1948 packard woody

Has anyone ever been able to get the overdrive electric system to work on 12 volts?

I would really appreciate the help.

If you have the R11 OD, maybe a couple of options. The relay and solenoid are both available in 12v repro's -- although you would have to check the repro solenoid stem length carefully against yours. There is a question if Packards stem length was standard and I don't know if anyone has attempted using the repro solenoid on a Packard. Fifth Avenue Garage http://www.fifthaveinternetgarage.com/ (page 3 on their parts counter category) and others carry those items. While that would look the most authentic since there would be no extra pieces, perhaps a better and much cheaper solution might be to try changing the supply voltage.

If you have the R9 then there is not much you can do other than supply the complete OD assy with 6v since even the normal 6v parts are getting hard to come by let alone any 12v items being available. There is a 12v to 6v regulator made specifically for heavy current uses like the OD which the manufacturer claims will do the job. I don't have first hand experience with it but you should be able to remove the OD feed from the starter solenoid terminal and wire the regulator in to supply the OD voltage.

Check out ebay item number 141140317295. If you do attempt either solution, please let us know how it works out.

If you have the R11 OD, maybe a couple of options. The relay and solenoid are both available in 12v repro's -- although you would have to check the repro solenoid stem length carefully against yours. There is a question if Packards stem length was standard and I don't know if anyone has attempted using the repro solenoid on a Packard. Fifth Avenue Garage http://www.fifthaveinternetgarage.com/ (page 3 on their parts counter category) and others carry those items. While that would look the most authentic since there would be no extra pieces, perhaps a better and much cheaper solution might be to try changing the supply voltage.

If you have the R9 then there is not much you can do other than supply the complete OD assy with 6v since even the normal 6v parts are getting hard to come by let alone any 12v items being available. There is a 12v to 6v regulator made specifically for heavy current uses like the OD which the manufacturer claims will do the job. I don't have first hand experience with it but you should be able to remove the OD feed from the starter solenoid terminal and wire the regulator in to supply the OD voltage.

Check out ebay item number 141140317295. If you do attempt either solution, please let us know how it works out.

Thank you very much for the advise!

Yes it is am r-9,,,,,Yikes!