tbirdman

Here's the rumble seat patterm. I believe these are factory pictures. Whether there was more than one pattern that was correct, I don't know. I also have an advertisement from 1931 which shows the coupe roadster with pleated seats. I plan to do my upholstery like these pictures.

Here's a picture of the front seat pattern. 4 pleats with button on each pleat.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> Here's one that seems to be the most common configuration, with grained back panel and I think a painted gauge panel. Tbirdman, is the way your's is made? See Attachment: BTW, this one appears to be grained with type graining tool that I have, because the dash I did before looks very much like this one. </div></div> It's hard to tell from the picture if the center piece has engine turning or has been painted. Mine had faded to the point that it was hard to tell. The grain is wrong on the one picture. Also the seating pattern is wrong. I have attached a picture of my dash which is original.

Here's a picture of the reproduction part,

This is how I'm doing mine since I have found this to be the most correct. The dash should be a burled wood grain. The dash should be for both 8s and 12s engined turned. For 8's it should be a shiny black while the 12s should be a shiny silvery. The difference you see in the center are probably due to it be difficult to reproduce the center dash piece. On the 8's the edges of the glove box doors should be a solid brown. On 12s there should be chromed. Robert Turnquist in his book The Packard Story indicated in the chapter on 32s that was the finish on the 32s. I found someone reproducing those center panels for both 8s and 12s for $750 who was at Hershey. I had no idea I was going to find this at Hershey so I was overjoyed. Here's a picture of the original from my dash.

What got me was all of the rude specators pawing the car including knocking the fenders with their fist to see if they were wood. I felt like teling some of them to back off of the car and treat the car with respect, but I held my tongue. I was surprised by the number of rude people I saw in the car corral. But that car did stand out.

Went to do battle with the steering wheel today, and the fight to my surprise was short. Last night I put some penetrating oil on the hub. Today I sprayed some liquid wrench on the hub. I put the nut back on and gave it a few raps with a hammer. I then tugged the upper and lower portion of the wheel and it came off in a jiffy. Thanks for the help. Do you know if I can remove the steering column outside cover without removing the steering column.

OK, I have made prgress with help from a friend. We got the tubes out in one piece with the steering wheel cap. We removed the steering wheel column nut in the center of the steering wheel. Now we're trying to figure out how to get the steering wheel off the column. Here's a picture. Looks like the steering wheel is keyed.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Maybe we should start a Southwestern Ohio club and call it "Clipped Cormorants." <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Moving my car to a bigger garage tonight just down the street. A neighbor has offered his empty two-car garage to me. The downside of this is that it will be out of the way, and therefore my desire to finish it may not be as strong. I've got some momentun going, though, hopefully I can keep it up. </div></div> Please feel free to come out to the west coast to help me figure out this steering wheel. I have a neighbor who's real good with things like this going to help me on Saturday. I think I think I decided not to touch the grill chrome this year. It's not easy getting access to the grill without a good chance of getting something scratched. I can see where having to trugged down to someone's place to work on a car could slow you down.

Here's a picture from the side.

Here's the 4" cover I'm looking at after I remove the horn button.

I'll send you a picture later tonight when I get home but let try to describe. The horm button which is about 2" diameter, unscrews from the steering wheel. What I'm left looking at is a about a 4 inch plate. Beneath the plate and coming out from the side are the throttle and light control switches. As part of the plate looks like there are two stops, upper and lower. In the middle of the plate there is a threaded rod which the horm button had been screwed to. o when I push outthese rod from the bottom of the column, are they attached to this center plate?

Speedster, What is holding the steering wheel cover on? How many tubes are we talking about?

Another picture

I disasembled the light switch on the end of the steering box. I have attached pictures. What you see sticking out the end is the rod that inserts in the middle of the 3 position switch that I removed. Near that on the top of the picture is where the throttle linkage attaches to the steering box. Not sure where to go from here.

4 post seem to be the most desireable for home garages because you can move them around and don't have to bolt them to the floor and need a adequate concrete strength and thickness which most home garages don't have. The biggest complaint about 4 post lifts is that it's harder to wheel work. If you were a commercial garage, a doing a lot of wheel work, a 4 post would not be practical. However in a home garage, you can take the extra 5 minutes to jack up the car off of the ramps. I also saw some pneumatic jacks that fit in the center section of the lifts at Hersey for both the Rotary and the Back Yard Buddy. The one for the Rotary was not made ny Rotary. The otehr benefit of a 4 post, you can use them to double your garage size if you have enough ceiling height by parking another car under them.

Careful on car lifts and shopping on price only. IMHO, there's a lot of cheap stuff out there that I would not stake my life on. I did a lot of research before I bought mine. A lot of these lifts are cheap Chinese made ones. Before you buy a lift, go look at in person and do some comparisons. It's hard to tell from pictures how much beefier the better and more expensive lifts are. I bought the 4 post revolution lift from Rotary . They were the only lift that was certified to use in a commercial shop at the time I bought it. I have not seen a $2K lift that I would walk under and trust my life to. You need to see the Rotary lift in person to tell the obvious differences. Also the Back Yard Buddy lift seemed like a good lift. The Rotary lift is $1K more than the $2K lifts, but I thought the quality and sturdiness was well worth the additional dollars. Also the Rotary lift for home use was made almost exactly like their commercial units except for the pneumatic locks. Moist of these other manufacturers don't make a commercial lift. This my my .02.

I recall someone offering 3.65 gears for around $1500 in one of the Packard mags. Phil Bray was offering 4.11 for $1500 which I didn't think offered me that much of a reduction for the cost/trouble. I find that driving at 55-60 in the right hand lane with my 32 903 Packard which I believe has 4.41 works fine. The engine seems be handling that speed OK. If I would modified the car, I would be tempted to go with HS gears. Traffic in Oregon seems to be OK with me going 55-60 and I have no desire to go faster. I've been tempted to pick up those 3.65 for a later installation. Being from the east coast originally I was surprised at how rude the PA and NJ drivers have gotten especially when it comes to tailgating. I was back east for Hershey and had many incidents while driving the speed limit, a car would be up my tail. Worse yet were cars that woud come up to my car while I was in the right lane and get very close and then switch to the passing lane. The question I ask is why do you have to get so close to my car before switching lanes. Clearly very dangerous driving habits. This is not to bash east coast drivers as I have seen my share of idiots in Oregon but it seemed like tailgating is an epidemic in NJ/PA. One comment on Hershey; you guys that live close by are so lucky. What an experience. My feet still are hurting. We have a pretty big swap meet this weekend here in Portland and Hershey has just drained my enthusiasm for this show. Nothing compares to Hershey.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">In my view, one problem with "juiced" car prices (adding a premium in hopes of negotiating down to the original asking price) is that many swap meet folks assume that I have done the same with my reproduction parts, and will try to negotiate their prices as well. </div></div> I was just so happy to find a repo dash bezel, that I might had paid more.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Don, the maps show two areas for public parking. NOT a mile away...accross the street from the event. There will be traffic controllers that will guide you into parking. You are in for the time of your life! </div></div> Well unfortunately I arrived about 6:30 AM on Weds. I drove around for about an hour until daylight as no one could tell me where to park and there were no signs. On Thurs, I arrived later and the signes were up. Everyone I talked to sent me off on another wild goose chase. Also the very restricted access to the fields was very confusing with no signs directing someone to proper exits/entrances. Other than that this being my first Hershey, it was very enjoyable.

I'll all will give you feedback on Potomac Packard's work. They are currently making one for my 32 Packard.

oops! egg on my face. That was not ntended. I did a quick search as I remembered a site that looked like it was put together by a younger crowd. I found these two and quickly posted them. No more taking breaks during work and reading this forum!

Post deleted by Peter J Heizmann

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body"> At that point I would have taken her by the hand and led her and the dog away from my car, with <span style="font-weight: bold">explicit</span> instructions to keep away from it. Yes, I have done that. It's something you'd rather not do, but if people won't listen, then you treat them like the child they are. </div></div> At that point she was away from the car and hopefully I subconciously made her more aware of the dog. The last thing you want to resort to is physical actions. But some spectators are amazing. Last night I was at a cruise in and a guy asked me what my car was worth. I told him that not be rude, that I didn't tell people what my car was worth. He kept pushing me for a number. He then says to me that I am being rude and walks away. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> But for the most part people are nice and even those that feel a car show is a tactile experience, really don't mean any harm...they just don't know better.

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Quote:</div><div class="ubbcode-body">Hi Geoff, No I have not decided on paint scheme yet. I have some time before I choose scheme. My wife likes the Maroon and Black combo and as I do too but the other side of me after finding the original paint scheme (same combo as Tbirdmans car) wants to paint it the original color. Decisions, decisions this will be a tuff one. </div></div> Paint is a tough decision. I see cars all the time and wonder what happen to the decision process. Getting the right shade is the toughest, and I could not do it.