John N. Packard

Well, I thought I would get a discourse on setting the spark, choke, throttle, etc! This is a Packard Six motor. The car was imported back to the United States from Guatemala in the 70s. The starter has a broken commutator housing and there are two cranks, one broken and one in reasonable shape. This led me to believe that hand cranking might be possible. If I put a little bit of gas in each priming cup, full choke, retard the spark, and partial throttle; might one of the cylinders fire? I don't think at 160# the jump start trick will work for me! Interesting sidelight. A Packard hand crank of this vintage just sold on eBay for $100! Maybe I should put the broken one up for bid? <BR>jnp

I'm rebuilding the motor starter on my recently acquired 1928 Packard. But it comes with a hand crank! The owners manual does not give a procedure for hand cranking the engine. Can anyone suggest a sure fire method to start the motor by hand cranking? Thank you very much.<BR>jnp

Gordon,<BR> I have two 318 Mopar engines; one from a '69 Coronet Wagon and the other from a '76 Volare Wagon. I am in Maryland if you are interested. They are yours for the shipping cost.<BR>jnp

Here are several references for ?22 to ?25 Kissel roadsters:<BR>pg. 111; photo 1925 Gold bug speedster. "Encyclopedia of American Automobiles" Edited by G.N. Georgano. Published by E.P. Dutton 1968.<BR>pg. 208; photo 1923 Kissel. "The Treasury of the Automobile" by Ralph Stein. Golden Press 1961<BR>pg. 214; fine color rendition of a 1923 Speedster "The Centenary Encyclopedia of Automobiles" by Graham Macbeth. Published by Temple Press 1984.<BR>pg. 115 to 119 "The Kissel Kar Klub" numerous photos and text. "Antique Automobile Magazine" Vol. 25 No. 2 Published by Antique Automobile Club of America March 1961.<BR>pg. 308 to 324 "25 Year History KISSEL" by E.E. Husting. Extensive history & photos. "Antique Automobile Magazine" Vol. 25 No.5 Published by Antique Automobile Club of America September 1961.<BR>I have copies of all these in my personal collection.<BR>John N. Packard, President Board of Directors AACA Library & Research Center, Inc.<p>[ 10-20-2001: Message edited by: John N. Packard ]

I visited the Hotchkiss Vacuum Tank space in the White Field at Hershey and received the following information: <BR>"Ben Hotchkiss passed away on September 7, 2001 after a short illnes. Due to this situation, all vacuum tanks that Ben was working on will be returned to their owners so that other arrangelments may be made to complete the necessary work. If you have any questions or need to arrange for the return of your tank please contact us at: vacuumtanks@excite.com or <A HREF="http://www.vacuumtanks.cjb.net" TARGET=_blank>www.vacuumtanks.cjb.net</A> Thank you for your cooperation and past patronage."<BR>jnp

Jdee,<BR> I attended an auction in Waynesboro, PA back in the sixties when the Car of the Dome, a Clark Gable roadster, a Doris Duke Duesenberg, and a Tasco were sold. These vehicles were from the estate of the heir to the Barney's Teething Syrup fortune, if memory serves me correctly. Gene Zimmerman, who had a museum at the time near Harrisburg, was the successful bidder on the roadster and the Duesenberg. I believe the Car of the Dome sold for about $7,000. I don't know its history after that. It was built for the Chicago Exposition. Many books on Packard feature this car. It is indeed a beauty. Just think, if I had $7K back in the 60s it could be mine! Another of the ones that got away story. I had just purchased a really rough '37 Super 8 short wheelbase sedan for $200 at the time. Not much of a stretch from $200 to $7,000!<BR>jnp

My first comment is that this is probably the best thread yet for this 'Editors' forum. I agree that when the job of editor ceases to be fun, it is time to quit. I was fortunate to receive the Master Editor award for three consecutive years from 1995 to 1997. Then I failed to send in my registration form and did not get evaluated. I have maintained the Award of Excellence status. My first term as editor was in the early 70s. I received the Award of Merit for those efforts. I don't really know why my earlier efforts were judged differently from my current newsletter. I don't think it is the production techniques. <BR>I believe that the emphasis is on content, attitude, and quality. Having attended several of the newsletter seminars, that seems to be the primary message given. The newsletter should inform the local membership and report on region events. I encourage members to contribute; but not in the newsletter; rather face to face. A member tells me that he went on a tour. I ask for a report and pictures. Frequently they are forthcoming. I try to acknowledge their contribution in the newsletter. I have a simple test for content: What is the first thing you as editor do when the current issue arrives in your mailbox? I open it and read every page even though I have lived with this material for 20+ hours! If it is interesting enough to hold your attention, then it should do the same for the majority of your members.<BR>As for attitude: be positive in reporting. Don't complain about lack of participation, rather emphasize the good time that everyone had. Make the articles inform the membership that they missed something great without being explicit about it. I find in our region a tendency to whine and complain. I made the mistake two years ago of publishing some of that stuff in the mistaken idea that it would generate constructive discussion. It worked just the opposite: it generated rancor and discord. Avoid this if you can. Edit it out of the material that you receive or restate it in a positive vein.<BR>Quality: I started using a digital camera to get timely photo coverage of our meets. The reproduction quality was poor. What good is a dark, low resolution photo? People was to recognize themselves. If you use photos make them good ones, apply titles, and place them in a pleasing format. Unfortunately, I'm still not satisfied with my photo quality. I resist the temptation to use copyrighted material, both articles and graphics, that members submit. Much of the humour that I read in the newsletter exchange is in my opinion in poor taste. Take extra effort to ensure that the material printed is accurate. I absolutely hate doing the activities calendar for this reason; because obtaining accurate information is difficult and time consuming. This might be a good task to ask a detail oriented member who attends a lot of activities to do for you. Apply quality control to all material received, however. My own experience is that this is tough to do at 1 AM when you are trying to complete the project. Limit your job to editor. Let someone else collate, stuff, mail the newsletter. I have never had to do that. Anyone with an interest in the club can handle the production side.<BR>Well, that's enough ramblin' on from me for now. One final thought: the newsletter is the lifeblood of the region.<P>jnp

I was at Hershey from Monday through Saturday and the weather was perfect each day. It was a great event. Nothing in the world can match it.<P>jnp

FIREBALLV8<BR> Yes, Yes, & Yes. Post what you've got and those who are interested will respond.<P>jnp

What time does the boat leave the Yellow Field on Swatara Creek?<P>jnp

Disregarding the unusual circumstances that led to the shattered windshield glass, might there be other possibilities of someone or thing striking the mirror leading to the same result? Perhaps mounting the mirror to the windshield is potentially hazardous. <BR>jnp

Thanks Bill for the detailed description of the steamer. I had heard about this approach in general terms; but not with the detail you provide. What is a good way to hold the wood being bent in the form? Clamp two curved sections around it or use a series of wood clamps? It appears to be a very slight curve (large radius). How long do you leave the wood clamped before it takes a set? The wood I have is oak.<P>jnp

Here's an update: "Retopping the Enclosed Car" by E.W. Stitt published in the January 1962 issue of Antique Automobile Magazine. An excellent article with photos; but not much information on replicating & replacing the top bows. He refers to "roofing cement" to be applied to the tack strips. Is this the black tar that is readily available for house roof repairs? A light cloth, blue cotton wadding and the top material are to be applied in that order. Any suggestions as to sources for these materials? Is the top material also referred to as "decking". I have PRO and Restoration Specialties catalogs that list similar materials. Thanks for your comments.<P>jnp

Ed,<BR> I use Hibernia Auto Restorations, Inc. 52 Maple Terrace, Hibernia, NJ 07842. Telephone 973.627.1882. They advertise in Antique Automobile Magazine. Page 67 of the May-June 2001 issue.<P>jnp

Dan,<BR> I'm starting with wood for top bows and an open hole in the roof of the car! I'm told that the top bows can be bent by putting them in a steam bath. What I don't know is what chicken wire, cloth, and top material are required. Unfortunately there is no pattern left on the car to use as a guide. Ted, I'd love to have a copy of the article. Tod, I find that common sense escapes me when I commit to and get involved in these projects! I thought perhaps there might be a video or book out there to guide me through the process. Thanks for your interest.<P>jnp

Who can direct me to information on the proper restoration of a soft top for a 1928 Packard sedan? Thanks!<P>jnp

Try <A HREF="http://www.donsautoparts.com." TARGET=_blank>www.donsautoparts.com.</A> <P>jnp

Bill,<BR> Assuming that your '34 320 CID engine is similar to my '37. At the bottom is the valve lifter with machined sides. In the middle is the lock nut. At the top is the valve lash adjustment. I use thin open end wrenches that allow adjustment with the one wrench while not interferring with the other. Hold the valve lifter with one wrench while loosening the lock nut with the other. Just enough to allow the lash adjuster to move. Continue holding the lifter and make the lash adjustment (.006" inlet/.008" exhaust). Then go back to the lock nut, still holding the lifter and tighten. You may experience some movement of the lash adjustment as you tighten down the lock nut. You can compensate for that by making the original setting slightly smaller than spec. Then go back and recheck the valve lash with your feeler gauge. It is better to end up with the setting slightly greater than spec than smaller. Hope this helps!<P>jnp

Thanks Tom,<BR> I got them removed!<P>jnp

Removing the inner control arm bushings on my '54 Packard has me stumped! I can't seem to press them out, pull them out, or beat them out! Any advice will be greatly appreciated! <BR>jnp

July August issue should be a best seller!<P>jnp

Howard is correct, this car is not disassembled. That is why I was considering a "rust treatment" type of paint. I know from previous threads that the POR-15 should be used as an undercoat. This car is a driver and I would like to treat the rust and give it a decent appearance. Babbit, that's a neat idea about the paint can storage. Why didn't we think of a trick like that!<BR>jnp

I'm cleaning up the undercarriage on my '54 Packard. Any suggestions as to what to do about rust on the underside of the rocker panels? Is POR-15 suitable for applying directly on the rust, or should an attempt be made to remove it first?<P>jnp

Oh to be 40 and young again! Hope you had a great celebration Bruce.<P>jnp

Two points: There are young people coming into the hobby today for whom cars of the 1976 model year are antiques. A high school classmate of mine from the early 50s recently wrote: "I have a hard time thinking of the cars that we drove in high school as antiques". It depends totally upon our perspective.<BR>Secondly, I believe all of us appreciate a low mileage, well maintained vehicle regardless of age. There are some really nice cars of the 70s & 80s out there. Why not recognize and enjoy them as well?<P>jnp