For Sale: 1948 Packard Custom Eight Convertible - Mint - $56,500 - Elkhorn, NE - Not Mine

[58L-Y8]

For Sale: 1948 Packard Custom Eight Convertible - Mint - $56,500 - Elkhorn, NE

1948 Packard Convertible -Mint - cars & trucks - by owner - vehicle... (craigslist.org)
Seller's Description:

Show, Parade or Tour - this is restored to perfection/ would take 3 years and triple the money to complete today.
Restored in 2018, every nut and bolt including frame off detail. A rust-free vehicle with all the correct components. Finished to perfection including convertible top bows chromed and all interior trimmed in tanned leather.  Straight 8 was rebuilt and painted correct Packard colors, stock wheels included in sale and Packard wire wheels with caps as shown. Clean Nebraska Title/ shown by appointment only.
Exterior 9.7/10. Interior 9.8/10. Mechanical 9.7/10. Overall, 9.7 (gas should be freshened)
Contact: Frankie (402) five-7-8-5-6-two-4

Copy and paste in your email: 77e7407f0220350884cf6eacdf32f175@sale.craigslist.org

I have no personal interest or stake in the eventual sale of this 1948 Packard Custom Eight Convertible.

[Rivguy]

Nice. An example like this let's you appreciate the design. 

[Jeff Perkins / Mn]

Having owned and driven a 22nd series Packard I can say these cars are very underrated. Design and build quality was very good on mine.

[alsancle]

So the Custom Eight has the 359?   How do you visually distinguish them?

[bryankazmer]

No, the 359 is a 1954 engine derived from the 288/327.  The Custom Eight has the 356 (Used 1940-1950).

 

OK if you like the wires, but they were not available until later.  The original set up was steel wheels, hubcaps with cloisonne badges, and rear fender skirts with the two stainless strips to continue the line of the bumper ridges from front to back.

 

The convertibles and fastbacks integrate the width change between the doors and greenhouse, caused by using the Clipper main stampings, better than the sedans.

[58L-Y8]

1 hour ago, alsancle said:

So the Custom Eight has the 359?   How do you visually distinguish them?

A.J.:

 

The 1948-'49 22nd Series Custom Eights are easy to identify by their being the only model with the long hood on the 127" and 148" wb cars.  Visual details are the egg-crate grilles front and rear, a larger scale upper front grille, the dual lower body bright work strips and the belt-line chrome trim extension that encircles the trunk lid.  The interiors are high-quality broadcloth in a choice of tan, green, blue or maroon with contrasting piling for the latter three in tan.  Wide genuine wood friezes on the doors with matching wood-grain dash and rear seat accents, plus many small details that add to the interior richness, The engine is the nine-main-bearing 356 ci straight eight that entered production for 1940, continued through the last of the 23rd Series 1950 Custom Eights.  This 1940-'50 356 ci and the 1954-only 359 ci are completely different engine series, the latter based on the nine-main-bearing 327 ci installed exclusively in 1951-'53 Patricians.  For 359 ci, the bore was increased 1/16 to 3 9/16 and the stroke was increased 1/4 to 4 1/2, bumped the compression to 8.7:1.

 

The 1949-'50 23rd Series Custom Eight continue most all these features and the mechanical spec's plus Ultramatic transmissions.  The 'waters' become somewhat muddied because the 1949-'50 23rd Series Super Eight was upgraded to the 127" wb platform from the 120" wb platform it shared with the Eights and Eight Deluxes.  The Super Eight is powered by the 327 ci engine, is trimmed as were its predecessors.  To further complicate matters, Super Deluxe Eight models were added which wears the Custom Eight front and rear egg-crate grilles but no trunk encircling the chrome trim. Interiors are Super Eight level with a few tweaks.  Visual identifiers for all 23rd Series cars are the mid-side-level front to rear chrome trim and the prominent oval taillights. 

 

Personally, regarding this Custom Eight convertible, the costs to rebuild a 356, have the chrome done including the top irons and reupholster with quality leather and carpets would exceed the asking price of this car.  This is to say nothing of the hydraulic power windows and seat and top system.   The styling of the 22nd-23rd Series cars is polarizing, but taken in the context of its time, its palatable and the quality of these Customs is on par with prior topline Packards.

 

Steve 

[alsancle]

Thanks Steve.   I think it is an interesting alternative to the 53/54 Caribbean which is around the same ballpark for one as nice as this.   I do not believe you could do the chrome and paint for the asking price,  let alone the rest of the car.

[bryankazmer]

46 minutes ago, alsancle said:

Thanks Steve.   I think it is an interesting alternative to the 53/54 Caribbean which is around the same ballpark for one as nice as this. 

Interesting comparisons.  The 22nd Custom is a premium car in every way, but with styling not all like. I really like the optional leather and cord interior vs the full leather. The 53 Caribbean is great looking, but has a more plebeian drivetrain.  The 54 gets a premium engine again, but the styling has always struck me as incrementally upgraded over the regular convertible, less custom.

[58L-Y8]

1 hour ago, alsancle said:

Thanks Steve.   I think it is an interesting alternative to the 53/54 Caribbean which is around the same ballpark for one as nice as this.   I do not believe you could do the chrome and paint for the asking price,  let alone the rest of the car.

A.J.:

You're welcome.  These 1948-'50 Custom Eights are truly the last topline Packard convertibles until the 1953-'54 Caribbeans.  Their quality and detailing are more analogous to the pre-war Super Eight 160 and Custom Super 180 convertibles.  They bridge the era because the 1948-'50 Packards are essentially restyled 1941 cars, notwithstanding how appealing and progressive the 1941 Clipper was when introduced.  

Steve

 

BTW: I have little legitimate perspective on current restoration costs...

Edited January 15, 2023 by 58L-Y8
addendum comments (see edit history)

[deac]

IMO the hard top fastbacks at boring to look at! But I have never seen a convertible and it really helps this body style. I cannot say much about the price but if the restoration is done like it's described then $56,000 sounds fair. It's a beautiful car!

[alsancle]

33 minutes ago, 58L-Y8 said:

BTW: I have little legitimate perspective on current restoration costs...

 

Unfortunately I have plenty.   It insanely expensive to get anything done at a quality level now.

[alsancle]

55 minutes ago, bryankazmer said:

Interesting comparisons.  The 22nd Custom is a premium car in every way, but with styling not all like. I really like the optional leather and cord interior vs the full leather. The 53 Caribbean is great looking, but has a more plebeian drivetrain.  The 54 gets a premium engine again, but the styling has always struck me as incrementally upgraded over the regular convertible, less custom.

 

These are my thoughts exactly.   The crime is the 53 not getting the 54 engine.

[58L-Y8]

1 hour ago, alsancle said:

 

The crime is the 53 not getting the 54 engine.

A Packard conundrum: Management decides to build two 327 ci straight eights for 1951, one with five-main-bearings, the other with nine-main-bearings.  Compression ratios and horsepower: The former: 7.0:1/150hp; the latter: 7.8:1/155hp. Performance difference: imperceptible... Huh?

[alsancle]

8 minutes ago, 58L-Y8 said:

A Packard conundrum: Management decides to build two 327 ci straight eights for 1951, one with five-main-bearings, the other with nine-main-bearings.  Compression ratios and horsepower: The former: 7.0:1/150hp; the latter: 7.8:1/155hp. Performance difference: imperceptible... Huh?

One of the many reasons Packard went down the crapper

[bryankazmer]

To put into perspective, the 1940 Packard 356 was 160 HP.  The all new 1949 Cadillac OHV V8 was 160 HP.  The move to the 327/359 gave Packard a simpler, cheaper to manufacture engine with parts shared with the Juniors, with competitive but no longer leading performance.  

 

Putting a 288 head on a 327 increases the compression too.  The bores are the same.