Dave Fields informed me about this chat and I decided to come over and try it. Since it's just getting started, we'll have to get more chatters & some interesting topics. BTW, my Packards: 1955 Patrician (near original), 1956 Panther (was Clipper 2drHT) and 1956 Executive (parts car).

An excellent feture of this room is we can thread topics. I hope you have one for your project. I see we can get pictures into this, but I haven't figured out how.

I can't type and spell anybetter in this room than the last.

Hi Craig and all, <BR>I hope a lot of Packard folks show up at this forum to share. <BR>I have a 40 120 that keeps me busy.

Trent: Does you Packard overheat? Any ideas to stop overheating?

Dave: Having driven my 55 Pat in 115F stop & go here in Las Vegas and not having experienced any overheating problem, here's what's up with my Pat over the last 3 years: rodded-out radiator (was 20% blocked), new 160F thermostat, all new hoses, 50-50 coolant/water, new fan belts, timing "right on" & aftermarket "big vehicle" overflow can (closed system). However, I do have minor vapor lock problems since my aux "recip" elec fuel pump quit pumping a couple of months ago. I'm replacing it.

Dave & Trent: overheating: Sorry, I posted an answer to a non-question (1940 v 1955).

Hi Craig! Thanks for telling me about this site. (Thanks to you, too, Randy.) Seems like a cool place to hang out [img]images/icons/smile.gif" border="0[/img]<P>I'm not really driving my '55 Pat much these days; it's just too dang HOT. But I do plan to do a LOT of cruising in the Fall, starting in late September, when the weather usually starts to moderate a little. <P>Hope you guys and your Packards are avoiding any actual FLAMES..... [img]images/icons/cool.gif" border="0[/img]

Craig, thanks for notifying me of this site.<BR>I have a 1956 400 hardtop that is supposed to be done. BUT, as we all know, it is never DONE. I have to put in my spare Gen. right now - one in car went south last night be back later.

Dave, It sounds like Craig covered your overheating with the rad work, timing and new thermostat to start.<BR>I have had no overheating even in crawling traffic that had me worried (eye on the temp gage). Mine must have a 180° thermostat since it runs about that by the gage. You might want to experiment with a 160° summer and 180° winter.

Given that the radiator is 60 years old, and patched, I am probably due for a new one. I have a 7 blade flex fan on the car. The closed system sounds like a good idea, and we are discussing putting a radiator shroud on the car. The thermostate was tested on the kitchen stove with a thermometer, but who knows? I am at over 4000 feet elevation, so that hurts. I have a 7 lb cap, but have been running water as I was told that antifreeze boiles at a lower temperature. The Packard 120 has a rather small cooling system capacity, so thoughts are to enlarge it some how. Also, we want to disconnect the heaters-it is very hot in the car, but we are afraid to do so because we will loose that capacity and heat radiation. We had no problems last summer and into this summer,but I did overheat the car on a run and it has been acting up ever since. Car starts easilly, runs well, but overheats. I ran it about 4 miles this morning at 8:00 AM and it overheated and lost 2 gallons of fluid.

Hello all.....Thanks to DaveF from texas for showing me how to get here. I'm a Packard enthusiast from hot (yet beautiful) Tucson, AZ. Several chatters have been chatting about Packards for a couple of years now. I have a 1955 Four-Hundred, which is being diassembled as I type. Also have a 1955 Patrician for donor parts. I haven't quite figured the in/outs of this site, but I'm very interested in what I see.....

DaveF: why not start an overheating thread. That's a REAL problem that all of us have faced. Even though my 55 Pat stays cool here in LV summer, my 72 Eldo (brand X, but an example) has been running hot lately despite new thermostate & coolant, but A/C running at MAX (no A/C on the Pat).

Dave, <BR> Sounds like you have a blockage in the system if it is overheating that much. Anti freeze should raise not lower the boiling point. With the system in good shape I don't think you would need to make changes to the original design.

Trent, I have come to the basic conclusion that you have that there must be a blockage. I will do a flush out this weekend, inspect hoses, etc. and see what that does. fingers crossed!