I almost bought a '49 Packard a few years back, that straight eight motor sure is a honey. Napa is a geat source for parts. They stock oil filters for my 50 year old tractors, try that at a Autozoo. It's pretty cool when you can walk in and tell the guy you need an oil filter for a Ford 8n and the guy just walk to the back and gets it, he doesn't even need a catalog.

If I wanted one, it would be a 41 to 49, they have great lines but are still fairly simple mechanically. The prewar cars have great lines too but I think parts would be expensive.

When I was between college and high school, summer of 1967, I was driving to work one day (lifeguarding) I spotted a 52 or 53 Packard hearse for sale. It had like 13k miles on it and was pretty cherry, with the straight eight and a stick on the column. Ohhhhhhh man, I wanted that. I pictured orgies in the back (not that any normal girl would wanna get in the back of a hearse) and loved the obvious quality of the car. It was 2 or 300 dollars, but my dad convinced me to forget about it as it would probably get like 9 mpg, and I was used to 25 with my simca.

It was the right decision but that was one of those cars that I think about that I passed over from time to time.....and have a twinge of regret.....and I am not one for much back looking regrets.

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.

I am a Merc head, but this just makes me weak in the knees:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=005&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWA%3AIT&viewitem=&item=150214052598&rd=1

__________________
Current:
1985 300D aka Miss Margaret
1991 300SE aka Alarice
1995 SL320 aka Samantha
1997 K1500 Silverado
Past:
1999 E300 ex-wife got it and let her son ruin it
1984 190 2.3 ex-wife got it and let her son destroy a great car
1985 300D (CA version) aka Maybelline lost to deer at high speed.
1981 300D aka Madeline (went to salvage at near 400k) rusty, yet best car I ever drove
Wishlist:
McFarlan TV6 (only a few privately owned)
ReVere with Rochester engine
1917 Premier (only one left)

If you're looking at pre-war, Packard went to hydraulic brakes in '38 IIRC.

whoa whoa.. wait...




people cared about MPG's back then?




jk jk

droooool

I love white walls... If it was black on black.. I'd be on it

Damn straight. Gas was $0.29 a gallon. My father used to have to spend upwards of $6.50 to fill the gas tank on his Imperial.

Yeah, we cared about the cost of gas.

It was about $.29 per gallon but I was making $1/hour working as a life guard then......no wait maybe that summer it was $1.65.

Anyway, things cost less but you didn't make much per hour.

And in '64 the mustang came out and it was a big deal that you could buy one for $2,399.....see a mustang now is about 10x....and gas is 10x too. But does a lifeguard make 10x? I doubt it.

Tom W

__________________
[SIGPIC] Diesel loving autocrossing grandpa Architect. 08 Dodge 3/4 ton with Cummins & six speed; I have had about 35 benzes. I have a 39 Studebaker Coupe Express pickup in which I have had installed a 617 turbo and a five speed manual.[SIGPIC]

..I also have a 427 Cobra replica with an aluminum chassis.