Guest gonesouth Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 As some of you may have noticed, I am planning to buy a Packard this summer. At this point the leading contender is a 1938 Packard Eight 6 passenger Touring Sedan, which you identified for me as a Sixteenth Series Model 1192, with the 282 ci straight eight. The exterior is mostly rust-free, but has a dent on the front passenger side fender giving it a Cyclops third eye, a broken door hinge on one side, and a patch of rust about 6" circle above the center door post on one side.The interior has been redone badly but the fabric is supposedly original. The headliner was redone at the sane time and the installation was a failure and now hangs badly and is stained. The engine, brakes and tires were supposedly redone about 7 years ago. My objective is to have a reliable cruising car which I may enter in competition but only to fill out a class, not to win.I am budgeting $3000 for painting $1000 for the headliner and interior, and $2000 for engine and mechanicals., plus $1500 for tires and other rubber.I forgot to mention I want fenders and a top speed of at least 60.What would it cost to buy a different car in great condition with similar capabilities, and second, what is a good price for this one? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest bkazmer Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Your budget for restoration sounds light, especially for a correct interior. Also , is there plating required? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I just bought 2 gallons of paint and one gallon of primer, total cost was around 2k. Of course that was top of the line paint but you get the idea. Painting a car is really expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gonesouth Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Your budget for restoration sounds light, especially for a correct interior. Also , is there plating required?Yes, but some things like plating may be on the never-never, as the Brits say, or translated, as and when I have the cash to do it. If you looked at the picture i put up in the thread on identifying it, you will see a strip covering the joint between the two front window pieces.....I'm told that was chromed, and the bumpers need refinishing. The other thing is that I'm not planning on a restoration level quality so my painting budget is going to have to do...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gonesouth Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 Alsancle, I know paint is getting crazy in cost, but I'm not dealing with the beauties you are. Wish I was! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1939_Buick Posted May 28, 2015 Share Posted May 28, 2015 I am budgeting $3000 for painting $1000 for the headliner and interior, and $2000 for engine and mechanicals., plus $1500 for tires and other rubber.Does this car drive & stop now?You will find many other things that wil next fixing: thats another $5K and moreIf you can see rust now there will be more you cannot see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest gonesouth Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Does this car drive & stop now?You will find many other things that wil next fixing: thats another $5K and moreIf you can see rust now there will be more you cannot see.It does drive and stop now. But your point about things that don't show is understood. So I should really budget $20,000 including chrome and miscellaneous.So I should be looking for one that's done and plan on spending $5,000 on unknown items? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Check the wiring harness, is it original? If so, budget 1200.00 for a new one plus lots and lots of your time to swap it out. Restorations are painful and never ending. I'm not sure how I keep falling into the trap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trimacar Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 Packards are great cars, and I hope you get this one or find one you enjoy. My advice is to find/buy the best you can afford, even if it means taking a small loan from the bank. Paying the bank 300 or 400 a month is a LOT cheaper than paying for restoration. For a complete interior, unless you know somebody cheap, figure 8000 labor minimum, plus materials, and you want to use high quality original style fabric, not JoAnn fabric store stuff. 10 to 15 thousand for chrome, should cover a Junior series Packard. Hopefully engine is good, a complete engine rebuild is running $1000 to $1500 PER CYLINDER for a quality job. You're talking at least $1000 or more in materials for a paint job, not counting labor. Hate to spout big numbers, but that's reality today. A Maaco paint job and velour interior and you may have fun driving, but you won't enjoy showing the car to anyone very much. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
39BuickEight Posted May 29, 2015 Share Posted May 29, 2015 It is almost always better to buy a car that is done than to restore/repair one. That depends greatly on what you want the end product to be. Agreed that your figures are way low even for a "driver" quality car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted June 1, 2015 Share Posted June 1, 2015 Check the wiring harness, is it original? If so, budget 1200.00 for a new one plus lots and lots of your time to swap it out. Restorations are painful and never ending. I'm not sure how I keep falling into the trap.Because the cars you buy are unique, and there is no going out and "buying one done." The only one that's done is sometime in the future when you finish it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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