Dave Mitchell
-
Posts
1,207 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Forums
Gallery
Events
Posts posted by Dave Mitchell
-
-
I think that my 39 6 and 39 super both had a piece of fabric or welting between the wood and the metal. You can manipulate this until you have a nice comfortable position. Isn't it fun to be going back together with them?
-
Those are a correct Packard part - I have NOS ones with part numbers. They were to adjust the seat to fit the driver. Packard was in business to sell cars and keeping the new owner comfortable goes a long way towards that. I think you may even find mention of these in the service bulletins. You may well like it with them in. Dave
-
Top dressing is still available - I bought some to maintain an original car that I have, which I prefer to keep original. I can't recall where I bought it, perhaps Eastwood or Restoration Supply. The hardest part of having the insert redone is the replacing the molding. I haven't found an exact duplicate available, so have had to substitute an aluminum molding that looks the same when it is on, but doesn't fasten like the original. Dave Mitchell packard12s@hotmail.com
-
For exhaust I prefer Park's Pipes in Ohio. They have done a number of systems for me and they all fit perfectly when you get them, are to original specs and sound right. Also they are nice people to deal with. Dave Mitchell packard12s@hotmail.com
-
I think you will want to send the clutch to a professional rebuilder and have it completely rebuilt. If one spring is already broken, when will the next one go? It may cost a little more now, but it is a long way back in to fix it a second time. There is a good clutch service in Des Moines - City Brake and Clutch, which I use and I can give you a number for, and there is also one in Indy that I have never used. There might be one in Chicagoland, but I don't know about any. I don't think that Packard sold this spring separately, so finding one may be difficult. packard12s@hotmail.com
-
A well done babbit job will last far longer than 2500 miles. You just need to send it to the right shop. The best way to do this is to send the rod along with the crank dimensions and it will come back like new and ready to install, ready for long and reliable use, just as when Packard delivered the cars new. If you contact me, I will give you the names of a couple of good shops that can do this for you. I would look for underlying lubrication problems while you have the pan off.
-
I have a nice pair of wheels if you still need them. Dave Mitchell packard12s@hotmail.com
-
Hi, I have a 39 Super air cleaner and probably have the distributor plate too. You can contact me at packard12s@hotmail.com Dave Mitchell
-
Hi, I replied, so you must not have gotten it. I will be glad to help you. Please try my packard12s@hotmail.com address as I am in Scandinavia just now. Thanks Dave packard12s@hotmail.com
-
Packard moved the radiator cap under the hood on the 38 and 39 12s, they didn't use pressure caps as they did on the 40 41s, and the cooling system is the same as the earlier cars, at least on the 8 38 & 39 12s in my care.
-
I think you might need a deeper radiator cap that seats correctly in your radiator neck. It sounds like you have a pressure system. A common problem with these cars is that the radiators get clogged over the years and that may be part of your problem also, giving you less flow, and forcing out fluid as it heats up. You might try flushing it out also and see if that helps. The only pre war Packards I know of with overflow tanks were the 32 - 39 12s and they were not pressurized.
-
Do you need a 120 or 160 engine?
-
The striping on the body was done after the car was painted originally and needs to be done that way now. I have factory photos showing the bodies being striped both with a small striping wheel and with a brush. Restorer 32 is right, the stripes are thin, in fact maybe thiner than 1/16. There is a good striping painter in Chicagoland who has done cars for me and I think you could get him to come to do your car or take it to him. You should be able to find factory photos of a 32 that show the extent of the original striping. A few years ago I judged an all original 32 Packard sedan from Kansas that still had its original paint and striping - you might want see that car or at least get photos of it for reference.
I would respectfully suggest that you consider modern paint as in my experience you will have much better luck with it. I have cars with all original paint from the 30s, cars repainted with both types of lacquer, a car with part of its paint original lacquer and part with modern lacquer, cars with single stage modern and base clear modern. I would say that it isn't the paint, but who puts it on, and then sands and buffs it that will determine if it looks like a modern paint or not, and will keep people from snickering at your paint. I used lacquer to match a couple of cars that only needed partial paint jobs, and getting it to look like the old paint is a very, very time consuming process, frought with peril, and it simply doesn't hold up or spot in well, even in climate controlled conditions. It didn't last that well to begin with, and it is worse now as many of the original components have been taken out of lacquer for environmental and health reasons. You can not buy paint that is exactly like that made in the 30s to spray on your car now. Furthermore the paint companies do not have the support for these products that they do for modern paints. If you prime in lacquer, it will shrink much more than a modern primer, as will the paint. I have a car painted about 9 years ago with modern DuPont single stage urethane that looks like paint from the 30s and is still so nice that the paint alone gets great complements today. It took a lot of work to make it look that way, but it is great and holds up much better than the lacquer we put even more work into.
-
Nice job on the site! That is a good group with very nice people up there. Who now owns the 31 (with 32 kit) Waterhouse convertible victoria that was at the PI meet? Dave
-
I agree with 6686 on this too - the original system is fine.
-
Wanted: coil and switch assembly (Northeast) for 1930 Packard - may also fit 31/32. This mounts behind the dash. If the coil is bad, no problem. Thanks, Dave Mitchell packard12s@hotmail.com
-
Wanted: coil and switch assembly (Northeast) for 1930 Packard - may also fit 31/32. This mounts behind the dash. If the coil is bad, no problem. Thanks, Dave Mitchell packard12s@hotmail.com
-
Hi, You can email me at packard12s@hotmail.com
-
I have run Hellas and Marchalls in a couple of prewar cars that were converted to sealed beams when I got them and I just put in 6V halogen bulbs. If you are really going to drive at all at night, this is surely the way to go. I am going to take my 41 on some trips this summer and I will switch it to Hella or Bosch - the lenses and light are better than the halogen sealed beams in my opinion. I also put 6V blubs in the original reflectors and used original lenses in my 37 12 and have great light from them, but realize that isn't an option on the 50s cars. You may need a headlight relay if you put in big bulbs and don't have heavy wiring. I would think that with 12V halogen bulbs in some Hella conversions, you should have excellent light. Many Packards delivered to Europe were converted to Bosch or Marchall lamps, even in the 30s. We were not known for our good headlights in Europe - they liked our spotlights and our heaters, but not those headlights! Dave
-
I think that 32restorer is correct, the filler between the panel and sides was a heavy and dense wool felt, held on with rivets. You may be able to buy this at a hobby or fabric supply store, as a last resort, you may even buy thick wool boot liners and cut them into long strips. There should be enough of a lip for the pan to set into that you shouldn't really have problems with water coming in here. The sound deadener/insulator was a dense fibered compressed wood product, and generally it was cut to fit into the pans and will be the thickness of the flange that comes up and has the rivets for the felt. I was able to buy this at my local lumber yard in a 4 x 8 sheet very reasonably. (I couldn't get it at the home stores, but the lumber yard knew it instantly and had it in stock) On top of that was a jute type padding with a black oilcloth over it, with the edges bound. On top of that was the carpet which had a dense foam type padding integral with the wool carpet. The carpet was called mosstread. If you have all of these layers, you will end up with the carpet the correct thickness so that it looks good where it meets the metal pieces that finish the floor to door sill trim. You will also appreciate the insulation from the exhaust and engine heat on a warm day.
-
I have a couple NOS ones. Dave Mitchell packard12s@hotmail.com
-
I haven't seen or used any wooden shims. I am not saying that Packard never used them, but I haven't seen any on cars I have been around. I am working on a 734 speedster now, which is the closest thing to the 31 and 32 cars you are talking about, and it has the reinforced type of rubber that they also used in the late 30s and early 40s. The reinforced rubber actually works well as it doesn't really compress much at all, so you don't have to compensate for that, and you can tighten it down without just smashing it. Dave
-
The rubber isn't just plain rubber, it is probably reinforced with fabric or cording, and is more like belting or may look like it is cut from the side wall of a tire. Plain rubber will crush too much and make it hard for you to keep your door/body alignment correct. Good luck! Dave Mitchell packard12s@hotmail.com
-
I looked at a 1918 Pierce Arrow to put in my garage and it was RH.
shocks& hub caps
in Packard
Posted
I have some NOS hub cap clips. Dave Mitchell packard12s@hotmail.com