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I was at a wedding last weekend, and a family friend runs up to me and says "Just the man I wanted to talk to" and I just about rolled my eyes expecting the typical computer question - but he proceeds to pull out his phone and show me some pictures of his 1948 Packard - very nice I say, but then he lets me know he's trying to get rid of it, and as much as I've always wanted a post-war land barge (seriously I almost pulled the trigger on a 50's Buick super 8, but it was far beyond my budget, space, and abilities at the time), I said I just picked up a 4th car (this is the 3rd car I've acquired this month) and I'm not looking to buy something, no matter how compelling. However he said, get it towed and it's yours. Naturally I cannot turn down a free car, and one that was exactly what I was looking for many years ago (column shift manual, straight 8, art deco post war), I said gently caress it, and called up a tow truck and well, here we are! It's a 1948 Packard Deluxe 8 Touring Sedan, 288ci Straight 8 and a 3 on the tree manual - According to the packardinfo.com decoder:               The PO claims it runs but just needs a brake master cylinder - he also said the key was under the carpet but I still can't find it. Overall it's in fair condition - the interior was definitely nicely reupholstered at some point, but it will need a lot of work, possibly years worth to get it showroom fresh. This will be by far the oldest car I've ever worked on, or even driven, but I've always wanted to try and see how these old things work. Everything feels so solid, Knobfeel guy would have a field day with this thing. I'll post updates whenever I can, but this is also my 5th car, so it will not be done super quickly, but I plan to get it at least roadworthy before the winter.
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Jul 2, 2021 01:33
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 19:01 |
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CAT INTERCEPTOR posted:How's the rust situation with it? It looks to be in pretty decent condition but free kinda makes me wonder if soemthing is lurking? Theres definitely a little underbody rocker rust but overall looks ok - much better than the 07 ridgeline I just picked up (and failed inspection today for rocker rust  )The frame itself seems totally solid. Ill have to get it up on jack stands and do a full assessment shortly. Smells very old and musty, I threw in a few damp rid bags and I'm going to strip out and replace or just deep clean the carpet asap since its a little damp and mildewy.
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Jul 2, 2021 12:54
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I think the full frame-off restoration will happen a few years down the line, for now I just plan on cleaning it up really well and getting it on the road. Tomorrow's task is to pull out the carpets and clean off all of the dust and debris, then start evaluating what parts i'll need to get the engine fired up. I wish I had some records, but is it safe to assume this will run on modern gas (since it's been restored previously) or should I play it safe and buy some leaded additive?
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Jul 3, 2021 02:22
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Quick update with a big photo dump - I pumped up the tires and vacuumed the interior, I still can't find the key, however I was able to pick the ignition lock (Thanks bosnian bill and lockpickinglawyer, I knew this skill would pay off one day!) - but I can't imagine getting a new key made will be terribly difficult, especially if I remove the cylinder and bring it to a locksmith - I even found NOS key blanks on packardparts.org.  I somehow feel like I broke packardinfo.com, I did a lookup on their engine # database and got a 404, and ever since I've been getting a DNS error, hopefully it's a coincidence  I also found a few ethanol free stations nearby, so should be no biggie to grab a few cans for the first start up. Where it lives, makes my Miata look even smaller:   Carpets cleaned up nice, I can probably just keep these but replace the insulation underneath:     I can't imagine how old these butts are...  Underside - definitely some rust, but it's cleaner than the "ran hard and put away wet" '07 ridgeline I just got, I'll have to post some pics of that soon - I'm overhauling the suspension, brakes and more on that this summer.     Radiator looks pretty good, most likely a newer one  Rocker Rust:     The worst of it from what I found so far:   Frame looks solid:    Before I got it I was pricing out the exact Coker tires the PO already put on it, they look downright new, big score!    Found some old grody blankets in the trunk, but also a full set of wheel covers, which aren't cheap from what I've found:   Definitely repainted at some point:  I guess this is supposed to be a glovebox? Not sure:  Some interior water damage I'll have to rectify:   Love these bakelite switches  But metal is even better:  Overall, not too bad! I'll probably focus on going over the wiring next, which is really rough, but luckily there's not much of it, so shouldn't be a total nightmare to just gut and replace. I'll try and keep this thread updated regularly, since it seems like you guys (and gals) like it - any suggestions/tips/tricks are appreciated!
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Jul 4, 2021 02:00
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Looks like painless does not make a kit for this - it's currently 6 volt and a ton of the wiring is frayed and looks just looks bad, but the battery was replaced in 2018 but it tipped over and leaked al l over the place, so that's getting replaced as well.
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Jul 5, 2021 19:51
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Raluek posted:what kind of line is that? fuel? brake? because it looks kinked and kinda scary A bad one. I'm going to give everything a serious going-over before I consider firing it up, and that line is definitely getting ripped out, a patch welded on that spot, and a new line installed. I'm actually not sure what this is, but if I had to guess I'd say brake line, since bad brakes were the main reason the PO got rid of it.
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Jul 8, 2021 05:01
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Hi Lobster! Was wondering if you were still around, used to love your old car/movie car threads back in the day. All of this helps a ton! Had no idea coker tires were so bad, ill replace them once I have everything up and running. I'll definitely try and rebuild what I can, already found a rebuilt kit for the master cylinder and drum brakes, and ill go for the better wiring harness. I think step one will be the wiring and tune up, and then the brake/fuel lines/tank. I want to do this right and use quality parts, and I'm in no rush to get it running, but hopefully I'll get it started before it snows.
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Jul 8, 2021 13:54
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| # ¿ May 16, 2024 19:01 |
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Finally ordered a bunch of parts for this, going to try and get it fired up in the next few weeks - will post some updates when I do!
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Apr 3, 2022 02:19
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