Matt Harwood

A quick update, again filled with frustration. I've spent a few hours after work each night and about six hours today working on putting the car back together and it has been... difficult. The gas tank isn't back yet, but I've been hoping to get everything in place so that I can just install it, hook up some wires, and go. Anyway, as of today, my progress amounts to installing one wire to the sending unit in the back of the car and, well, that's it. Since I have been working in the glove box, I decided to connect the wires for the NOS clock I installed a few months ago. There were two stray wires already in the glove box, and remarkably enough they were connected to correct terminals--one on the instrument light switch for the clock light, and one on the headlight switch to supply power to the clock itself. But since the NOS clock has an intact wiring harness, I actually removed those wires and connected the NOS wires in their places. In anybody else's car, the clock would have worked. In my car, it did not. Instead it released a puff of smoke and remained inert. That was kind of strange since it's protected by a 2 amp fuse which didn't blow--how could current under 2 amps fry the clock? I don't know. Just par for the course these days. As with the fuel gauge, I have lived without a working clock all these years so I guess I'll keep doing so for a while longer. At least the NOS clock was outrageously expensive. Failing there, I decided to make and connect wires to power the new fuel gauge in the glove box. Easy enough, just solder a spade terminal on one end and an eyelet on the other. Well, it turns out I can't do that. Period. I simply cannot solder wires. No, I don't know why. I don't know what I'm doing wrong. I've burned my finger pretty badly, I've melted a bunch of wire insulation, burned some cloth insulation, and screwed up a dozen wire eyelets. And not one of them ended up soldered to the wire. Check this out: No idea what I'm doing wrong, but I guess I'll just crimp all my connections like the jackass that owned this car before me. Oh, and the reminds me--everything in the car is offline. About 60% of the wires under the dash have been disconnected by my poking around in there. All those little plastic Pep Boys crimp connectors have given up and I have a bunch of wires dangling that I'll have to trace, install terminals on each one, and reconnect them somehow. But since I can't solder, I'm not sure how I'm going to accomplish that. Right now, the turn signals, about half the instrument lights, and the ignition are offline. This project is really turning into a mess and it should have been a 3-hour job. Like I said, everything I do feels like it's uphill both ways. So I need to figure out soldering so I can fix all those wires, or give up and just crimp them and hope for the best. I'm pretty close to bagging it all and just shoving the car into the corner next to that piece-of-shit Lincoln, a place I have come to refer to as the "trash zone." This car has lived there before, it'll still fit right in.

I'm not sure I understand what you mean. The car isn't restored and as I mentioned, it probably looks better in photos than it is. The paint is unquestionably original, as is the interior. It has been maintained but never disassembled or restored. I, too, object to modern hose clamps, but that's a pretty minor thing to change if that's what you need. However, this car's point judging days are over (if it ever had any). These two photos show a little bit more of the paint on the sidemount covers, which is where it has aged most, and you can see some minor checking on the tops of the fenders in the photos of the engine compartment, above. It has been my experience that unrestored cars typically run and drive better than restored cars, with the trade-off being cosmetic imperfections that wouldn't be tolerated on a restored car. I find values to be comparable between the two; a quality survivor can command restored car prices, likely for that reason. The buyers are different. Most guys want shiny and cosmetic perfection and don't really care how the car drives (or simply don't know any better). Guys like me, who love original cars, prefer to put the cars on the road and the feeling of a car that has never been disassembled is hard to quantify, but very few restoration shops can put a car back into condition to match the factory's work. Most can do shiny, but in terms of how the machine operates, that's a bit more esoteric and few restorers achieve it (often because the owner isn't willing to pay for it). Anyway, I hope that answers your question. If not, and you're simply wondering why the car is priced the way it is, well, I guess it's not the right car for you. Someone else will see the value and continue to enjoy it as the previous two owners have over the past 68 years. Sometimes quality is measured in ways other than simply perfection.

Smart choice. There's only so much abuse you can take, you know?

Nothing a little horsepower can't improve:

Now THAT is cool! I'd love to have a wagon with buckets and a 4-speed.

Bear in mind, John, that the Amish pretty much self-isolate all the time.

I don't have another eyeroll gif. I'm sorry.

Oh, and the clock. And the radio. And the ammeter. And the horn relay. And the defroster motor. And the turn signal relay. All that stuff is already in the car. Why is 12 volts better, again?

I am as unhappy as any of you about losing Hershey--I do a lot of business there, too. I had the same knee-jerk reaction last night and wanted to be angry at someone. Nevertheless, let's keep things in perspective, eh? 105,000 dead Americans, with 2500 more every week (that's one 9/11 every single week for the past three months). Ten times that many people will be permanently affected by just this one illness, never mind all the others that continue to collect victims out of the spotlight. Families hurt, jobs lost, and all kinds of other worse things are happening in the world. Cancelled car shows and having to wear a mask are not even remotely close to the end of the world, it's not the beginning of tyranny, and you can ask elderly Japanese Americans about what an overreaching American government really looks like. If how we're dealing with this situation really upsets you enough to boil your blood, then you should check yourself and really think carefully about just how easy, safe, comfortable, and enjoyable your life really is. We are the lucky ones. Never forget that. I am healthy, my family is healthy, we have a home, I have a job, and we can still find ways to enjoy ourselves, all things considered. My kids aren't going to sleep scared that they will starve. I suspect all of you are pretty much in the same boat with me. If you have toy cars and the resources to be on the internet discussing them, then your life is already better than 90% of all the people on the entire planet. Please, let's keep all that in mind before grabbing the torches and pitchforks. Count your blessings, as the phrase goes.

https://www.theonion.com/area-man-passionate-defender-of-what-he-imagines-consti-1819571149

Really good price. I just sold one for twice that much even though it was brown (admittedly it was a buckets/console/air car) . "This is a non titled vehicle out of R.I. and is being sold with a previous R.I. registration." So basically the previous owner's name is still on the important paperwork, not the current owner's. If the buyer has a problem with titling the car and that previous owner is dead or uncooperative... No thanks, even at that price.

There is no booster on a '46 Lincoln, so you can cross that off. Did you replace the rubber flex lines? Those can swell up and reduce flow. Are all the lines the proper size? Is your master cylinder new? Is it leaking (even fresh rebuilds can leak--I'm on master cylinder #5 on my wife's '56 Chrysler)? No kinked lines or cross-threaded fittings? Brake light switch tight and not leaking? Bleeder screws all snug but not over-tightened? I don't recall whether these cars use a proportioning valve, but that could be another culprit. And not to insult you, but are you sure it's full of fluid? The reservoirs are TINY and I typically refill mine after every two pumps just to be sure it doesn't start sucking air. Lots of little things to check, but the system itself is very simple and should work if everything is in order.

There's a little confusion about what, exactly, this handsome all-original Packard sedan actually is. It does not appear to be a standard-issue sedan for a variety of reasons. One, it's on the 138-inch wheelbase, which is 11 inches longer than the standard 160. Two it has a divider window, but matching cloth seats front and rear. And three, there's a single sideways-facing jump seat in the back, which a Packard friend of mine referred to as the "assistant's seat." So whatever the case may be, this Packard was probably special-ordered and Packard being Packard was only too happy to oblige. I think that's pretty cool. I have known this car my entire life and more than seven decades of its history is known. It was purchased at a used car lot on Detroit Avenue in Cleveland in 1952 by a member of the Ohio Region CCCA, and it stayed in his care until his death in 1994. It was in storage for several years, but eventually his widow sold it to a well-known member of the CCCA in New Jersey, and it remained with him until earlier this year. In 2015, it was shipped to Europe for the Packard Meet in Switzerland, and toured extensively there. It came up for sale earlier this year, and since we were getting low on inventory, I grabbed it and brought it home to Cleveland. As I said, I've known the car all my life and can remember it being at all the big events when I was a kid. Today it shows just over 38,000 original miles and is beautifully preserved inside and out. It is very much a survivor, wearing original paint and upholstery, and the 356 cubic inch straight-8 has never been opened or removed. It proudly wears an AACA HPOF badge and looks great in person. It's original, so it's far from perfect but like all good original cars, it's more than presentable and happily carries its battle scars as signs of a life well lived. Yes, it's a bit nicer in photos than in person, but I don't think anyone will complain. There's some checking in the black lacquer, a few areas where it has flaked off, mostly on the sidemount covers, but there's no sign of rust, rot, or substandard repairs--one of the advantages of an original car. The chrome is remarkably nice throughout, with minimal pitting on the cast parts and lovely straight bumpers and that towering Packard grille, which still features operational thermostatic louvers. The interior is beautifully preserved, wearing tan broadcloth throughout. There are a few threadbare areas in the high-traffic spots like the edge of the driver's seat, but again, nothing that needs attention. Door panels are beautiful, the original woodgraining looks remarkable for its age with no fading or flaking, and even the original carpets are pretty good. The only notable demerits are some crumbling on the steering wheel near the chrome rings on the cross-bar and a missing knob for the crank-up divider window. All the gauges are fully operational, including BOTH clocks, which tick away reliably (front is electric, rear is hand-wound), and this car was ordered without a radio so there's a factory block-off plate in the center. The rear seat is spacious, with a fold-out jump seat that looks barely used on the left, behind the driver, with a small storage compartment on the right. And I'm pretty sure that's a heater in the center in the back seat, although I have not tested it. Even the headliner is in great shape with just one fingertip-sized hole up near the dome light. The package tray has water stains and the trunk is kind of basic, but it does include a matching full-sized spare so you don't have to wrestle with the sidemounts if you're in need. There are some who will argue that the final 356 cubic inch straight-8 is the best of Packard's best, and I can't disagree. In 1942 it was rated at 160 horsepower, close enough to rival my big Buick. But it isn't horsepower that makes this engine sing, since it doesn't really like to rev, but rather the effortless creamy-smooth torque that moves this car like it's powered by an electric motor. The engine has never been apart and runs beautifully, starting with the original accelerator pedal switch and cruising pretty easily at 60 MPH (there is no overdrive). Routine maintenance items have been recently serviced, including a full tune up, and there's evidence that the radiator has been re-cored and the water pump replaced, making it mechanically healthy and ready to tour. I'm flat-out astounded by how beautifully this car rides, ignoring bumps and gliding over broken pavement without a wiggle or a rattle, superior to my Buick, and the rear suspension enjoys tube shocks (a real innovation for 1942) with aftermarket helper springs. The only thing that bothers me is an exhaust leak, but I have new manifold gaskets on order and I expect that'll be remedied in a week or so. Braking is confident, steering is effortless, and the recent exhaust system has a nice 8-cylinder grumble that's a bit more trucky than the Buick, but by no means objectionable. Lester wide whites look appropriate, and those simple logo-free hubcaps are correct for 1942. Extras include the original owner's manual, shop manual, lots of extra parts, a car cover, and other goodies to safely tour on the road. I like big luxury cars like this--obviously. I'm delighted to compare and contrast this Packard with my Buick and the Cadillac 60S I sold a while ago, and the Packard rides the best. The engine is strong, and this is very much the effortless cruiser you'd expect. And quite honestly, the view down the hood of a Packard is still the best in the business. This Packard is available for $37,900, and gets you a car that's welcome almost anywhere, remains delightful to drive, and should be bulletproof reliable for another few decades to come with nothing more than gas and oil. Enjoy!

Sounds like the solenoid is not working or the starter is cooked. It could also be the starter button, the wiring, the ignition switch, or the battery. I would guess the solenoid is bad since it's the cheapest part. Start there. Sadly, you're pretty far down the conversion road and diagnostics are going to be a lot more difficult. Is there a specific reason you're converting to 12 volts? It complicates things considerably when things don't work because it doubles the number of things that could go wrong. Instead of making things easier, it often makes things more challenging when trying to maintain a vintage car. Anyway, if power is going to the solenoid, your battery is fully charged and load tested, and the wiring is good, then somehow it's not kicking power to the starter. That's the solenoid's job, and it doesn't sound like it's getting done. I would also wager that if you put all the 6V parts back in, it would start...