sure they could check the block and give it a once over as far as condition. Maybe the manifold is cracked and they are confused and called it the block. Hard to tell.

I for one can't figure out how the wrong muffler will crack a block, I just can't seem to understand that one. I guess, maybe, if the muffler was so small and it held in a LOT of heat causing the engine to overheat therefore cracking the block..Nahh, even that doesn't sound plausible.

Eric, restricted exhausts have been associated by some to cracked exhaust valve seats. Pretty much impossible to absolutely prove a cause and result relationship, but I've heard this many, many times.

Sounds like another reason to put headers and glasspacks on the Packard!