Packard coming back

[ToomuchStuff]

https://youtu.be/rIeN8W-b1IU?si=AW3ODFbqwk5yJZ67

[iris lilies]

Well, this will make someone happy. Or not.probably that happiness thing is impossible.

[early morning]

Nearby city has a lovely Packard museum. What amazing cars - I love visiting them! They also have a DeLorean -John DeLorean was head of R&D at Packard before he jumped ship in the mid 50s, so there is a connection of sorts, lol.

[ToomuchStuff]

Nearby city has a lovely Packard museum. What amazing cars - I love visiting them! They also have a DeLorean -John DeLorean was head of R&D at Packard before he jumped ship in the mid 50s, so there is a connection of sorts, lol.

Delorean was brought back a few years ago, you can buy a brand new one.

I would like a Duesy.

[littlebittybobby]

okay---,-,I didn't even know about this thread, until just now. Been spending a Lotta time catering to my kitties and looking after my huskies plus trying ta move my van project and my backyard cottage project forward, plus waging an undeclared war on encroaching vegetation. yup. So anyway, in my world there are three kinds of old packkerds(did I spell that right?): 51 to 54s, 55 and 56, then 57 and 58 studebaker-packkerds. Everything else before that is a museum piece that doesn't concern mee one bit.

[littlebittybobby]

okay----I was working on latest 58, last winter, and bought it some new and used parts, and had keys made for the ignition switch. a guy in st lo has a Lotta stuff I can use. also bought nice used gadgets lenses from a guy in Calgary, and shipping is a slow process. I will get that car running by this summer. to be continued. Hope that helps you some.

[littlebittybobby]

https://youtu.be/rIeN8W-b1IU?si=AW3ODFbqwk5yJZ67 okay---Packkard never was gone! where did you get that idea---tv? but yeah--- i repeat: packkerd never was gone. nope. what happened was/is that they paused production for awhile(65 years), to let existing packkards be driven until "the weelz fall off"(as you kids liketa say). That way, the company will have a banner sales year or two, when perduction resumes, all on account o' pent-up demand. See? hope that helps you kids some. thankk mee. yup.

[littlebittybobby]

okay----here's an old Packkerd, right here! (see photo)
A 55-model. yup. pretty nice, eh? 5891

[littlebittybobby]

okay----nobody 'cept me is posting anything much about POackards, lately. so yeah--i'm gonna take the initiative & keep youy kids updated on one a my old Packareds, which is a 58 studebaker-packard. but anyway--- i've had 'er since labor day of last year, and have made SOME progress, but not nearly enough. this week, i bought an ignition switch bezel from an outfit in Az. this is the part that caused the previous owner to replace the whole switch with a generic tractor switch, which is largely the same part, but uses a threaded bezel to hold it in the dash. but no--we don't want that. so then, i found the original switch & bezel in the trunk & the spring & plastic spacer that is part of the assembly, as well. the bezel was broken(common prollem) and the key was broken-off in the lock.(common prollem). well, even though (as you kids know) i am a DIY-er, i took the switch plus one o' the door locks to a locksmith shop in several separate trips, to have keys made. but yeash---about $100. and guess what? i still lack a trunk lock, unless it turns up in the car. anya you kids got a 58 packkard trunk lock w/keys you wanna get rid of? okay---nxt, i needta go ta the wreckin' yard & get a 12v battery, and a battery cable, for this one. i needta take the gas tank off, and check it and flush it out. hope its okay, 'cause new ones are $450 plus shipping. yup. plus, i'm considering rebuilding the carburetor to clean it out. i pulled the plugs, and dosed the cylinders with penetrant. motor turns by hand. it appears they've replaced the sparkin' plugs, not many miles ago. so that's good. when i pull the tank, i'll also pull the back bumper, too. got another one to put on. to be continued.....

[littlebittybobby]

okay----talked to a studebaker-packard collector-dealer about some parts for my studebaker-packard, and he's gonna DRIVE(just get out and DRIVE) from Houston Tx to Dubuque, Iwah, in a week or two, and i axed him ta bring me a couple specific items & he said he'd accomodate me. see---there's a major stu-do-baker meet there, that week. yup. but, the more i think about it, the less i want to drive ALL THE WAY UP TA -DaBuke, iwah. so yeah---i'm gonna see if i can meetup partway, enroute. be worth it, even if i hafta sit-n-wait for an hour at some predetermined location, justa save a buncha miles & $$$. then, i can get back home to my catts & huskees & projects. yup. you know what summa those people in the auto hobby do? well, they buy a car that's already done, wax it and maintain it, and just drive-n-eat! when a meet location/date is announced, first thing they want to know is the names of "good" restaurants! ha.

[rosarugosa]

Bobby: Do you ever like to eat out at restaurants?

[iris lilies]

Bobby: Do you ever like to eat out at restaurants?
Bobby would enjoy this ooey-gooey pizza at this excellent restaurant:

5929

5930

[littlebittybobby]

okay---yah Ha i see you kids are trolling me, but seriously I could not take a bite o' restaurant food without thinking about my pets at home wondering where i am, when will i be back? plus, money spent on drive-n-eat: "um, is the chickkin' LOCAL?" ha, is money down the drain that could be used to obtain Studebaker-Packard Parts, Chevy Parts, File Cabinets to store "stuff" in, and so on. see? prolly not. ha. bottom line: i'm just not doing fine dining for something to "do". hope thatt helps you some thank mee. but anyway, after two plus days of consulting, thinking, checking my parts bins, etc. i think i've got the solution for the driveshaft dilemma i'm dealing with on my van project. yup. the optimal bestest/cheapest solution, and you know what? summa these people wouldna even addressed the issue; they'd see it as a non-problem until it reared its ugly head somewhere west of laramie, wyoming. yup. oh--it was a trip down memory lane sorting through my driveshafts i've got stored up, including the one i took outta my other van back in 2004(won't fit, btw) and one i got waaay back in 1985. all are priceless, since the wreckin' yards would not even HAVE anya them, by now. nope. so anyway--i'll letcha know how this plays out. hope thatt helps you some thankk mee.

[littlebittybobby]

okay-----take a look at THIS, you prolly ain't seen one BEFORE and you prolly won't see another one soon. but yeah----it's a VERY(x4444) RARE 1958 Studebaker-Packard Hawk one of only 588 made! it just came up on one a the F-book groups; the owner is looking for offers. Yup. it is not your usual everyday run-o-the-mill subbbarrrooo plastered with fanaticrat bumper slogans! ha. far from it. nope. needs work & would be a great project to stay home and work on. yup. Thankk mee.(see p0hoto)5942

[littlebittybobby]

okay-----tell you what-----they don't make 'em like they usta! nope.(see photo). thankk mee.5959

[littlebittybobby]

okay----looky here now. howja liketa be seen driving THIS?5965

[littlebittybobby]

okay----my newsest 58 Pacckerd project is very, very SOLID. but seee---the original owner who passed it onto his daughter then sold it to a guy from okelhomma who then sold it to mee at the fairgrounds last year....ummm, where was i goiing? uh--the original owner was like old joe(your president) and got too incompetent(like old joe) to drive, and started hitting things with his packkerd. well, it had the front & rear bumpers mashed up and the right rear door dented in, but the worst of it was sun-deteriorated interior. but see---the guy from okelhomma is one a these "car guys" originally from the Ozarks whose specialty is tasteless & freaky modificcations to "customize" a car. but see--he was getting "old"(like mee, and let his 58 Packard project languish for about 10 years. Then he brought it to the fairgrounds on a trailer without doing anything a-tall to make it presentable. but yeah---i looked it over and realized that i had a MORAL obligation to rescue that car. it was like a litter of kittens dumped by the road. yup. anyway, i'm not going whole-hog on a restoration at this point. i'm just working to get 'er roadworthy and night-time car cruiseworthy. so right now, i'm detailling the used damage-salvage front and rear bumpers that i obtained that are far from perfect, but suitable to use for a cruiser. yup. the rear bumper is fairly easy to obtain, because it was used on 57-58 Studebaker sedans and wagon, as well. but the front bumper is a 1YO bumper that was used on only 2,034 new Packards in 1958. So, yeah---they're scarce. I've GOT a new-old-stock front bumper that i've had for 20 years, but i won't use it as i can't seem to keep anything nice. it is priceless. so, anyway, i'll get out there & pull the front bumper off the packard, this afternoon. how do you like that?

[littlebittybobby]

5967

[littlebittybobby]

okay-----looky here----an old abandoned Packkard out sitting in a field. how do you like that? i wonder how much they want for it?(see photo)5972

[littlebittybobby]

okay----somebody posted a photo of their Rammmler waggon on f-book, but look what's sitting behind it. but yeah---a VERY rare 58 packkard wagon. 159 made. yup. 5980

[littlebittybobby]

okay---update on my VERY solid 58 Packard Project. See---the elderly gentleman who owned it for many years evidently crashed it into stationary objects before he stopped driving it. The front fender extensions, which are made of fiberglass were damaged, especially the right-side one. i was preparing to patch them up & reuse them, but guess what? i found a nearly-perfect set of used ones on ebay for just $25 plus shipping. so, that will be a better way to refurbish my SOLID old car, of which only 2000 were made. Yup. So yeah---i have a nos steering weel, nice used gauge lenses, nice bumpers, have straightened out the curbed fron lower valance & grille, etc. one major hurdle is an upholstery job. i believe i can do the door panels & headliner & carpet & dash cover; but prolly will require perfessional help on the seats.. Hope that helps you some.

[littlebittybobby]

okay------here's some old Packard parts I bought offa EBay.(see photo). But yeah----these pieces are scarce, especially in good shape. see----they were only used on a total of 1,875 cars. 1958 only--before anya you kids were even born. Yup. hope that helps you some. thankk mee.6045

[littlebittybobby]

okay----I know you kids couldn't care less about anything IMPORTANT, but guess what? Packard was about the first brand o' car ta offer Posi. Yup. Not Subbaroo, not Toyoda, not Volvo, not 'Cedes. Nope. It was Packard. Just about every 58 Packard has Posi; maybe every 58 Packard has Posi, unless someone took it out to put 'er in another Studebaker-Packard. But yeah---it even says posi on the trunk lid---"TT"---which signifys posi. AFAIK, no other brand put an emblem signifying posi on the outside of their car, besides S-P, though I know for a fact that in '58, chevy put a posi emblem on the dashboard, on cars so equipped. I have posi in one o' my 55 chevys, but it came out of a 64 chevvy. So, anyway---i put a posi in both o' my vans, too. And a posi in my 77 Chevy Pickup. And i just acquired a posi unit for a 7.5 GM, but haven't decided which car to put it in. Will update you on this situation. But yeah----posi. Gotta have it. My 17-year-old cheap economy car i got from the wreckin' yard 7 years ago, DOES NOT HAVE POSI. Mosta the time, that's OK. But let it snow and get mushy and muddy in the side yard, and should I be tryin' ta drive in and out, again----you may have a lotta, lotta trouble without posi. Ask me how I know. More on this, later.

[littlebittybobby]

okay---wing vent seals. I know you kids prolly never even had a car with wing vents. But yeah---millions and millions of vehicles were produced with wing vents. Anyway---my 58 Packard 4 door sedan has wing vents in the front doors and also in the rear doors. The essential part of course is the hinged glass, but a critical part is the molded rubber seal that keeps everything quiet when the vent is closed, and water out. So anyway---the seals on my packard are in bad shape, and not only are they not functional, it looks bad. The glass have plated steel frames that are rusty and pitted, but some work with 000 steel wool and chrome polish makes them look presentable. Yes, they COULD be replated, but guess what? Plating nowadays is VERY expensive, and not only that---the plating quality is worse than the original plating, so you'll be back to square one in a few short years. Next thing is---you can buy the front wing vent seals for $$$$$, and they are questionable quality. The rear door seals are all but unobtainable. If I had a Cammmerow or a Rustang or a Shevelle, what not---vent seals are available new for dirt cheap. But hey---not Studebaker-Packard or AMC. They are the stepchildren of the U.S. auto industry. I was able to get windsheild and backlite gaskets for $$$$, but that's a different story. But here's the VERY interesting part---I was looking my vent window assemblies outta my 58 Packard and comparing them to the ones outta my 1991 chevy van, and guess what? even though the glasses are shaped somewhat differently, the components of the vents for both vehicles are nearly identical designs; just differ in dimensions for the respective vehicles. This leads me to believe that the same outside parts manufacturer made them to supply both companies over the years. See? And the seals are pretty close to the same shape. I got to thinking MAYBE on of the sets made for various 60's Chevy pickups might be close enough to fit in a Packard rear door vent. We'll see.....gonna order several different sets for various years. Wish mee luck. Yup.

[littlebittybobby]

okay----well, my supplier came through, and I received a nice, new set of rear door vent window seals & a new-in-package 58 Packard door molding aka "piece of chrome". It is not actually new, but over 65 years old, left over from producing just 1200 cars(!) and still in the factory wrapper. Yup. Only $45 for the "chrome" piece, plus a little for shipping. Actually, it is stamped stainlesss steel; something they don't use much on cars, any more. Too expensive; though it is used on some exhaust systems(mufflers & pipes). Bu8t yeah---the original piece on my VERY solid 58 had that part smashed flat; probly scraped against the garage by the elderly previous owner, backing out. Yup. That all said, it made my day ta get aholda that stuff. I can just i9magine the horrors of being a vintage AMC owner, having a car that needs work.