Owen_Dyneto

I guess your friend meant they only made the model one year? The made the Henney hearses/ambulances and combi vehicles thru 1954.

Suggest you pick up a copy of Hemmings and browse the "services offered" sections, there are a couple of places that advertise for this type of work. Sorry I don't have my current issue handy, maybe someelse does and will post some names and contact info.

He might brush up on his spelling, it's Le Baron.

Steve asks: How many bodies did Fran Roxas do for Packards, for example. Google useless by the way for that info...Have any of these been shown at AACA, CCCA or PAC events? Here in north Jersey I believe there are 2 Roxas-bodied 1108 LeBaron phaetons and one 1106 roadster. Last time I saw one of these 1108 phaeton knock-offs at a show was the CCCA Grand Classic in Mt. Olive NJ about 5 years ago. I wish I would have had an authentic one side-by-side to compare, but if the work is well done, I think it's pretty hard to distinguish. How many were made? Don't know but almost certainly more than were originally built.

I can only say that the Bendix-Perrot 3-shoe system is a superb brake system, far more competent than should ever be needed unless you like to tailgate at high speeds. Drive the car reasonably and they'll be more than you need. That said, as with any mechanical brake system you've got to pay proper attention to lubrication (cables, pivots, etc) and adjustment. IMO converting to hydraulics provides no benefit, and the deviation from original equipment would considerably detract from value of the car to some buyers. The 2-shoe Bendix system used starting in 32? or 33 was even better with adjustable power boost. I wish the hydraulic brakes in my 56 Packard were as good!

Certainly Ken Chapman knows his Darrins and especially the convertible sedans, I thoroughly enjoyed his article in The Classic Car Winter 2010 and spoke with him on the phone about it - and about the photo at the bottom of page 13 with a Packard described as carrying an earlier body. In fact that car is a 1940 one-off by Derham for one of the principles of the Drexel-Lambert financial house. It is severely formal, originally even the grille was painted black. I've got some good pictures of it if anyone is interested. It's often seen on PAC tours and shows, owner lives in Cherry Hill, NJ area. As far as the Darrin victorias go, I'd think Gene Tareshawty is probably the most knowledgeable about their details.

Dave, your cabriolet looks identical to the one shown on page 221 of Pfau's The Coachbuilt Packard. Same car?

I've been using Mobil's hydraulic oil DTE-24 (SAE10) in my Lovejoy shocks for a long time, never a problem. Also available as DTE-25 (SAE20).

Dave Mitchell asks: Where was your work on the numbers published? I must have missed it, but would like to read it. Part I was published in The Packard Cormorant, No. 138 ( Spring 2010), and Park II in The Packard Cormorant, No. 140, Autumn 2010. Though I seem to, for the most part, have nearly run out of Packard owners willing to provide data, I'm still collecting what I can get and hope to soon have enough for an update. Most interesting of the latest data was on the 9th Series Dietrichs, and a new "lowest-known" number for the 6th series.

West, I believe this is a better and more current (1999) view of the mirrors you spoke of. I was quite taken with them when I first saw them. They attach to the base of the headlight mounting "horn" that is part of the radiator-fender support. Really elegant, though I'll bet they are of dubious actual use on the road.

Dave, in my recently published work on the Packard body dash numbers (thief-proof numbers), there are several 1936 Twelve Dietrichs with 1935 body numbers and 1935 Dietrich numbers, but the cars were freshened to 1936 details and titled as 1936 cars. So the 1935 Twelves must have sold at lower rates than original expectations.

It's been many years since I've read the Dawes book, just when back and read that information on page 102. Don't know if that car still exists, but if it does it's a well-kept secret, never heard anything of it, nor ever seen a photo or heard anyone discuss it. Probably a lost bit of history. Possibly a search of Canadian newspapers of the time might surface a picture of it?

The black car is a 53 Formal, original body by Briggs, customized by Derham - no Henney involvement. Wire spoke wheels not part of the original package. Is this along the lines you were speaking of? These Derhamized Patricians were offered in 52,53 and 54. Also there were about 60 long-wheel-base models in 1953 and 100+ in 54 by Henney (7 pass sedans and limos, modified from Briggs Patrician bodies), and at least one was customized by Derham (see photo).

Sounds like bunk to me too, but if you drop off the continental kit, and there are no quarters to be blinded, and have someone later add the chrome wire wheels its sounds like an ordinary (if I could call it ordinary!) 53 Derham formal sedan of which perhaps 25(?) were made, and there are several of them around, and the 54 Derhams as well.

Just a guess - Glaser of Dresden (Germany). See the picture at the top of page 210 in Hugo Pfau's "The Coachbuilt Packard"; could easily be the same car.

Dave, as long as you've asked me to keep looking, a couple more, the well-known Gordon family 37 Twelve with earlier Pierce Arrow body fitted photo by me while it was in the Petit Jean museum and well before Quinn or O'Quinn bought it and painted it baby blue. Also a period photo of it from Life. And a photo, courtesy of the Eastern Packard Club, of a 33 Twelve LeBaron laundaulet.

BTW I hope you will post some more photos soon, you have some interesting photos. DM<!-- google_ad_section_end --> Seems like I'm like the rest of us, I'm nearly at the end of my own photos and we're down to just copying photos from old books and magazines. Here's one more though, a 236 coupe by Holbrook. Not my photo, believe the car was in Switzerland when the photo was taken.

New Zealand?

Packard published that kind of data rather routinely in their service letters and I expect you'll find it if you take the time to browse the data. But for comparison, my 34 Eight sedan with 4.69 rear axle turns about 2600 rpm at 53 mph. Your 900 should have 6:50 x 17 tires vs my 7:00 x 17. Given that and the different axle ratio you have, you should be able to work it out but your situation should be very slightly more advantageous. Here's some other data from Packard's service letters for the year before your car: Model 826/833 with 6.50 x 19 tires: 50 mph = 2302 rpm for the 4.38 axle, 2463 with the 4.69 axle. Model 840/845 with 7.00 x 19 tires: 50 mph = 2219 rpm with the 4.38 axle, 2387 with the 4.69.

Not saying you may not have other problems, but Graham Man has the right answer for many of us who use our cars with a week or more in between uses - it's simple gasoline evaporation from the carb fuel bowl. Most if not all carbs have an open vent to the atmosphere when the throttle valves are closed, some a simple vent tube and others an actual valve that is closed when the throttles are opened, often called an anti-percolator valve.

I get nice clean cuts on urethane round stock by freezing it first and then using a parting tool in a lathe.

If I remember correctly this Packard was by Knightstown, shown at the Greenwich CT Concours in 2007. Beauty is a subjective thing, but I can't say it looked any better in real life than in the photo, perhaps worse, IMO.

I LOVE it that the Graber Packard has 1931-32 Chrysler headlamps!!<!-- google_ad_section_end --> Actually not, they're Bosch, at least the innards and lenses. Can't speak for the shells. It was still a couple of years before US headlamps were legal in many European countries, that's why so many overseas prewar Packards (and others) have Lucas, Marchal, Zeiss & Bosch lamps, to name just a few.

I fully agree West, no matter whether that's the original color or not, it's not the least bit flattering to the car.

I took a couple of photos yesterday of the 38 Graber that was at Pebble this year, the one that was just recently recovered from long storage. Apparently the owner asked for a quick "spritz" in the original paint color to get a better idea of the appearance in original color. That's a Duesenberg overhead and a 34 LeBaron (replica) phaeton behind.