Mr.Pushbutton

The "build sheet" (that's what we used to call them) is rolled up and inserted into the reinforcement web-panels on the underside of the trunk lid. Look for a slot in the webs, the print out should be rolled up and stuck in there. How many miles you have on that Riv? I had 205,000 beautiful miles on my Olds Trofeo (sister car) when I sold it.

Try a complete flush with the "number 7" Bordens brand cooling system cleaner. It is a two part dry powder that you add to an empty system, then add water, run engine until it is up to temp, then neutralize with the second powder. Back flush after that, and watch the crud come out of your engine block. Follow the advice of the others and check/clean the distribution tube. Replace all your hoses after this, make sure to flush out the heater core (if so equipped). I have never heard the yarn about plain water having better heat transfer than antifreeze/coolant. I believe this to be an old wives tale as incorrect as can be. Try this: take a sauce pan, fill it halfway with measured, plain tap water and put it on the stove to boil. time (to the second) how long it takes that pot to boil. Repeat that test after the pan has cooled, but add 2-3 shakes of salt from a table saltshaker. The water will come to a rolling boil MUCH faster with just a little salt added. Why? improved heat transfer. Modern coolant/antifreeze will absolutely give the optimal transfer of heat when used properly. This means a 50/50 mix with water--that is how it's formulated to work. Resist human nature--straight antifreeze/coolant is NOT as effective as the 50/50 mix. This will also prevent corrosion of the cooling passages, and your freeze plugs. I have heard of many cars in warm weather states (where C&W music is popular) that are routinely run on water, and they are always a challenge re: cooling vs. age. Be sure to dump and replace the coolant/water mix in your collector car every three years or so. All coolants loose their ability to resist corosion with age. Some engines never really are happy re: cooling until the engine is rebuilt, during which the block and heads are (hopefully) chemically stripped. I helped a buddy rebuild his '38 Buick engine. Before the rebuild,it ran ok for short jaunts, but would get pissed if you drove at freeway speeds (55-65 mph) then get off the freeway and travel on a slower traffic surface street. Looking inside the cylinder head (after dissasembly) the cooling passages resembled a rust-cavern. You could poke a screwdriver into that rust-shale more than 1/32". The block and heads came back from the Chem-strip place spotlessly clean, just perfectly clean cast iron. The rebuilt engine ran beautifully, came up to temp and held that temp no matter what--fast, slow, highway, parade. steady as a rock. It is a common practice today to paint the freshly stripped cooling passage areas with epoxy primer (DP-90) prio to assembly. Just brush it on. A few mils of E-primer won't affect heat transfer, and retard future corrosion.

Yes, Rhode Island wiring is great if you are restoring to original (watch what happens to your 6V car with a new harness--it will amaze you how well everything works) One word of advice--don't buy your harness from a "menu" or catalogue (i.e. "1937 120 sedan"). Take your harness off the car and send it to Rhode island for duplication. Manufacturers like Packard made running changes thru-out the series run, and the harness they copied before may not be YOUR harness, despite the fact that both cars are "the same year/model car". While they are at it, you can have provisions (= extra wires) for turn signals, custom things like inverters for modern audio, etc. It's not much more $$$, and makes those mods easier. The streetrod/heavy mod/gotta-change-it crowd have their own tier of suppliers, and your options are very open there, as long as you are going 12V. Oh yes, sometimes "I'm just replacing the wiring harness turns into "I'm doing a body-off restoration"--watch it!

The fuel pump kits can be obtained from "the antique auto parts cellar" (they advertise in Hemmings), you may need the specific Carter model # of the pump for them to complete your order. I once had your exact problem. I removed the fuel pump, disassembled it and found the "inlet" chamber FILLED with tinny rust flakes so as to look like a coffee maker's ground basket. I removed the tank, had it stripped and coated. One safe way to prime a dry carb (like when starting after winter storage) is to get a plastic bottle with a pointed tip (like a ketchup serving squeeze bottle restaurants use) and use the tip to pour gas directly into the bowl vent tube, filling the (dry) bowl until it is full. When it is full, let that small amount of gas that spills over into the (primary side--if 4-bbl) be your "starting charge" to kick the engine into action. The amount in the full bowl should be enough to run the engine so that it can prime the pump and feed itself. If it runs for a few seconds and still conks, you might have to address fuel delivery issues. I learned this method in the Museum/collection I worked at for 13 years (150 cars) and continue to use it at my new job (250 car collection) and we have always found it safer than pouring gas from a 1 gal. can down the throat, and better for the engine than starting either. Don't like to use either when the problem is lack of GAS in the carb.

One important aspect of why newer plugs last so much longer in modern cars is the higher percentage of combustion in the modern engine. This is aided by electronically controlled ignition (constantly adjusting the timing for optimum combustion) and electronic fuel injection systems, which result in a finely controlled air/fuel mix. The old flat head engines, especially those with lower compression ratios tend to be less efficient in the percent of fuel that is burned, and would negate most of the benefits of platimum plugs. I would stick with a good set of AC's (I'm not a fan of Champion) and replace them based on usage. I've run many an old flat head to complete satisfaction that way.

Good deal Joe-see you there!

If they have the three mounting pins, they are the ones for your clipper. I It's hard to tell from the photo. I don't know of any other such bezel used by Packard. The pins can be re-fastened with JB weld, just make sure to rough up the area to insure a good bond.

Another source for these badges is JR Boutell & co. you can see his line at www.jrboutell.com the large medallion type are at http://www.jrboutell.com/large.html

Another source for these is JR Boutell in Michigan. His line can be seen at www.jrboutell.com the large medallion type are at http://www.jrboutell.com/large.html

L. Fallon, yes, you can shut the system off if you wish. It really won't affect much, although I have heard mine activate to compensate for fuel usage (the 374 is a thirsty beast!)If the car is level and the load inside the car is static, it will not affect the handling at all. I would recommend ocassionally turning it back on to allow the system to work, if it feels the need.

Rick is absolutely correct--you can use an inexpensive Ford type starting relay. I used a Standard ignition brand starting relay (2 of them) that has the two pull-in coil leads on independent studs (the smaller #8 screw type connection studs on the front) This allows for any wiring configuration. I just fabricated a small set of jumpers from the positive terminal side (of the heavy "incoming power" terminals)to one of the discrete terminals. I attached the "grounding"lead from the compensator box to the other discrete terminal.

Gawd, I hate those street rods with painted bumpers. A pox on the cheap-ass stude-rodder who invented that. Chrome "grounds" a car"s appearance.

RO, congrats on the restoration of your Clipper. She sure looks fine.

Joe, try blevinsb33aol.com I see I left to second "b" out of his email address. John

Whoops-I kinda forgot the 4 W's of advertising there. It is May 13-15, 2005.

Packard V8, I'm with you 100% re: French and Italian cars. Having owned a FIAT (stands for Fix It Again, Tony)I agree. Any Dart, Falcon or Chevy II of the early 60's is a better car than any French or Italian car IMHO. Someone is bound to respond, and wax enthuasiastically about some six-figure Ferrai, but hey, how many Doctors or tort lawyers are on this list? It scares me, though, that the French can't make a car that's worth a damn, but they have figured how to make fighter jets and passenger jet airliners. <span style="font-style: italic">"the French, they are a funny race................................"</span> Mr. PB

Fellow Packard men-plan now to attend Motor City Packards Perrysburg All-Packard meet at the Perrysburg Holiday Inn, just south of Toledo. We will be having our Packard only swap meet Friday and Saturday. A great day trip is planned for Friday, a driving tour to Dundee, MI. There we will visit a one-of-a-kind collection of early 20th century automated musical instruments, and Cabella's mondo sporting goods store. There will be ample oppertunity to chat Packard mano-a-mano (no digital connection required). You can get additional information about pre-registering from Bruce Blevins at blevins33@aol.com

Re: Randy"s post about the "Packard employee" who wrote the article about Packard interiors--Could that have been Ed Cunningham?(former head of interior design for PMCC) Ed was a young man in his Packard days, and is still around, and can tell you exactly what was used on each V-8 model (and what was NOT). He used to live around the Detroit area, but has moved someplace in the southeast. Look him up in the PAC directory.

My guess on the "Paisley" material is that the original fabric inserts were "shot", and someone went to the local crazy Irving's fabric mart and said "hey, this is close enough!"

The rear speaker is "invisable" on my '56 400, it speaks through the perforations in the parcel shelf.

I vote for a conspiracy--the web master is a Cadillac guy

Joe, I'm not Brian, But Perrysburg is May 13-15. Come on over, we would like to see you there. It's at the Holiday Inn off I-75 @ the Perrysburg exit. John

Color coated automotive leather since the 1960's is coated with vinyl--over the leather "substrate". The vinyl is sprayed on and the grain is embossed with a drum that resembles a large wash machine wringer. This is to give uniformity to a "utility" grade of leather, with insect burrow holes and fence marks. The only exception to this is Conolly hide leather, which is really,really expensive, and is only used for six and seven figure cars. You can use vinyl cleaners with no problem. Cars like the V-8's have a very heavy coating--I would not be suprised if they were coated with vinyl, I just don't know for a fact that they are. Start with a solution of warm water and dish detergent and a soft bristled brush. Remember, you can always go more agressive later, start off mild and easy, and do a hidden area as a test.

My former employer had 20 Packards during most of my 13 years with his company. He sold off all but 2 of them in two auctions over a two year period. Our office (and I) went through hell on the titles to the Packards, as the previous titles (from many states) had different "ideas" as to which number constituted the VIN number. at least five cars used the stamped firewall number (which I have always understood to be a "theft-proofing" measure, as the raised numbers would be difficult to "forge" compared to the old trick of filing off engine numbers and re-stamping them). I helped file paperwork with the secretary of state (DMV in Michigan-ese) to correct the errant numbers. One car that he kept, a '38 Rollston 12 town car, has a blue plate from the commonwealth of Pennsylvania that in effect "established" a state-appointed VIN# to that car. All states are different, and the various dealers and owners interpeted the numbers differently. I have always understood the post war cars to go by the "model-serial # on the door jamb as the VIN. John

I called there for a door-handle spring for a '48 Dodge my shop was working on. They told me they had hundreds of different springs in that configuration, and that it would be impossible to catalog them all. Talk to them, do the photo-copy-fax thing and they will most likley come through for 'ya.