New Packard Owner 1938 - 120

[Ozstatman]

Just to let tbirdman and Dave Fields know that today I became a Packard owner, a 1938 120 Sedan - see photo - I'm driving! This is after my attempt to buy the 1929 5 window coupe at auction failed and I have since learned that I was lucky not to have been the winning bidder because of the faults inherent in it, although I did disregard your warnings at the time. Apologies for not heeding your advice. The 38 has some interesting history behind it, starting life as a hire-car and during WW2 being commandered by the US Forces in Australia to run mail from Melbourne to Darwin every 2 weeks a distance of over probably 2/3000 MILES each way over largely unmade roads! This is did for the duration of the war clocking up who knows how many miles! It did blow an engine which was replaced in Darwin by a 1937 motor. It apparently still has the original gear box and diff but was restored almost 20 years ago.

I'm excited to at last, after some 40 to 50 years, to finally own and drive a Packard regularly.

If you 2 guys are ever in Sydney come and see me and we'll go for a ride!

[Loyd Smith]

Photo?

[Ozstatman]

Sorry about that, as a technological dinosaur I thought I had attached one but it seems to have slipped down a crack of the Internet Super Highway!

It's currently 1:20AM early Monday morning 14th May here in Sydney(Can't sleep because of the excitement of buying a Packard)! Note, in Australia it was our Mothers Day yesterday Sunday 13th and after Celebrating with my Mom who is 84, 8 family members went to look at the Packards at 4:00pm Sunday and we finally left after completing the purchase transaction at 7:45pm! I'll try again now and if it doesn't work my tech-savvy eldest son is coming over late Monday afternoon so we'll load it up them.

Apologies again

And I don't mind losing sleep over a Packard!

Ozstatman

[tbirdman]

Congratulations on your purchase. Hopefully it all works out for you. Waiting for the photo.

[Guest Randy Berger]

Welcome to the Land of Packard! Always good to welcome a new member and share in the fun of owning these cars. This is a great forum - one of many. Make sure you visit them all. <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[flackmaster]

Congrats! Just a networking tip, if you are not already a member of PACA, you might consider joining as there are several 37-38-39 guys in Sydney who surely can point you in any direction for support.

[Ozstatman]

I've added a photo to the first message and here's a link to some more:

http://picasaweb.google.com/ozstatman/38Packard120Sedan

[Tom M]

Welcome aboard chap. That is once nice looking ride you bought there.

Enjoy your new found Packard.

[mrpushbutton]

NICE CAR! congrats. Whose 1940 Packard is that in the second photo?

[Ozstatman]

The '40 is owned by the people who I bought the '38 from.

It's a 110 6 cylinder with overdrive box and is restored

and is for sale @ $20K Australian(about USD16,500). It

too is a very nice car.

Ozstatman

[tbirdman]

Well you made quite a switch from the first Packard to this one. This should be a nicer riding car. Plus you avoided all of the issues of the first car. Are all the people in the picture look like they are wondering what you have done? <img src="http://forums.aaca.org/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

[Ozstatman]

tbirdman,

The imminent purchase of the Packard created quiet some excitement in my family. After my wife Kath and I first viewed and I drove both cars on Saturday morning for which I had allowed 30 minutes but ended up taking 2 hours we went away to think about which one we would prefer and arranged to return on Sunday afternoon with my brother to gain his opinion of both cars. So.......I returned on Sunday afternoon, not with Kath, but with my brother, one sister, my parents Mom = 84 and Dad =86, both my sons and a daughter-in-law, total 8 people to view the Packards - as I say it created some excitement! After talking with the owner and again taking both cars for a drive, this time with my brother in the back seat listening, feeling and observing the cars in action, 2 hours had passed and at this stage I made my decision for the '38 which I had always liked even though Kath had favored the '40 (I hope this doesn't have repercussions!). At this stage, Lindsay, my brother took my Mom & Dad and sister home and I sat down with owner and his wife and naturally 1 & 3/4 hours later after much Packard talk, interrupted briefly by the necessary financial transactions, we finished up. Nicer people you'd have trouble finding.

There's also the story my Dad tells about when he was a boy about 10, and being interested in cars, contacted the local Caddy dealer and arranged for a test drive of a new caddy which they did then by driving to the prospective purchasers house. However when the car turned up my Dad's Dad wasn't at all impressed and my Dad got the father of a hiding for his outrageous actions. I think he still feels the pain when he retells the story!

ozstatman

38's are great