zdillinger Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 (edited) As promised in my thread about my 1928 Pontiac, here is a new thread for my new baby, a 1942 Packard 160 convertible coupe. This is a dream car for me, as I never thought I'd be able to own a open Senior Packard. Thanks to my friend Wes Blackman and his late father, I now own one for a very reasonable price. I don't yet have the full history (the file is on its way to me), but I can tell you that this was sold new in PA on 11/22/1941... just over two weeks before Pearl Harbor. It obviously needs a lot of work but is super solid. Significant work had already been done to the car before I got it. The body has obviously been off the frame and new body mounts are installed. The frame was fully painted and it sure looks like the engine has had some work too. The transmission goes into gear and the brakes seem to have pressure. So it might not be too awful bad. Cosmetically, it's a bit of a nightmare but I'm used to that. The original door panels are saveable and the original backseat will be picked up soon, along with a replacement front seat frame. I plan to keep the oxblood leather interior The firewall and underside of the body were painted in Cadet Cream. Despite Cadet Cream being a great color and one I've always liked, I don't think it will go with the oxblood so I'll likely be going with Legion Blue... eventually. I need a few things yet, including a passenger fender, grill surround, a radiator, driveshaft, fuel tank, dashboard, etc. As per my usual procedure, I'll make a full inventory of everything I have on hand and everything I need. I'm a glutton for punishment but I love bringing these "challenging" cars back to life. Edited June 22 by zdillinger (see edit history) 25 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Glad to hear you're planning on changing the color. These are very fast cars, especially if you have overdrive. The most powerful car built at the time, actually, and whisper quiet. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alsancle Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 17 minutes ago, West Peterson said: Glad to hear you're planning on changing the color. These are very fast cars, especially if you have overdrive. The most powerful car built at the time, actually, and whisper quiet. I was in a 41 last weekend that didn't have overdrive but had a factory high speed rear end. It was quite comfortable on a 6 lane highway. 8 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike "Hubbie" Stearns Posted June 22 Share Posted June 22 Looks to be in decent shape. Mike 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
31 LaSalle Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 On 6/22/2024 at 7:26 PM, zdillinger said: As promised in my thread about my 1928 Pontiac, here is a new thread for my new baby, a 1942 Packard 160 convertible coupe. This is a dream car for me, as I never thought I'd be able to own a open Senior Packard. Thanks to my friend Wes Blackman and his late father, I now own one for a very reasonable price. I don't yet have the full history (the file is on its way to me), but I can tell you that this was sold new in PA on 11/22/1941... just over two weeks before Pearl Harbor. It obviously needs a lot of work but is super solid. Significant work had already been done to the car before I got it. The body has obviously been off the frame and new body mounts are installed. The frame was fully painted and it sure looks like the engine has had some work too. The transmission goes into gear and the brakes seem to have pressure. So it might not be too awful bad. Cosmetically, it's a bit of a nightmare but I'm used to that. The original door panels are saveable and the original backseat will be picked up soon, along with a replacement front seat frame. I plan to keep the oxblood leather interior The firewall and underside of the body were painted in Cadet Cream. Despite Cadet Cream being a great color and one I've always liked, I don't think it will go with the oxblood so I'll likely be going with Legion Blue... eventually. I need a few things yet, including a passenger fender, grill surround, a radiator, driveshaft, fuel tank, dashboard, etc. As per my usual procedure, I'll make a full inventory of everything I have on hand and everything I need. I'm a glutton for punishment but I love bringing these "challenging" cars back to life. Looks Like a lot of work But it will be a lot of car when finished.and well worth the effort 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 I had one years ago. Great drivers. Pull the body off and go through the chassis .....it's fifty times easier that way. Use a factory correct color, and the over drive is a must. Will do 70 mph all day long. Lots of work, but worth it. 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdillinger Posted June 24 Author Share Posted June 24 1 hour ago, edinmass said: I had one years ago. Great drivers. Pull the body off and go through the chassis .....it's fifty times easier that way. Use a factory correct color, and the over drive is a must. Will do 70 mph all day long. Lots of work, but worth it. I appreciate the advice Ed, thank you. My plan is to paint this in 1942 Legion Blue, which should be quite striking with the oxblood interior. It's going to be a long haul and lots of work but definitely worth it. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 I think I have the factory data book on the car if you need any of its information. 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
1935Packard Posted June 24 Share Posted June 24 Fantastic. A very worthy project. Enjoy! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdillinger Posted June 27 Author Share Posted June 27 A minor update. I am working on finding missing parts. I did manage to purchase a perfect parts car, a rusty and mouse eaten '41 160 with some really nice options (including an overdrive that will find its way into the 'vert). The parts car is coming from about 2300 miles away but I'm getting a good enough price to make it all worth it. It should give me most of what I need to move forward,and even the running boards should fit. So thats exciting! I also cleaned out the car, pressure washed it, vacuumed up the countless piles of blasting sand, and stripped out the rotten sound insulation. I then primed the interior sheet metal with red oxide per the original evidence found in the car. I have also replaced most of the sound deadening and put down new 30 pound tar paper across the floor as original. A new firewall pad will eventually be installed but not yet. So, nothing super exciting, just stuff that has to get done and that I can do while waiting for other parts. 16 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
West Peterson Posted June 27 Share Posted June 27 A complete parts car is the absolute best way to go on this project. Congratulations for finding one. 8 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walt G Posted June 27 Share Posted June 27 (edited) the biggest effort for you to accomplish is to find the patience to do it , walk away when you just need some space and can remind yourself - yes I really love this car. I am sure quite a few of us who have done frame up restorations are looking here and saying to themselves " been there , done that " and know you are a kindred spirit. Edited June 27 by Walt G (see edit history) 7 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demco32 Posted June 27 Share Posted June 27 57 minutes ago, Walt G said: the biggest effort for you to accomplish is to find the patience to do it , walk away when you just need some space and can remind yourself - yes I really love this car. I am sure quite a few of us who have done frame up restorations are looking here and saying to themselves " been there , done that " and know you are a kindred spirit. Restoration is a long and expensive effort if you want to do it correctly, requiring a lot of patience and research. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted June 27 Share Posted June 27 49 minutes ago, demco32 said: Restoration is a long and expensive effort if you want to do it correctly, requiring a lot of patience and research. You forgot to mention the bipolar and scitzophrenia affectations that help out so much along the way................. 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted June 27 Share Posted June 27 54 minutes ago, edinmass said: You forgot to mention the bipolar and scitzophrenia affectations that help out so much along the way................. And Ed is the Poster Child! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edinmass Posted June 27 Share Posted June 27 14 minutes ago, Grimy said: And Ed is the Poster Child! George.....I invented crazy! If I knew it was going to be so popular, I would have pattended it! Think of the cash flow I missed..........🤔 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted June 27 Share Posted June 27 Just now, edinmass said: George.....I invented crazy! If I knew it was going to be so popular, I would have pattended it! Think of the cash flow I missed..........🤔 No truer words were ever spoken.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdillinger Posted June 30 Author Share Posted June 30 Today counts as temporary progress, in that this dash is just here for a short time for testing/wiring purposes. The final panels will be the proper Senior pieces once my parts car gets here, but this was a trial run, so to speak, to work out any potential order of operations issues. It also makes the car look more like a car in the short term and was an easy project to have my 8 year old daughter help me with. Hoping the parts car will be here in a couple of weeks, then mechanical progress can begin in earnest (I need the radiator and the starter relay). Anyhow, I feel like I'm doing well given that the car has only been in my possession for eight days. 11 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 Any progress is good progress. I know you are a long way off from interior, but you should plan on putting some good modern day sound deadener on the floor (and where ever else on the car). When I did my 77 t/a I wanted it to be as factory original as possible. I used the factory sound pad which is basically about a 3/16" tar paper. That stuff wouldnt know how to cut sound if it had to! On my next project I am just about to start int and will be using as much sound pad as I can get by with. As far as looks, originality or judging you are the only one who will ever know and it may be worthwhile in the long run. 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packard enthus. Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 Porr Mr. Zdillinger - he "bought" into a portion of the "Packard Legend" that is common amongst old car buffs who want so badly to believe......in what those of us know the truth...is UTTER NONSENSE. A 1942 "Senior" Packard? Bull feathers!. As a legit. Packard worshipper, I find it fascinating that so many years after Packard finally failed as a business, the legend for quality & superior performance of the REAL Packard Motor Car Company lives on. How superior? A little research on U TUBE will find an example. Someone recently videoed a "drag race" between an early 1930's Cad. V-16, and a Packard. (and not the most powerful Packard available that year.....just one of the ordinary "straight eights". It "blew the doors" off the Caddy! Packard execs , by the mid 1930's, recognized they'd have to come up with a cheaper product to sell - the days of the "super cars" that gave them such a well-deserved reputation, were coming to an end. Who can deny that the cheaper product introduced for 1935 production saved the Company (for the time being...!). But what to do about the far more costly-to-operate "Senior Division" production facilities, their separate parts (NO parts from a "Senior Division" Packard will fit the "Juniors" - they might as well be separate makes of cars....! DESTROY IT! In the summer of 1939, the last Packard Twelve rolled out of the old Senior Division facility, which was then essentially destroyed along with its tooling. ("gutted" to expand production of the "Junior" Division. Each year thereafter Packard products became cheaper and less competitive. You really want to compare, for example, an early 40's Packard product with a Buick, Cadillac, or Olds...? it got worse....compare one from the late 1940's. Bottom line - no matter how big a lie Packard advertising came up with, there WAS NO SENIOR DIVISION AT PACKARD after the summer of '39. "Dressing up" later Packards with left-over "Senior Division" emblems, carpets, and Laidlaw broadcloth dosn't change the fact that the end result was a fancier "120". The buying public caught on - resulting in declining sales. The public's repudiation of each year's increasingly failed Packard product got so bad that midway thru 1956, lack of sales resulted in the factory closing for good. Yes...I "get it".....not everything today, can get their hands on a "real" Senior Division Packard. Accept reality! Enjoy what you have. But dont slander real world history by calling post 1939 Packards products of their by then non-existant "Senior Division". (ASK THE MAN WHO OWNS ONE....!) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lee H Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning! 2 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 I'm making popcorn! 1 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidemount33 Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 What a perfect textbook example of a back-and-forth I just had on another thread, on this exact issue. Maybe "Packard Enthus." was trying to be helpful, or funny, or ironic - but, regrettably, has chosen words that make him appear exactly the opposite. "Slandering real world truth"....yeah, okay. Stop the tiresome "hand-wringing" already, and take a breath. @zdillinger: you do great work, your car is beautiful (no matter what the classification) and your sense of stewardship of the past is appreciated by 99.9% of us on this forum. Looking forward to seeing the progress on this machine, Curly. 👍 7 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdillinger Posted July 1 Author Share Posted July 1 (edited) Oh man, what a funny guy! He thinks I give a damn what he thinks. Welcome to the ignored list, old buddy. Edited July 1 by zdillinger (see edit history) 8 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 troll per Urban Dictionary One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument 3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
drhach Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 I'm shocked to see that a car enthusiast could be so opinionated..... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdillinger Posted July 1 Author Share Posted July 1 I'm a pretty opinionated guy too but I, at least, can be respectful. Oh well, I won't let one sorehead's opinion derail my thread. Onward and upward. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packard enthus. Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 1 hour ago, Grimy said: troll per Urban Dictionary One who posts a deliberately provocative message to a newsgroup or message board with the intention of causing maximum disruption and argument ======================================================================================================= Yes, I agree, your post certainly complies with your definition. Illustrates your displeasure, but does not address the subject matter. As for your dissatisfaction with the terms Packard used to describe the differences between its product lines, may I respectfully note i am not and never have been an employee of the Packard Motor Car Company. As such, I bear no respnsibility for how they described their products. May I further suggest if you wish to further state your dissatisfaction, you post relevant info. about the subject-at-hand, and/or address them to the source of your discontent - here's the mailing address PACKARD MOTOR CAR COMPANY 1580 East Grand Ave, Detroit 32, Mich. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packard enthus. Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 1 hour ago, drhach said: I'm shocked to see that a car enthusiast could be so opinionated..... ------------------------------------------------------- Can you discuss for us what issue involving old cars you find "so opinionated", and give us YOUR opinion on the subject? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 @Packard enthus. you may find this website helpful: https://www.azcompletehealth.com/members/medicaid/crisis-intervention-services.html 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Packard enthus. Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 TIme note 1 July '24 @ approx. 4:00 PM MST "Grimy's" post of a few minutes ago has a point (he recommends mental health assistance). While not directly related to the subject-matter of this thread, who can disagree that we are all nuts for preserving old cars and their history! (they'd hoped...when I got rid of my '34 Super Eight....I'd come to my senses...only to discover I just changed cars because I wanted something faster....!) Yes...very normal human characteristic - "accuse anyone who disagrees with you...they gotta be nuts....!" Definitely not the first time in my case - this I was in high school in the mid 50's when I came home with my Packard Twelve, to find my parents, most of my friends, and the entire neighborhood convinced I'd "slipped a gear"....again....our fellow old car buff "Grimy" hasn't come up with anything new. But none of this is really directly "on point" to that portion of this particular "thread" where we have some confusion over old car history. In an earlier post in this "thread", I corrected a guy (in terms of historical accuracy) who wants to think of his '42 Packard as a "Senior Division" product. Of course I can't blame him; as I noted in an earlier post, gross exaggeration, even outright lying, is not a new phenomena in the automotive business - not fair to hold a fellow old car buff responsible for that!. The simple fact is - I believe, and I hope most of us old car buffs agree...maintaining an ACCURATE history is of value. I FLATLY REFUSE to take the blame for what the Packard Motor Car Company did to itself in its determination to fool its customers. They got away with it for a while, till more and more of the auto buying public got wise and refused to buy their product. Bottom line - It was PACKARD, not me, who came up with the terms "Senior Division" and "Junior Division" (to separate its product line). Coming up each year with an ever less satisfying product was PACKARDS decision, not mine! I wasn't even born when the bulldozers went to work on the Packard "Senior Division" facility in the summer of '39! The FACT is, by definition, Packard was a bunch of liars in calling its products "Senior Division" after they no longer had a product of that description, IS NOT MY FAULT! Look at the bright side - as the generations come and go, and modern "young uns" know less and less, and care less and less about old cars and what they represent, we may well be returning to an era when we are ALL thought as nuts! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimy Posted July 1 Share Posted July 1 Where is the "yawn" emoji when we need it? 1 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdillinger Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 Well... anyway... back on the actual topic. I removed the rear fenders yesterday and found a bit of covered-up rust. Not fatal, just required a little welding to repair a couple of the fender attachment points on the body and on the fender itself. Done and done. I then hit it with some primer in preparation for body work/paint at some future date. The parts car should be here in two weeks or less, per the shipper. It's coming a long way, all the way from Washington state to Michigan, so it'll take a minute. I didn't want to pay for premium shipping for a parts car so it'll get here when it gets here, I guess. Anxiously awaiting that but trying to exercise one of my least developed skills... patience. Anyway, that's the update for today. Thanks for following along! 13 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EmTee Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 Now the 'bad news': no structural wood on this one. Looks like you'll be expanding your skillset into metal work! 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdillinger Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 9 minutes ago, EmTee said: Now the 'bad news': no structural wood on this one. Looks like you'll be expanding your skillset into metal work! Yup, and sooner rather than later! I've done a bit of metal work but not enough to feel terribly confident. I'll go slow and learn fast. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 @zdillinger take your time. Looks like your daughter has claimed this one so if I were you I might be sure it comes out as perfect as you can make it! Body overall looks pretty solid - I have spoken to a lot of open Packard folks who seem to raise rust in the trunk and floors as a major issue with the 38 - 42 cars, so your way ahead of the game in the bodywork area if that is all you found. 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zdillinger Posted July 2 Author Share Posted July 2 34 minutes ago, Steve_Mack_CT said: @zdillinger take your time. Looks like your daughter has claimed this one so if I were you I might be sure it comes out as perfect as you can make it! Body overall looks pretty solid - I have spoken to a lot of open Packard folks who seem to raise rust in the trunk and floors as a major issue with the 38 - 42 cars, so your way ahead of the game in the bodywork area if that is all you found. For sure, I feel very lucky to have this one. Floors and trunk are solid. There is a little of the typical convertible rust in the sills just behind the doors, where the water gets into the top well and just sort of stays there. That will be dealt with in turn. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidemount33 Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 "And then, as was inevitable, came that moment of heartbreak, after the arrival of the parts car. As it sat in the barn that night, it seemed to whisper to Zach of the glories of past showroom admirers, when eyes followed the elegant sweep of the bodylines, took in the deep lustre of chrome and paint, and sighed over the interior appointments. It seemed to him that the voices of 80 years ago could be faintly heard, if he just listened closely enough, coming over the Packard's radio: FDR assuring the nation, jingles selling Rinso and Chesterfield cigarettes, Duke Ellington and His Orchestra being broadcast live from New York, and Jack Benny taking verbal swipes at Fred Allen to the delight of the studio audience each Sunday night at 7:00. 'Save me, Zach....save me....' - and that's when Zach's wife took the dog-eared copy of "Christine" out of his hands, and locked up the liquor cabinet." 1 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve_Mack_CT Posted July 2 Share Posted July 2 @Sidemount33 driveable parts cars are awesome! A pal drove his "parts car" 39 Chevy through high school while doing a local show winning driveway restoration on the better 39 he had while another kid drove a 57 chevy sport sedan while working on his two door hardtop. A lot of Model A guys end up restoring parts cars but...Job #1 here should be the open car. Zach, I am guessing has a daily ride which is what drove the Old Yankee ingenuity in the examples above. Nope, strip it Then you sell the hulk to a newbie with big dreams - could be Pebble Beach or the Riddler Award, no matter long as it's cash... 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sidemount33 Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 (edited) @Steve_Mack_CT You're 100% correct on that. They are awesome - that's the problem 😉 One of my past cars began as an intended donor car for another project (then owned by another guy). When the "parts car" arrived, the guy's wife looked at it and said "That's too nice of a car to part out!" So, he restored it, and ended up getting another parts car to finish his first one (I bought the first "parts car" from him after he had finished a "sympathetic restoration" on it, and it was a beautiful driver in every respect). I was just having some fun with Zach's attraction to the past (an irresistible pull that I also feel, along with most of everyone else here...) Edited July 3 by Sidemount33 (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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