My next project? 1921 Packard Coupe

5 minute(s) of a 548 minute read

Hi Ben

You may not have thought so negotiating the traffic jam going in at 9.30 on Sunday morning or coming out at 3.30 in the afternoon. Strangely it was only the sixties and seventies cars that seemed to be suffering from overheating and blocking the road for others. The Packard barely got to register on the motometer. The only time it got so that you could see some red was after a prolonged burst of keeping up with the "moderns" on the freeway on the way home. Even then it was a long way from the top. It does tend to get quite warm around the passengers feet. I think that I am going to have to wrap up the exhaust pipe where it passes close to the toe board. That and remember to open the cowl vent.

As I said previously there would have been no more than five or six cars NOT arrive under their own power. (ie, In trailers.)

Hi C,Ben

I failed to mention that it was for mid Autumn (Fall) quite a warm day, 35degrees C. I have no problem with the motometer, having checked it against a thermometer I have found it to be quite "progressive" as far being an indicator of the radiators temperature. It was "just" showing about an 1/8 inch of red into the circle. The radiator was certainly a long way from boiling and water loss was minimal. I was probably expecting a little too much of a 1923 car with a comparatively new engine to have it running at a steady 50mph for some miles. Re the "hot feet" problem If I had thought to open the cowl vent it would have improved things and I had planned to wrap the exhaust "down pipe" but had simply not got a roundtoit. As soon as I turned off the "Freeway" and slowed down to 35/40 mph everything returned to normal.

That cannot be too bad. I have been spoilt by the Lagonda Rapier for too long.

4-9-2013

Hello C,Ben

I have had some experience with the "sludge" that you refer to. I don't have a photograph of the inside of the oil pan and crankcase but this one of the side water gallery tells the story. Because the motor turned freely, some people would have just added water checked the oil and started it up. I prefer to look before I leap.

Keep on keeping on

4-10-2013

I don't know about hard water but talking about hard words the Packard discussed here has been described on another thread as a "mongrel". Perhaps in the perspective of the most pure of purists who's only priority is scoring points on the show field this may be a valid criticism. As I have commented elsewhere I would have never NEVER restored the car back to an original 4 Passenger Coupe. To my way of thinking they were among the most ugly and impracticable cars ever to leave the Packard Factory. The original seating plan may have been ideal for a chauffeur driven, rather corpulent, doctor in the 1920s but as a useable car for pleasure driving for two people??? A fixed (non-adjustable) seat for the driver with a small folding "occasional' seat next to him and a seat for one and a half people (with cramped leg room if the occasional seat was in use)at the rear is not my idea of comfort.

I rest my case.

Keep on keeping on

4-11-2013

Hello David 

I was not attempting to disparage anything that Matt said. I am painfully aware of how the "Show" segment of the American "Collector Car" market see the car. Living and operating in a much more liberal environment I am used to dealing with people who look at Vintage cars as something to enjoy driving simply for the unique experience in driving an 80 or 90 year old car. 

I am afraid the people who simply drive their cars in and out of trailers then dress up in fancy period costumes in order to pose beside their "car" do not realise just how much they are missing. If they get enjoyment out of doing this good luck to them but I cannot help feeling just a little bit sorry for them.

If by doing so they are fishing for compliments they would not believe how much more attention their cars would receive at the top of one of the numerous historic Alpine Passes in Switzerland, the Tyrol or the Southern Alps in France. There is only one way that all the people passing the compliments have arrived at the same destination.

What better way to "show" your car than actually driving it.