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Not original, what are your thoughts? Look good? Bad?


Xander Wildeisen

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I was commenting on the fenders, he needs to find someone looking to customize a Packard, and a 115 if they use all 4.  I would think selling the car as a unit would be a little easier.

 

Agree Xander, the 37 115 nose is fairly short, compared to later Jrs.

 

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3 hours ago, Steve_Mack_CT said:

  I would think selling the car as a unit would be a little easier.

 

He has put unmodified fenders on the car, and is selling the modified fenders.

 

36 minutes ago, Xander Wildeisen said:

Wonder if owner is changing the engine? Interesting choice on engine? 

No, he is keeping the Jag engine.

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I don't mind it at all, looks like it could have been a period custom or prototype, although design success would rest on a solution for top, both up and folded. I like these types of sporty models without running boards, gave them a racier look. As for painting it, why not.

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Too bad about the engine...that moves it to the dark side.

If these body modifications were done in period by someone we'd heard of, we'd love it.

I'm not a Packard person (except their aviation and racing work) but I think it looks good.

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It will get restored on the outside. I've already done a ton of work on this car since that picture in the advert was taken. That was took the day I received the car.

 

Current status.

Screenshot_20231121_161707_Gallery.jpg

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I hope that was your trip to the gas station, lol. Seriously though, the dash is beautiful. As for the first post, I kinda like the way it looked there. I am assuming those mods were done somewhat recently but I dont think it would have been out of the question for something like that to have been done when the car was a few years old to 'freshen things up a bit'. I think the 'garage find Duesenberg' that was just shown in the dpc at Hershey had altered fenders?

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This is not a cut car. It is indeed a convertible coupe. But the top assembly was missing when I got the car. That has been sourced and I made had to recreate the wood bows.

 

The fender modifications were done about 10 years ago by a prior owner. I like original looking cars, so as much as possible will go back to original.  Most of customized parts have been removed now and replacement original parts sourced.. The car will stay in "patina" for awhile. I'm doing everything myself, and of course everything is time and money. But it will eventually get painted.

 

All the dash and gauges are sorted. Interior was cleaned up and made up carpet and put on some seat covers for now. Made new firewall pad, kick panels and all the panels in the rumble seat area. Rechromed bumpers have been fitted. Truck rack added. Finding all the one-year only sheet metal was a challenge. One of the running boards had to come from Australia as we couldn't find a decent '37 115 board in the US.

 

Here are a couple of pics before I started to remove the sheet metal for winter projects. The blue 54 Clipper is also one of our cars. That car was in worse shape that the 37 when we got it.

 

-BigKev

PackardInfo.com

 

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Edited by BigKev (see edit history)
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It's for sure an approachable car. People come over to look at it all the time. I usually leave one hood side open.  People look very perplexed at the Jag motor in there. Probably even more next season now that I painted the motor Packard Engine Green.

 

I let kids at the cruise nights and car shows sit in the rumble seat.

 

I always yell folks I'm doing an inside out restoration. So brakes, eletrical, fuel system where all replaced. Interior was cleaned up to make it comfortable and clean. Dash and door moldings were wood grained. 

 

With the outside in patina, you don't worry as much if people touch the car. 

 

 

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41 minutes ago, BigKev said:

It's for sure an approachable car. People come over to look at it all the time. I usually leave one hood side open.  People look very perplexed at the Jag motor in there. Probably even more next season now that I painted the motor Packard Engine Green.

 

I let kids at the cruise nights and car shows sit in the rumble seat.

 

I always yell folks I'm doing an inside out restoration. So brakes, eletrical, fuel system where all replaced. Interior was cleaned up to make it comfortable and clean. Dash and door moldings were wood grained. 

 

With the outside in patina, you don't worry as much if people touch the car. 

 

 

I was at a show with a little league next door. When the teams finished alot of the kids came over to look at the cars. I let quite a few of them sit in my car, the reactions were priceless when I told them they could do so.

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Kids sitting in cars- have mentioned here before when a friend in our local Buick club came over with his 3 sons all of the same age they looked at my pre war cars. Their Dad likes Buicks in the mid 1960s. I mentioned to them ( all very very respectful) that before they left they all needed to sit in both my pre war cars in the front and back seats. They were amazed , I told them to compare what they were in to what their Dad owned. Memories that will last forever - both for them and me and their Dad.

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I've replaced all the wiring in the car with a modern GM style street rod harness. The wiring that was in the previous was a mix of rat chewed original and speaker wire. 

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there was a packard junkyard not far from me......bought out ,tons parts,some real good ones in the building behind with 12's....i would guess 45 or more cars,the rest of my pics are worse fuzzy and of cars in building dark cant make out much.......but my friends got a lot....and i got a fewyard8.png.8fa3bb1840fe0596d50ada7e4550b3df.pngyard7.png.640540b0b6786030e87d5981e8b76e61.pngyard5.png.bf254a969a16e91e31d495eaf2abd18c.pngyard9.png.bcefd324b3e34e065a68740eb707d195.pngyard12.png.1cac7c4e6629e855854b523758c86135.png

Edited by arcticbuicks (see edit history)
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  • 1 month later...

Just an update for those interested. All the custom/modified sheetmetal has been replaced with original. Also replaced the rotten rockers with good ones from a donor car. In this case from a '36 120, which fits with just a couple minor adjustments.

 

Also fitted the Running board, which still has original rubber on it.

 

Everything here is for mockup. It will get blown apart again for body work and paint in the future.

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Edited by BigKev (see edit history)
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As far as the dash and interior. Here is what it looked like when I got the car last year, and here is what pretty much looks like now. The seats were pretty torn up, so we just put seat covers on for now. The door cards were cleaned and painted with leather/vinyl paint. I made all the kick panels, firewall pad and carpet. The dash structure was painted. The dash panels were wood-grained in burl, and the top of the inner door moldings were done in straight wood grain. The correct speedo was found as the one that was in there was from a 38. The cranks for the vent widows were missing, so they were sourced and installed. So a lot of the work on the inside of the car has been done. Including all new electrical.

 

image.jpeg.5e46765ac9afbfdcd18509df5260459d.jpeg

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I am not afraid of a project, in fact I enjoy taking something that looks like its ready for the bin and restoring. I see some projects listed and the comments become 'parts car, too costly to repair, etc. etc'. Makes me feel like fixing something bad up is wrong and one should start with beauty. Seeing the work you are doing with this car is def. an inspiration and makes me want to keep moving full speed ahead with what I am sure others see as scrap yard fodder. Keep up the exceptional work!!

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Thanks! Both this car and my '54 Packard were only affordable to me as I started with rough cars and could invest the sweat equity.

 

Edited by BigKev (see edit history)
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