Looking for a recomendation for exhaust system supplier for my 32 Packard.

Tbirdman, Not to sidetrack your question but also, are you considering stainless steel or just normal steel? My preference would be stainless but I had heard it chganges the sound of the exhuast? Does anyone have any opinions on normal steel vs. stainless?

I was going to use stainless. I hadn't heard about and drastic sound changes vs. steel.

Kepich exhaust
1121 Homestead Blvd. #272
Lehigh Acres, FL, 33936
1-800-369-5764
www.kepichexhaust.com

You won't have to tell them what a Packard is or answer
"did GM make Packard?"

Call Steve Babinsky in New Jersey - his system will fit. He is a restorer of top flight cars and knows 32 - 34 Packards well. I don't like stainless as it sounds too sporty for a Packard, it definitely has a harsher sound. Most repop mufflers just don't sound right, if you ever hear an NOS system you will know what I mean. Packards were set up to be very quiet, not loud like a J Duesenberg.

I would not ever use stainless, the sound is indeed way off,
the stainless transfers way more heat into the car,the expansion is far more then a steel one,thus giving way too much pressure on your manifold, pipe and muffler fittings
and a steel one will last forever as well, my '30 Cad has a steel one installed from 1985, wihout touching it till today.

Good luck with your decision. Johan

I agree with those who have said that stainless systems give a louder, non-authentic and unpleasant sound, plus the crackling sounds as they cool down. They do transfer heat a bit faster if that's an issue. And with no lead gasoline, regular steel or aluminized steel systems seem to be lasting about 20 years or so on cars driven perhaps 40-50 times per year and given good storage, thus the extra cost of stainless isn't really of much benefit.

Though it was a long time ago, I had a very poor experience with Kepich and wouldn't buy anything from them again. Steve Babinsky's shop does lovely work with exhaust systems, and as stated he knows the Classic Packards as well or better than anyone else - but I think his systems are only available in stainless.

Well if Steve's exhausts are anything like the Bijur pump rebuild he did for me, his quality should be very high.

I'm pretty competent myself mechanically, but have had several occasions to have Babinsky do some work for me, which is always nothing short of excellent; I've seen his exhaust operation (Borla East) quite a few times. They've got quite an impressive collection of original blueprints, patterns, jigs, and original systems to build off. Steve also has had new Fulton Sylphon bellows made for the older generation of Pines Winterfronts and rebuilds many of these units. His personal collection includes quite a few bona-fide Classics is pretty impressive too, mostly original unrestored. I believe it was last year he drove his Packard 2-36 coupe by Merrimac from around Seattle down to Pebble Beach. More courage than I'd have.

According to my father, who drove his 734 speedster 10,000 miles in one month, there's not much that a valid Visa card can't handle. Of course, that car can move quite a bit faster than a 2-36.

That's the ex-George Jepson 7-34, isn't it? I had the pleasure of driving that car on a number of occasions. And as I remember George himself had driven in almost all the states of the Continental USA - do I have the correct car?

Yes. And, in fact, the car is named "George." I never heard that Jepson took the car in all 48 Continental states, but that is what my father did on his 10,000-mile tour.
You drove the car when it had the Plymouth single-throat downdraft carburetor. When the original Detroit Lubricator dual-throat updraft was restored and installed, it was like unleashing twice the horsepower. The car is the most pleasurable I have ever driven. It currently has more than 300,000 miles on it. When the engine was torn apart just recently, it still had its original bore!!!
Sorry for hijacking your post, Ken.

Are those chromed wires?

What is the Logo on the door?

Noooooo.

Colorado Grand. 1000 miles through Colorado. Two weeks after another 1000 miles through Colorado.

West,

I saw this car in the latest PI magazine. It has your preferred black walls but the owner lost his way with the number of lights.

Black Walls ????????????

OOPS! Not sure what I was thinking. Maybe I was blinded by the lights It does have the West "trifecta". Chrome wheels, whitewalls and too many lights.

Yup. Nine lights on the front is too many, but, I'm sure he could fit one onto the middle of the headlight bar if he found another.
Actually, too much "stuff" all over the car. Windwings, contrasting hood louvers, extra color on the edge of the fenders, "Packard" in chrome on the stone guard... Sheesh. There's nothing left of the original design!

The first time I drove it George had a second transmission installed backwards behind the first, the kind of thing we all did when young and car-crazy. 4 speeds in reverse, WOW. Jim Tushinsky now passed, did an engine job or 2 on that car. Towards the end of the time George owned them, the 7-34 phaeton was the better driver. And his L-29 Murphy drove like an Ahrens-Fox with flat tires. But enough, I think we've hijacked this thread reminiscing.

West,

I didn't notice the ones on the cowl and was only counting initially the headlights, trippe and the other light in the middle. Yikes, what was the restorer thinking with 9 lights?

I wonder if you could even turn them all on at the same time. The car would probably quit after about a mile.

Steve will do exhaust in mild steel upon request by the way.

Ken, I know this is not what you're asking about, but thought I'd throw it out for those that have a welder (and know how to use it) and want to try it.
JCWhitney has a good selection of exhaust tubing sections that allow the fabrication of very good systems. The systems on straight-8 engines are so simple it can be layed out and easily welded (unlike later systems with dual-pipes, crossovers, tight clearances, etc.)
See link for mandrel-bent aluminized tubing:
(Straight pieces are available from them also)
http://www.jcwhitney.com/MANDREL-BENT-ALUMINIZED-TUBING/GP_2006247_N_111+10201+600012733_10101.jcw