My next project? 1921 Packard Coupe

10 minute(s) of a 548 minute read

While there has not been a great deal to report ( Spent much of today having a CT Scan of some of my plumbing) I did manage to collect one of the front fenders from Dave. I can only fit one at a time in the Peugeot. It is temporarily sitting in place. Tomorrow (Wednesday) morning is to be devoted to sorting out more medical issues, people who have known me for in excess of nine years will understand. I should be able to retrieve the last of the fenders in the afternoon. I also managed to collect the castings for the windscreen pillars too but they still require some machining and polishing before they will be ready to go to the platers.

Hello Jeff

Many thanks for your kind comments. regarding the spare engine. It is a bit too far away for me to collect added to this I really don't go in for collecting spare major components. I believe that if you rebuild something properly it should last. Hoarding spares in shed very often prevents an other enthusiast from completing a project. If there is some one who can use it then the forum is doing its job,

Hello Donald

My generator is an Atwater Kent but I have a Remy cutout. This is possibly a period replacement as it only has one fixing screw. I am hesitant to drill and tap the case for the second screw. Regarding the Vacumn tank I have one ready to put on the car but I have to make holding straps for it. It is slightly smaller diameter than what I believe the original may have been but this is the one I have. I have been right through it and believe that it should work. It is another case of needing a roundtoit.

The exhaust pipe is the original. the entire exhaust system will need to be replaced as it had suffered at the hands of uncaring forklift truck drivers during the cars 50 odd years sojourn in a Custom's Bond Store. I have noted your comments regarding the need for some heat shielding and fully agree. This will probably be one of the last jobs to be done on the car.

3-28-2012

Back to work having been told by my Specialist medico that "It was all a storm in a tea cup" I just wish they would tell you this first instead of putting you through a couple of weeks of torment. For those that do not already know I am a cancer survivor. Anyway as I said "Back to work". Just yesterday a parcel arrived from my good friend Ben Benson. At first I was a little disappointed, the contents were exactly as Ben had removed them from the donor car. The dash lamp was a matt black and the cigar lighter about the same. Now after a morning at the buff, the dash lamp looks very different. I have yet to dismantle the cigar lighter and restore it back to its original glory. Meanwhile I have cleaned up the bit you see and fitted it into the "spare" hole in the dash. I still have to clean up the speedo cable and remove the "toe board" so I can fit it too.

This afternoon I must get back to fitting the front fenders. The right hand side one is almost there.

3-30-2012

Back to work having been told by my Specialist medico that "It was all a storm in a tea cup" I just wish they would tell you this first instead of putting you through a couple of weeks of torment. For those that do not already know I am a cancer survivor. Anyway as I said "Back to work". Just yesterday a parcel arrived from my good friend Ben Benson. At first I was a little disappointed, the contents were exactly as Ben had removed them from the donor car. The dash lamp was a matt black and the cigar lighter about the same. Now after a morning at the buff, the dash lamp looks very different. I have yet to dismantle the cigar lighter and restore it back to its original glory. Meanwhile I have cleaned up the bit you see and fitted it into the "spare" hole in the dash. I still have to clean up the speedo cable and remove the "toe board" so I can fit it too.

This afternoon I must get back to fitting the front fenders. The right hand side one is almost there.

Another quiet day, went and watched some Ladies Golf with Helen A lovely warm 28 degrees C but with lots of shady trees on the course. 

Ordered more nuts and bolts. This time to hold the headlamp bar and the hood securing clips etc so some progress I suppose. They should arrive by express post on Monday. I intend to sit down and calculate how much I have spent on Screws, Nuts and Bolts in the last two years, but first I have to do a drawing for Tony for the seats. The Hood gets painted this weekend which will be the last thing to be painted. No not quiet I still have to take the wheels off and remove the tires. I am still looking for a diagram of the rear spare (disk) wheel mount. Just a rough sketch or photograph would do. ANYTHING!

While on the subject of the hood and the associated hardware I am also looking for one (just one) of the spring steady's that mount under the post for the hood closure clip. See photos below. Condition is not all that important as long as it is in one piece.

Thank you.

3-31-2012

Another fun day fitting and adjusting the welting in the four fenders. I know this does not sound like a big deal but it has taken almost all day and I am exhausted! Jacking up and removing wheels and then replacing them to move on the the next one.

At least the job is done now

4-1-2012

Re; the spare wheel carrier, Chris Wantuck has very kindly sent me photographs and measurements from his Series One roadster and another Packard owner from South Australia has a spare from a later series car, so one way or another it seems that another problem is solved.

A BIG thank you to all those who took the trouble to contact me. 

This afternoon I should be able to collect the four finished hood panels.

4-2-2012

As it turned out Dave has not finished painting the hood so now I am concentrating on more small parts. The mail brought another parcel of slot head metal thread screws and the dome head bolts to secure the headlamp bar so I can fit the hood clips etc. Fitting the long thin trim panel that covers the chassis rail and holds the hood clips involved lifting the front of the body. One gets the impression that in the factory the cars were built from the ground up with the body going on after the valances and front fenders etc. 

Sorry about the reflections but that is just the way Dave's paint is.

4-3-2012

Hi Scott

I am glad that you are enjoying the ride.

Ian 

Apart from Sunday we should be home all weekend. 

More fiddly little jobs today soldering the new wires into the globe holders for the head lamps and similar pesky jobs. I have 38 little 1/8th inch metal thread screws to secure the central hinge onto the hood. I only have the dreaded Phillips head screws. Is it really worth the time and trouble to fill each with solder or bronze then cut a slot or can I simply leave them. The alternative is of course to use those, Oh so convenient POP RIVETS.

4-4-2012

I just love all these little jobs.

Todays task is fitting the hood (bonnet) lacing to the cowl. Just how to spread the split rivets from underneath while holding them from the outside will be "interesting"...

4-5-2012

Hi Pat

I have just made an executive decision, my life partner Helen is going to help me. Failing this I am going to have to use stainless raised head self tapper screws and cup washers. I have used split rivets at the radiator shell so these are my first preference.... In the short term I will use a spot of instant glue between each rivet to secure the lacing.

Hi Roger

Certainly at times there are some jobs that may require assistance. I get some sort of perverted sense of self satisfaction from managing to do tasks that may take two or more lesser people to achieve. For instance, I managed to lift the freshly painted Packard body off its "transport" and on to the chassis single handed and without the slightest scratch, much the same way that I installed the engine and gearbox un-assisted. I have a huge circle of friends and acquaintances but I hate to feel that I may be imposing on their time. I have spent a life time discouraging people whom I consider time wasters who "drop in" for a chat and a cup of tea or coffee. Some people may say that I am anti-social, however I see too many people who never achieve anything because they spend all their time being "good hosts". It is only by simple determination and perhaps "Bloody mindedness" that I manage to do complete restorations while other people are still talking about what they are "Gunner-do".

Love me or hate me I am not about to change!

4-6-2012

Having finally gotten around to doing a trial fitting of the front seats and after some discussion with Tony, I discovered that I had probably not allowed enough for the thickness upholstery at the sides. This is one of the potential traps we fall into by sometimes doing things out of order. Not that it is such a big drama and given another day the problem should be solved. The first is nearing completion and having sorted out the solution the second one should go even quicker. Much better to find out now than after they were finished.