Ken_P

I also had good luck with gas tank renu on a previous project.

First of all - I hear you on prior "mechanics" and "handymen"! I currently have two on my list I would consider treating the same way - the first is whatever troglodyte welded the king pin pin retaining pin on my Packard, and the second is the guy who used 3" construction screws in every electrical box I've opened up in my house! I'm sure you'll get it figured out soon. Maybe you could run wires from your new sending unit to under the dash, drive the car, and fix the gauge when snow flies again? I decided to do a few small projects 8 weeks ago - king pins and replace intake manifold. Going on waiting six weeks for the machinist that promised less than a week! Anyway, keep your chin up, and good luck with your car. A lot of us are learning from your experiences, good and bad!

Where did you source your 600W/SAE 160 transmission fluid?

Looking great! Any tips or tricks on cutting your floor mat? Doing a similar job on my Packard, and the thick rubber is difficult to cut cleanly. So far I've use a sharp knife and patience, but if you have a better way, I'm all ears!

Funny - I own 1 old car. 1937 Packard 120, black. Came with WWs. I often prefer blackwall tires, but as I thought of this car - all black paint, black wheels - I think it would look kind of silly without the white walls. What are my options for period correct WWs? It has 7.00-16 Firestones right now, and they look great, just wondering what others have used and liked.

You probably already know this, but put the biggest muffler on it you can!

This is a fun read! I was minus 9 in 1972, so none for me, but my dad was cruising around on a Yamaha 250 Enduro.

Ah! Didn't know - now I'm tracking. Looks like fun!

Do you know Ross Miller, of Speedwell Garage? He's relatively close (Parkland, MD on the Eastern Shore) and does a lot of work with post-war Packards. He may have what you need. Hope everyone is okay!

Bob - with all the corona induced piddly Packard projects, might I suggest you start a project blog? I'm enjoying reading all of your updates!

Carl - I'm young! Have to be optimistic about the future. My career at the moment only allows me to have one car (lots of moving). When I transition from my current job in a few years, then I'll have the ability to get another project going. I bought my current Packard in 2015 and it has lived in upstate NY, FL, and VA. And I'll move again next summer! So, not the right time for a project. 😃

Oh, how I wish this was three years in the future! Career doesn't support right now. Gorgeous project, good luck with the sale.

Mark, so you're saying it will work in the GMC too?

My dad has a 1954 GMC half ton. He is looking renew the lubricant in the steering gear, and his owners manual refers him to "SG lubricant" - steering gear lubricant. Any GM experts out there have advice on what to use? I know on my Packard, it specified 160w oil, and apparently cotton picker spindle oil from tractor supply company is a near perfect match chemically. Not so sure on his pickup though. Thanks!

Tracking on all of that. I'm a mechanical engineer by trade, but still remember Ohm's law. I'm going to forget firing voltage, install my newly re-surfaced manifolds, and then go through the basic TS list again. Consider the post closed!

Thanks for all the help guys. I'm cracking up - turns out, you can't give a bunch of car guys a vague problem with one specific question and NOT get troubleshooting advice! 😂 I appreciate everything. I do most of my blogging over at PackardInfo.com, but maybe if I can't solve it soon, I'll setup a post over here.

I recently discovered this, and just read the whole thing! I'm very impressed with the work you've done, and the pace at which you've accomplished it. Really nice!

Thanks everyone for the inputs. I considered the Pertonix, but have heard to many stories of failure given the wide variations of voltage put out by the generator, even with a properly regulated system. The stock setup was good enough, I'll keep it that way

Matt, following along with interest. I used your LED light source, have a quote for Remflex exhaust gaskets (I hate exhaust leaks!) and so - I'm anxiously awaiting your verdict on the new, quieter fan belt. I looked at vbeltsupply.com yesterday, and seems promising, so I'm interested in your results.

Where are you located?

Thanks for the input! I was concerned that modern Echlin parts might not have the same impedance specs, especially given that I cannot directly cross the old autolite parts number on the Napa website.

Well Bob, at least you have carpet to lay on while you're working on it! 🤣 Seriously though, glad you found the problem, but what a pain in the neck. Under dash wiring is the worst. I found a rats nest on mine, with a newish harness, to include a house style electrical outlet zip tied to the steering column! WTH? How bright are your instrument lights? I recently upgraded some of my dash lights to LEDs - wow what a difference. If you're interested, I'll get you the part numbers, etc. Cheers, Ken

Ok - last post for the night. I'm looking for opinions on NOS vs. generic but brand new on ignition parts, specifically points and condensers. My concern with new is that it is junk, and not spec'ed out exactly the same as the OEM. My concern with old is that 80ish years of storage in who knows what conditions would break-down internal components, etc? I know it's opinion, but what are the groups thoughts?

Hey all - so, working on a 1937 Packard 120 Touring Sedan. Original car, no mods. I'm troubleshooting a rich running condition (excessive black smoke, carbon in exhaust, etc.) Not looking to re-troubleshoot the whole problem here, although I may later if needed. What I am looking for: is there a simple way to measure spark plug firing voltage, or does this require an oscilloscope? If the latter, is that something an auto shop can do? I typically do all of my own work, but I don't want to drop a ton of money on an oscilloscope. A car from 1937 with points and condenser doesn't really require an oscilloscope very often. 😃 Thanks in advance!

I used Rustoleum. I would suggest you could use their rust converter primer and then semi-gloss block. You might even consider brushing, instead of spraying. If you do rattle can it, I've really had good luck with aluminum foil for masking off hoses, etc, on jobs like that. Nice find on the Blazer, and good luck!