superior1980

That's an easy attitude to have when dealing with a normal old car, one that came off an assembly line with thousands of others like it. But I hardly think its a one size fits all belief. Last year I purchased a custom bodied prewar Packard, believed to be one of only ten built and very likely the only survivor. It didn't have a title. Fact is I was going to buy the car anyway, because I wanted it and there was no looking around for another one. But I figured it would be easier for the owner to get a replacement title than it would be for me to try to get one, so I made the seller getting a replacement title a condition of the sale. He agreed and got a replacement title. Then I bought the car. Again, I would have bought the car anyway, but I'm surprised more people don't try going the route of making the seller obtaining a replacement title a condition of the sale. Of course I'm sure there will be stubborn people who refuse to do it, but I would think its at least worth a try.

Not exactly a truck, but this one-year-only (and a short year at that!) 1942 Packard ambulance bodied by the Henney Motor Company of Freeport, Illinois was considered very truck-like at the time.

I only saw the rear half of the car as it disappeared into the trailer, but the left rear fender was severely dented with much paint scraped off. I don't see that damage on your photo of the Stude-Tucker, but I suppose its possible more damage has occurred for whatever reason.

Today, July 25, 2014, I was at the Volo Auto Museum in the tiny town of Volo, Illinois, and as I came out of one of the buildings, I saw the rear of a Tucker as it was being pushed into an enclosed trailer. I am a Tucker enthusiast so I know I saw a Tucker and not some other car that I am mistaking for one. I rushed over to see what I could see, and something about the car just didn't look right. It was green in color, with a bashed-in left rear fender, and some of the windows were broken out. I'm wondering if maybe it was one of the mock-ups made for the movie, or maybe the customized Studebaker that was used for the crash scene. Does anyone have any information?

I have a 1985 Riviera with the same mechanical set up as your car. Based on how I read your description, I'm assuming you are starting the car, letting it idle, and then shutting it off right away without going for a drive. If that's the case, then my car behaves the same as yours. These carbureted cars are designed to idle at high speed upon first starting from cold so that the engine warms up to operating temperature. My car's owners manual says to tap the gas pedal after one minute to bring the idle down to normal levels. Works as directed for my car and I've not had any dieseling problems following that directive.

I have to wonder what fantasy world some people are living in when they keep a straight face and say something like the Prius and Escape aren't small cars. They are ALL small cars! There hasn't been a proper sized car since the 1979 Lincolns.

If you already bought the car, this suggestion is too late, but when I was considering buying my Packard, I made the seller getting a replacement title a condition of the sale, and he agreed. I figured it would be a lot easier for him to get a replacement title than it would have been for me to get one.

I can't say that I personally care about a van one way or the other, but I can say that I hate what the new Transit van represents. To me, what it represents is the demise of the USA being its own market and having its own vehicles, in favor of global companies designing stuff for Europe and pawning it off on us as well. I say shame on you Ford, I thought you were supposed to be an American company. Did you forget your roots and the country that made you the great company that you are?

Sorry, but that's not new at all. That was intended to debut as the centennial Packard in 1999, but came out a couple years late in the early 2000s. The company went bankrupt just building that one prototype. As unfortunate as it is, I think something we all tend to forget when remembering our favorite deceased brand is that if they had managed to stay in business, their current cars would be just as ugly as everything else being produced today.

Illinois isn't hoop-free when it comes to titling an untitled vehicle. They require an inspection by the state police to try to find a VIN somewhere on the car, then you have to pay a fee to the state based on the vehicle's appraised value that is held in bond against someone making claim that it is their car, then after a period of time if there are no claims made against the car you get a title and your bond back. Last year I was considering purchasing a car without a title, and honestly I was going to buy it anyway because it is so rare and I so wanted it, but I made the owner getting a replacement title a condition of the sale, and he agreed. I figured it would be a lot easier for the owner to get a replacement title than it would be for me to get a new title. Personally, I don't see the problem with getting a title that had the car listed as being an assembly or whatnot. You would have a title, you would be able to register and drive the car, and you don't show the title off at car shows.

I seem to remember hearing about 1959 Cadillacs being recalled due to pitman arm breakage.

There are a couple of the modern Avantis in my neck of the woods that I see at local car shows. Two of them, it appears obvious to me seeing them in person that they are heavily customized Camaros/Firebirds. A third one appears to be a heavily customized Mustang.

In addition to the 1966 Duesenberg, there was also a 1980 Duesenberg prototype from another company that attempted to revive the name. I remember seeing photos of it, and remember not being overly impressed with its styling, as it looked to me like just being a fat Lincoln Towncar. But, I've often wondered if that car survives today, and if so where?

I would suggest posting your limo questions on the forum of the Professional Car Society at professionalcarsociety.org. They specialize in funeral cars, ambulances, and limousines, have a surprising amount of combined knowledge, and one member in particular is a recognized expert on heads-of-state limousines.

Its not a hearse, but its close. If we're going to talk about ambitious restoration projects, this is in my garage awaiting my attention (and money).....

This has to be one of the most unusual hearses I've seen, and an unusual color for a hearse as well.

I am the owner of the "modern" Packard shown here. I have spent the past hour typing and retyping a brief history of both this car and of the company that built it, but these forums refuse to accept my post, so I give up. Short answer, it is based on a 1985 Buick Riviera. Longer version, follow this link.... http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/b/bayliff/bayliff.htm

Hello All! Just a couple weeks ago I purchased my first pre-war car, a 1942 Packard ambulance. It was a California car its whole life, so there is no rot and everything looks to be there, but it does need a complete restoration. It looks like it was parked in the desert 30 years ago and forgotten about. From what I've read, it appears that only 10-12 of these were built in the first place, and until mine was discovered last year, none were known to have survived. So, there is no shopping around for a better one. Anyway, the car's new home is in north suburban Chicago, and I am wondering if anyone can recommend a Chicago area restoration shop. I am aware of Old Coach Works in Yorkville, Illinois, but I've also heard mixed things about them. So, any suggestions? I appreciate your time!

MCHinson, I live in Illinois, about a four hour drive from Moline. 2012 is also only my second year in the club, so I guess I have some learning to do about how it operates. As a newbie, I find the judging to be awfully complicated. I was under the, apparently mistaken, impression that the divisional national meets were so that everyone, at least in theory, had a national meet near them each year, but that the Grand National was THE BIG annual show for everyone. I had no idea it was a judging issue. I was at the Central Division meet in Oakbrook, Illinois last year, but only as a spectator.

So unless I'm willing to have my car nitpicked over, I'm not welcome to even show it at the national meet of a club of which I am a member? I thought this hobby and this club was supposed to be fun. Being told what's wrong with a car that I thoroughly enjoy is not my idea of fun. Showing it and sharing it with others is.

I'm really not interested in having my car judged, I'm just interested in displaying it on the showfield. Does that change things?

Thank you for the replies everyone. I appreciate it! Moline will be my first Grand National, so if I could have a car accepted for display, that would be great! 1937hd45, a Second Generation Collector Vehicle are vehicles like Excalibur, Zimmer, Avanti II, etc, that are newer cars (though still at least 25 years old) that have the styling characteristics of much older cars. I beleive the application and approval process to get a car into this class is in place to prevent kit cars and backyard creations onto the showfield. MCHinson, in answer to your question, I have a 1985 Packard that was built by the Bayliff Coach Company. Exactly how many they made is uncertain, but it appears that slightly more than 200 were created.

I have a vehicle that I would like to try to get accepted into the AACA's Second Generation Collector Vehicle class. I understand that the vehicle must go through an application and approval process for display in this class. I would like to try to get my vehicle approved in time for the 2013 Grand National in Moline, Illinois next year. My question is, who do I contact to get the ball rolling on this process? Thanks for your time!

You should visit the website of the Professional Car Society, www.professionalcarsociety.org There is a gentleman who is a member of that club by the name of Bill Peeples in Ohio. He owns a fully restored 20s-era Henney hearse on Henney's own chassis. Someone there may be able to direct you to him. He may be able to provide you with what you need.

I'm up to nine cars myself, and six of those were cars that I just happened to come across and liked enough to purchase. But one of those I consider to be a car that found me story. Several years ago, I attended the Packard Museum's annual show in Warren, Ohio with my Packard hearse. I've become very used to people saying things like "I had a hearse, know someone who had a hearse, etc", and when I ask what it is they have or had, it usually turns out to be something very plain Jane and uninteresting. So anyway, this older gentleman is looking over my car as I walk up to it, and I get the "I like hearses and have a couple" line, so naturally I ask what he had, expecting them to be nothing interesting. I was very shocked to hear him reply that he had 1972 Cadillac, 1973 Cadillac, and 1977 Lincoln hearses. That last one really opened my eyes, because I already owned the only 1977 Lincoln hearse that anyone knew of. So naturally I start questioning him about the car, and there was just something in how he was talking that made me think he was a local. So I asked if he lived around here, and he replied that he lived about ten miles away. I said that I didn't want to sound like I was inviting myself over, but I would love to see his cars. He replied with "No problem. Do you mind riding in my Packard Hawk?". Oh yes, I minded horribly!! So we get to his house and he opens the garage, and I could tell instantly that what he had was not actually a Lincoln, but was a Mercury wagon that had been converted into a hearse and then customized to look like a Lincoln. I pointed out various things to him (he seemed like he genuinely thought he had a Lincoln) about how I could tell, and he replied with "Oh, I guess that's possible." Anyway, I took a few photographs with no thoughts other than it being an unusual car, and he drove us back to the show. On the drive back, he said that he'd be willing to sell all three hearses, and did I know anyone who might be interested. I had no thoughts at that time about any of his cars for myself, but told him I would spread the word. When I got home from the Packard Museum meet, I did some looking into what exactly that Mercury/Lincoln hybrid was, and it turned out that it was actually built that way by a small hearse and ambulance conversion shop when it was a new car. They built two of them only. One was built on order for a funeral home, and the other was built as a prototype show vehicle to guage interest in actually going into production with it. The one sitting in this guy's garage was the prototype show vehicle. I found this very interesting, but still wasn't really thinking about it for myself. But nonetheless, I just couldn't get it out of my mind. About a year passed, when I received a phone call from him saying that he still had all three hearses, and he wanted to place an ad for them in my club's magazine. Well considering that that car was still in my mind a year later, I couldn't help myself but tell him that I'd place an ad for the two Cadillacs, but I'd take the "Lincoln" for myself! So I think that's very much a car that found me, and it found me thru one of my other cars!