michel88

Dave. I recently posted in the Packard forum: "Packard Darrin Modified-Why" and from the responses I don't think some members realize how many true classics have fallen victim to Hot Rodding. I tried to retrieve your post "Lost Souls" but it is not available. Could you post some of the really rare classics especially Packards into the Packard forum that have been lost to Hot Rodders? Thanks!

When host Dennis Gage started interviewing the owner he said something to the effect that it was a Packard Darrin and you don't see these every day. He then said to the owner I see you have restored it "your way." The owner kind of chuckled and said yes I did. I sincerely hope this car is not a real Packard Darrin, but I got the impression that it is.

I was watching an episode of "My Classic Car" and it featured a car show of mostly Hot Rods and custom cars. I was disturbed to see a true Classic Packard Darrin that had been modified. The guy had installed a Viper V10 engine. He also removed the interior and put in one from I believe a modern Jaguar. He had modified the body also and of course had installed huge diameter and ugly custom wheels. Why would anyone do this to a true Classic?

No offense taken Steve.

Steve, I am guessing that you are being sarcastic about the Dixie Chicks vindication celebration. They won: song of the year (Not Ready to Make Nice), best country album and country performance by a group. All this despite a huge push to keep them of of country stations by the right. They have been vindicated!

I had these hubcaps on my '65 Skylark and they are very fragile. You have to be extremely careful when mounting them. They are hard to find in this condition. Good luck on your Ebay auction.

Richard, You would probably get better results if you post this in the BCA Perf/Mod section.

Mark, Your 1951 Frazer is a real beauty. I also like the 1951 Desoto Suburban in your other post. My favorite collector car is a low mileage all original.

Really enjoyed the video. Love the sound of the Jaguar engine winding out in the gears. It reminded me of the sound of my '67 Austin Healey 3000. Thanks for posting it.

That is the absolute truth. Very funny! I have a dog and a cat and they could have written this.

I also have a '54 Buick Special radiator that I believe is good, also free.

I would put it on Ebay. It will get so much exposure that it will probably be bid up close to it's true value. I have put items on Ebay and been surprised at the price they went for even when I had no idea what they were worth.

What a beauty. That is pure class! Wish I had the $

Randy, that sure is one beautiful Packard 400! My mom had a '52 Packard 400 4dr sedan. It was gun metal gray and was smooth as silk. She traded it in on '58 Packard (Stude/Packard) which was a very good car, but I didn't care for the styling. I drove it when I first got my license and it was very fast. I surprised a lot '55-'57 Chevys and such with it.

I have a rear window from a '54 Buick Special 4 dr. I have stored it in my basement for the last 20+ years. It is yours for the taking Free! You must pick it up though at my house in Owings Mills, Maryland. I have been told it also fits a '55 Chevy 4 door, but not sure.

My first car was a '52 Ford that I inherited from my dad. It wasn't really what I wanted in a car. It was a 4 door sedan with the flathead V8 with Fordomatic. It had only 13,000 miles on it in 1960 when I started driving it. It was in excellent condition. Before long I decided to sell it and get a '53 Mercury 2 door hardtop, 3 spd with overdrive. It was a nice car but it had 77,000 miles and this introduced me to the world of car trouble!

My favorite old cars are the original survivors. I just don't understand the Hot Rod mentality. It seems that they can only enjoy driving an old car 70+ mph with air conditioning blasting and a stereo also blasting. My favorite drive is on a quiet country road with no radio on so that I can hear the (original) engine sounds and remember this same experience that I had 40 plus years ago when I used to drive these cars. I was fortunate that I got to drive a lot of 40's and 50's cars back in 1960 when I worked nights and summers at a mom & pop style gas station. The owner had a '48 Packard 7 passenger sedan that he got from a funeral home. One of my favorite "chores" was driving the Packard to junk yards to pick up parts and also road calls. The Packard was equipped with overdrive and could easily keep up with traffic on the Baltimore beltway. The speed limit was 60 mph. If I had this car today I certainly would not want it subframed with a 350 Chevy engine, huge ugly wheels and painted purple. I would love to have it just as I remember it.

My advise is to keep it stock. It's up to you but this is a very rare car with the 3 spd manual. I don't see any added value by painting it purple with flames and huge aftermarket wheels. Many years ago I bought a '55 Olds 2dr hardtop that had the manual trans and it ran great. It even had the radio delete option. I got a '55 Olds radio out of a junk yard for about $10. I also added dual exhausts. Sure wish I had kept this car. If you must modify it to keep your interest up, adding the J-2 triple carbs would be nice and it would still be essentially stock.

Glad to hear your Riviera is up and running after 20 years of sitting. You got the work done very quickly. These are excellent road cars and I enjoy driving mine very much.

I have always felt it is important to warm up an engine before running at full throttle. I have seen a lot of guys start up cars even in cold weather an immediately take off and red line the engine in each gear. I believe the best method is to start the engine, let it run about 45 seconds to a minute and then drive very gently until it fully warms up. Then it is O.K. to run the car hard. Jay Leno has a new website that is very intersting. One of the features is called GM minute. One of the topics is "Warming up your engine." It is confirming what I thought and also has good advice for breaking in a new engine. Check it out at www.jaylenosgarage.com

I vote for the Cadillac Allante. It is much better looking than the Chrysler Maserati TC, in my opinion. If possible get one with the Northstar V8, although you can get a bargain on one of the earlier models. I have thought about getting an Allante myself and I might one of these days. They are all bargain priced considering what they cost new. I would get the Buick Reatta as a second choice. The electronic digital dash seems to have a lot of problems though.

Chris, That website is interesting with a lot of cool cars and trucks to look at. It could be a inexpensive way to sell. It is only $19.95 to list a car for sale and aparently no other cost. The prices are on the high side and not very many bids though.

I believe it is a '50 Ford because of the parking lights.

I got mine Tuesday. I haven't had time to look at it yet, but looking forward to checking it out tonight after work.

Thanks for the update Peter. It is now 6:15 AM Saturday and I am on my way!