Steve_Mack_CT

Never heard from OP but we just bought another one - straight tube like his example, in nice shape for $50 shipped. So one for the car stuff room and one for the car - but really, Mrs. Mack just thought it was cool...

Lots of good advice on antitheft. 58 Mustang's suggestion brought a chuckle - a friends father started that practice when we were arond 14 - 15 and he suspected by buddy of taking one of the family cars for a joy ride during the afternoon when we were out of school but the parents were all at work. Happens he was right... You comment on vandalism as well - is this when the car is in use or long term parked somewhere - i.e. outside storage? tough to protect if you have to leave it outside for an extended period. Regular parking is much less of an issue - although I have had a couple of cars I did not really ever like to leave unattended, they were the nicest in terms of condition. The rest were driver level - at the end of the day, much more fun when a stone chip, etc. does not bother you. If your car is restored, show it a bit and when you tire of that and just want to enjoy it you will be less worried about it. One thing though, these things do attract people that for some reason want to touch as well as look, so keep that in mind when you do leave it places. I am usually more woried about inquisitive people who do not know their boundaries than thieves or vandals, as the % of those people is higher than the vandal or thief.

There was a discussion on colors for a Jr. sedan going on over in the Packard forum. I am in the camp yellow is less than ideal for a sedan, but the combo on this body style is PERFECT for this car. Lots of eyeball on this one for sure!

Good question, Dwight. I was wondering if they took liberties here like you sometimes see with Full Classics - "well they could have ordered it this way" or if that is authentic. My guess is the colors above may be authentic but not really common. It looks good but unless it was 100% original to the car, given the fantasy of owning this one I would also have the undersides of the fenders painted black, myself..

Here is another inspiration car for Speedster fans or potential addition to some well heeled collector's stable: https://www.dragoneclassic.com/Auctions/spring-2015/1913-stutz-bearcat-series-b/ So who IS king, Mercer or Stutz???

Ahh, mrcvs is making some progress - excellent. I thought it might be the armored ignition cable going from the ignition switch to the distributor grounding on the distributor from being tightened too much - but he would have no spark at all in that situation, and on re-reading I see he says good spark all around. I am not sure I like the starter bump timing method, I know even hand cranking that pin can somethimes take a couple times around to cooperate - hope that is it. When it runs better than you have seen it run before you will be thrilled - AND having repaired or replaced most of the key components to reliable operation you will be posting about long Model A runs in no time!

Looking for an authentic Bear Alignment sign in good to excellent condition. PM works I check the board a couple times a week at a minimum. thanks

Hmm, we have the same (or very close) horn with the mounting on the LH side of the horn (so better for a RHD car) - identical head and ribbons in the mouth for a "toungue - except ours has been shaped into a circle whereas this one is straight. We assumed based on simplicity of design and overall gauge or weight of the brass that it is a repro. I think we paid in the $50 range, these show up on ebay from time to time. That said, PM me if you want to sell. this one would be right at home hanging in the "stuff" room...

Good point from Packard Don. If someone lunched a 282 you would more likely see a chevy in there than a Packard 6, given the alterations one would need to make. No collector would do that and no hot rodder type would. And the one pic this guy gave you was head on! :eek:

Gonesouth, if you can provide a profile pic it will be evident as Restorer said the difference in wheelbase is all nose - the bodyshell is the same. The difference is pronounced. If you do have a true 120 model that had a 6 swapped in and you like the car you have an upper hand in terms of negotiating, and can go on the hunt for a 282 straight 8. The model designation is on a tag on the cowl anyway, get that and we can tell you what you have stumbled on. As has been said, while I cannot say I have experience with the six I do know a couple of local Sr. Packard guys who really like them. (I may get my chance - waiting for a buddy who has a '40 110 to finish it, now in black paint, too bad he didn't keep the original green, but he may sell it after 30 years of working on it off and on)

GoinSouth, one thing you mention in your other thread is the desire to take the car over the road and perhaps tow a trailer. A couple of considerations here - there is obviously a difference in power between the 6 and the 8 cylinder Jr. cars, although I have not had one myself, I understand the 6 is pretty stout. I am just not certain that is the right combination for your plans. I do know on the 39 1701, or 120 series cars, you had a choice of differentials. I had the "highway" gearing on mine, making it comfortable at 60-65 ish while I know of other '39 models that were more comfortable at the 50 - 55 MPH range. I am not knowledgeable enough to know how you find that out, other than via test drive. Not sure it was an available option on the 6 cylinder cars. Once in a while you see an applicable overdrive set up come up for sale but again, not sure you can use on the 6; someone here likely knows though. But I mention so you can noodle that a bit against your plans. Personally I like the 110 - 115 cars, if I bought another Packard a '37 115 club Sedan would be high on the list, but not for long hauls over the road.

I remember regular discussion on these when I had my A a few years ago. Bear in mind that MARC was founded around 1953, growing very fast in a couple of years, so a demand for Model A parts by hobbyists dates back at least that far.

Cool car. looks like owner has others, and likely owns a trailer. Wonder if it shows up at Rhinebeck this weekend - if so and it does not sell after the meet, $15K might take it at that point.

Gonesouth, FWIW my two cents; a quality repaint in an alternate Packard color for the year is not a big deal. Especially on a sedan. I would pay attention to Ed's good advice though, to consider the color carefully. The big sedans of the day look better in darker colors, IMHO, but I think the market agrees. I have seen some situations where an otherwise decent car for sale sits due to an odd color choice. I attached a couple pictures of my 1939 Packard (sold these pics are from new owner). The color is Havana Beige, a correct (and in my case original to the car) Packard color for the year. It may be a nice compromise if you want something a little lighter, I will say I had dozens of compliments on the paint with this car. Just figured I would put it out there for you. I have a friend who has had a XKE Jag 2+2 since he was 16, or around 40 years. It was originally primrose but has been silver and now maroon - he thinks it would look like a banana in the original color due to the bodystyle. On the other hand, I had a yellow TR-6 which is one of the best colors for that car, IMHO. So it is really worth your while to choose a color to suit the car. Good luck Packard hunting.

Nice that Matt is taking some one on one time with mrcvs here. Understandably well meaning but perhaps too many cooks - what is simple to us might be complex to someone new to the vehicle - I will add one more thought on this though, for mrcvs. This is actually pretty rewarding stuff once you get the hang of it. I am lucky in that I have two Model A boys that live about a quarter mile of my house, one in each direction who helped with the small stuff when I first got mine. After that even with routine things I always kept the Andrews book handy, and reviewed it prior to an activity such as setting timing, until it got to be second nature. Enjoy the tinkering, these cars respond so well to a little minor attention and yours looks like a great driver. Keep the group posted on your progress please!

Yep not unlike real estate - "your first offer is often your best" - if you are hot for another car, or need the money for something else, you are smart to close things out. If you are just speculating then maybe you wait for your dream price. I think most people have a good idea of "the number" whatever it is. Mr. Drysdale would have loved this one.

Ha Greg I mentioned this car on another forum and the wheels came back as well from one of those guys - not so much the late wheels in terms of period but thinking they would be a better fit if bigger - perhaps the aftermarket ones in perios would be?

Agree on condensor as prime suspect, that said, a new high heat unit is literally a couple bucks for a Model A from any of the parts houses if you are not too hung up on authenticity, if I remember right they are pretty close in terms of looks. You will likely see immediate improvement. My reference to coil polarity was that is a common enough issue with these cars to warrent reference, I believe in the Andrews book as something to troubleshoot for, but I doubt it is the culprit here. Another potential ignition switch related problem that is not to do with the switch itself is the insertion of the armored ignition cable into the A distributor - you do not want to overtighten that or it will ground out in the distributor housing. That results in a non start generally, vs. the situation in this case of running but not sustaining. Not sure I fully agree with carhartley on the condensor change out though, as I recall it was not at all hard to do despite the odd location. I am still wondering though, how you have been able to time the car, as being badly out of time may not be the overall cause, but it will certainly be a contributing factor. I suppose you can locate the pin with someone bumping the engine but it seems like hand cranking it is much easier, and is a one person job if you are of average size and armspan.

Condensor is a good suggestion. Mine had ignition switch troubles also; if you want a truly dependable "A" and do not know the maintenance history my suggestion is assume all ignition components are old, and the fuel system needs to be completely gone through. here is what I fixed over time: Condensor; faulty ignition switch followed by poor quality repro with connectors that would ground out against the metal area behind the instrument panel (otherwise known as the gas tank!), polarity reversed on coil (car will run, will not put out as much juice to the plugs and correcting will result in a noticeable difference), timing, and fuel delivery. I rebuilt or replaced carby (Zenith and Tillotson, but that was more out of desire than need), fuel filter, distributor, all ignition components, ignition switch and cable to distributor. Luckily my gas tank was clean of debris and rust. In retrospect, if I was in your position, I would invest the time (an afternoon with help) and around $500 or less in all relevant parts and replace all of those components. Then chances are really, really good you will have a pretty dependable "A". Next up I would check the condition of the water pump, belts and hoses, I would want all that up to snuff as well if you want to use the car for longer distances than around the block. The books will tell you how to adjust steering and brakes, but I woud strongly suggest a enlisting a Model A-er close by to help you with these first time out. With a "T" in pieces/parts in the garage, I get what Bob is saying about enjoying the experience whether the car is running or not, but I think you are a LOT closer to a dependable ride than you think, which can be a LOT of fun. Not sure how many prewar cars you have driven but it is worth the little extra work involved, IMHO to have the experience! BTW, one comment on your thoughts about a restored vehicle. I troubleshot a lot on the old "A" over the years of ownership, but this 1970s restoration never left me stranded. I also had a beautiful '39 Packard bought ready to go that suffered a headgasket faillure on the third trip out, and a few minor instances later on including a condensor faillure just after dark where we decided a tow was the best bet. Bad car, not in my mind - nature of the beast with any old car, especially since the youngest prewar car is now 73 years old. Bottom line - if you use the car, expect a mechanical issue now and then, and if you don't, stuff breaks then as well. But it sounds like your making progress - hopefully you are encouraged! nice color combo, BTW - looks like a lot of fun to work on and drive!

Apologies if this was covered (I read through this but did not see this suggestion), but check to see if you could possibly have run out of gas. Sputtering, and a very short running period could be indiciative of being right at the bottom of the tank. A Model A is a pretty basic car once you have learned the typical ignition and fuel delivery troublespots. I had one for a long time, drove it a lot and had a few issues. The Page book, which is from the era but I believe printed today and Les Andrew's books were my favorites. you really need a crank to properly time this car, if you cannot find TDC using the locating pin then I am not sure how you set up your timing. You do not need a lot of specialized tools, but you do need to be able to set the timing, etc. While the immediate issue sounds like fuel, if your engine is reasonably sound, I would address fuel delivery with a rebuild to the carburetor and renew all ignition components for optimum reliability, knowing you still may need to adjust things and perform some maintenance every so often. If you find the Zenith carb too troublesome spend $50 for a good Tillotson core, and another $15 or less on the rebuild kit and your fuel delivery issues will go away. Virtually anyone can rebuild these carburetors. In fact, some A people will say the car doesn't sound quite right with a Tilly carb - it is too smooth. That is a nice looking Model A - don't get discouaraged. Remember, if you use these cars, especially prewar cars, stuff will happen. The more stuff happens the more you will know about your car after you have addressed it. Good luck with it and please post your outcome.

This looks like a good start but a long ways to go: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Studebaker-abc-/151650907310?forcerrptr=true&hash=item234f1934ae&item=151650907310

I think when sedans that are ready to go seem to be well under $10K for Chevrolet 1940 - 1948 even $3,500 is a stretch for a project car needing that much. There is a guy in CT who has been trying to sell a very, very nice '42 coupe for $20,000 or a tad more and he has been advertising for about a year. Agree with seeker - when I see the military versions to me I think it is a very limited market, I appreciate them but would prefer the civilian unit - it is just like people that make up police cars, limited appeal = tougher resale. Don't see sedans outpacing traditional "better" (from a merket perspective) bodystyles. I will say the sedan without the quarter window you sometimes see on these chevys are clean looking 4 doors.

Having been the one who asked our Mods if they would consider a Speedster section, I would just note that it works well because it is well defined - "for the discussion of prewar speedster type cars only" - really the spirit I had in mind, which, as you note, predates hot rods. Thanks to the mods, it seems to be a good home for a very niche sort of car. Except for Model T only sites, this tpe of car was not being served elsewhere by other forums - I began getting interested and saw enough of these things pop up in "general discussion" - almost always with good levels of interest in other words, a good fit with our members. While generally I tend to agree with Restorer on this issue (as even traditional hot rods are a different animal from Speedsters); but I think, given the array of other options out there for modified cars the "forum market" if you will, better forum fits for those cars should keep most modifieds out of our forum. Mods can step in when needed, but I would think a guy who is mainly interested in how to marry his 1940 Dodge sedan with new Dodge Challenger components is not going to find this is the best place for him, so maybe not such a big issue unless it becomes a growing trend. Then the mods may want to give some thought to another section but I think once your past the Speedster era, the challenge is how to define what is acceptable. Adding a section might encourage more than discourage a focus on modifieds and hot rods and create more controversy. Maybe for now a simple request is if anyone posts there modified car in the projects section, they are asked to note it as modified in the header. Simple rule allowing people to "walk on by" if they prefer, and just monitor the activity for now? (my other issue with a dedicated section is the added traffic and admittedly I am not an expert but does that not translate into added cost to AACA?) Anyway, just a couple thoughts on this...

Well Bernie, as much as I appreciate and enjoy our '13 GMC Yukon, I would rather have a Bearcat given the choice!! :cool:

I would split pre and postwar, postwar is easier for me - Mercedes Benz 300 SL Roadster. Prewar - lots of options, but I guess a Duesenberg SSJ would be right up there. Most any clean prewar Packard... Favorite all time though, would have to be the Stutz Bearcat.