Not Your Everyday Packard, Tales of a 1930s sedan

[Hooked on 240]

While i have my 240 as a daily.. i was looking to start something ive been wanting to do for a while. Found this by accident driving to a guys house to look at a 30s ford coupe.

1932 Packard Standard Eight Sedan 503
Info on car:
http://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modul ... ?model=473

Car Goals:
~This thing is NOT going to be a garage queen/weekend warrior
~Either a daily driver or damn near close.

Most of this is my ideal very basic plans. I have alot written down but again these are the ideas i can think of off the top of my head.

Engine/Mechanical
Some kind of straight 6 or 8 motor Example :
~Toyota 2JZGTE and 5 or 6 speed Manual
~~~(Single medium sized turbo will be used)
~Disc brakes is a must

Exterior
~Find and Replace rear door handles
~ Windshield originally tinted out, I might weld the frame shut.
~Original gas tank is coming out and New fuel Cell is going behind the rear seats.
~Roll pan to connect the two rear fenders will serve as a bumper.
~~~Have a couple sketches of what its going to look like.
~Original Rear tire placement is not going to be used.
~Need a front bumper
~Replace the rear door handles
~Roof... i have no idea about. Its basically a HUGE open hole where something covered from the factory.

Interior
~Custom dash and floor pans.
~Driver and Passenger seat are either going to be racing seats or just updated bucket seats.
~Behind D&P seats is a bench seat

Stuff That i have a deadline for by the end of the year
-Gut the interior for the next step
-Take out Motor/Transmission
-Check over all the wood (YES THESE CARS HAVE WOOD IN THEM!, especially the roof supports)
-Take Cab off and get media blasted along with the frame.
~All Body work Needs to be done


Everything else is Next year and beyond.

Pictures when i went to look at it June of 2011.

[frapjap]

Sounds like a helluva project! Good luck and definitely post a build thread of your unique task.

[Jesda]

PS. Almost EVERYONE on Packardinfo.com hates me because its not going to original.

I suggest an S13.

[numbnuts240]

build it and i'll run with you at lime rock.

[Dattebayo]

Cool stuff.

I hope you understand what an expensive welding/fabricating pain in the as$ it's going to be to make that thing have front and rear coilovers...

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Well...not many were produced and there are even less still around in in restore-able shape. I can see why they would hate you and I wonder why you even posted this on that kind of website lol. Still...your money and time and I've seen worse bastardizations. (Northstar V8 in a Ferrari 308)

[Hooked on 240]

PS. Almost EVERYONE on Packardinfo.com hates me because its not going to original.

I suggest an S13.

From dailys to beaters to parts cars ive had 12. No thanks.

And everyone else thanks! and i know what im getting into or else i wouldnt be this far involved in it!

[themadscientist]

I normally don't poopoo strange projects based upon the platform, but this is testing it. If they are not actually that rare I guess cool. I'm still trying to process the idea of a Packard website.

[Rev_D21]

[Razi]

LOL 240 owners.

[JoeCool6972]

Well...not many were produced and there are even less still around in in restore-able shape. I can see why they would hate you and I wonder why you even posted this on that kind of website lol. Still...your money and time and I've seen worse bastardizations. (Northstar V8 in a Ferrari 308)

I must agree. A rare car like that deserves nothing less than a full restoration! If you want to build a hot rod/race car, build one from a kit. It would be cheaper too in the long run.

[Bubba1]

Any feedback is great.. Especially anything that will help me solve the axle/suspension thing.

My thoughts:

Perhaps you should consider pulling the body and putting it ontop of a modern frame/running gear, like a C5 Corvette. You might need to shorten the body in the middle, but it would certainly easier than trying to rebuild/replace virtually every single 80 yr old neglected/rusty part. You not only save money, you'll lessen the sheer size, and heft making it all around more competent at the track..

I can certainly understand the packard owners being upset, to them you're butchering a collectible. But I think the Toyota motor is an unwise decision for an american collectible. If you're gonna convert it to a race car or restomod, you should at least consider keeping the engine/drivetrain domestic.

[Jesda]

Let me be more explicit:

If you're going to Toyoterize a Packard, get one of the less remarkable 50s cars and hack it up however you want. You didn't just buy a used rustbucket. You bought an example of American design, engineering, and manufacturing greatness. You don't have to do a 100% original restoration, but you should do something more mindful of its legacy. Have some respect.


You are doing to this old Packard what this guy is doing to wine:







Now get the hell off my lawn.

[Dattebayo]

I think you guys are forgetting that it's a car. People use them to drive in.

[Jesda]

You don't just use a Packard to just "drive in," you putz. You use it to represent a heritage, demonstrate the greatness of an era, AND drive in.

Restoring a car doesn't mean you have to sit on it. There's a guy out there who takes his Duesy SJ on cross country road trips. He has to remember to shut it down every 4 hours so it doesn't catch fire. He out-awesomes all of us.

[AZhitman]

I would ordinarily pooh-pooh the idea, having restored stuff from the 40's to the 90's.

However, knowing what I know about the construction of these cars, unless you're a fabricator on par with someone like Nolan (bmxarmy) of the Rbambler thread fame, I'm not optimistic it'll ever see modern running gear and suspension.

I've been wrong before, and I'm certainly no purist - Just a realist.

[Dattebayo]

Putz? Just because I don't think that you have to do what everyone else would do with an old thing. Yeah, right.
It's just a thing, why get so bent out of shape because someone suggests it could be modified any way the owner chooses?
There ARE other examples of Packards that have been restored, so it's not like this is the last one.

[Jesda]

Your methwagon Sentra and a Hoover-era Packard -- same old things. They both have wheels right? Doors? Glass? I BET THE PACKARD DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A CD PLAYER.

STUPID OLD THINGS.

[Jesda]

I'll fight you, David.

[Otto.]

I think you guys are forgetting that it's a car. People use them to drive in.

I think you're forgetting this is a car forum.

[Bubba1]

I think you guys are forgetting that it's a car. People use them to drive in.

I think you've forgotten that an 80 yr old Packard is a collectible antique in addition to being a car. He's free to put any engine he wants into his project, but if he has any concern for what the car will be worth after spending so much time/money creating it, then the decision to use a Toyota motor instead of a domestic might come back to haunt him. That's all.

[Jesda]

the decision to use a Toyota motor instead of a domestic might come back to haunt him.

If I die I'll haunt him too.

[Bubba1]

the decision to use a Toyota motor instead of a domestic might come back to haunt him.

If I die I'll haunt him too.

You could be the "Phaeton Phantom."

[krash]

Your methwagon Sentra and a Hoover-era Packard -- same old things. They both have wheels right? Doors? Glass? I BET THE PACKARD DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A CD PLAYER.

STUPID OLD THINGS.

[Loki]

I support your project, but you have to realize that many, many, many classic car fans will hate your guts and it will be exceedingly difficult to sell such a car down the road. If I were you, I would restomod the thing, drop in a domestic V8, and make it a grand tourer/daily driver. I don't think it's worth the time to make a track car out of it.

[numbnuts240]

1. remove all interior behind front seats
2. install rr engine and transmission setup
3. convert front engine bay into giant charcoal grill
4. cook crazy amounts of hot dogs and burgers
5. profit like mad

[Bubba1]

1. remove all interior behind front seats
2. install rr engine and transmission setup
3. convert front engine bay into giant charcoal grill
4. cook crazy amounts of hot dogs and burgers
5. profit like mad

It would be great to have him hand you a cheezeburger w/ da works each time you lap him at LimeRock...

[Otto.]

1. remove all interior behind front seats
2. install rr engine and transmission setup
3. convert front engine bay into giant charcoal grill
4. cook crazy amounts of hot dogs and burgers
5. profit like mad

Bring it around to car shows and other events. GET MONEY.

[s0m3th1ngAZ]

Your methwagon Sentra

I lost it at this point.
I predict he will get as far as partially hacking away at the frame half-assedly.Then get discouraged and sell it to a dumbstruck Packard fan.

[Hooked on 240]

Let me just state a couple things LOL

~For one id like to say those were my basic ideas, you dont like them cool.. its not your car lol.
~I choose the 2jz because it has power stock and most importantly its a straight motor design. That dosnt mean im choosing to go with it... although id like to.

Im not stupid if it cant be done i wont do it. i dont just go cutting up anything first. The body and chassis are getting restored first then ill worry about everything else. Ive already in the process of buying alot of stuff like the door handles interior bits and pieces etc.

And the reason im using the original motor is because 1/2 of it is missing. beyond that finding parts for it is ridiculous. Simply put, I dont want 100hp 4800lb car... lol

First post changed also LOL