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1941
Packard Super-Eight One-Sixty convertible sedan
This is
the car I am selling the ’66 Lincoln in favor of. I found it advertised on the Hemmings Motor News website
early in November. The car is
located in Phoenix, Arizona. I
have since been to Phoenix to inspect the car, and gave the owner a
deposit. Now I have to put the
necessary pieces together. I hope
to have the car here in Maryland by then end of January. Here are a few pictures. Details at Eleven.
What I found
when I got to Phoenix.
January, 2004
After
another nine somewhat anxious days, Passport delivered the car to the Speedwell
Garage today. She will checked
over, and receive a new set of shoes...
Still on
the truck.
Unloading…
Above, after
unloading and buttoning up, now to be serviced. Below, ready to roll.
April, 2004
The car
was at Speedwell for about ten days while the new tires were mounted and
balanced (radials, by the way), the brakes gone through, the fluids changed,
and a general once-over performed.
Here’s where the fun begins…
The Old Dominion Packard Club is having a tour out of Cumberland,
Maryland at the end of the month.
A lot of those people firmly associate me with Lincolns. They were not aware I was very quietly looking
for a Packard, and many of them do not know about this car. I’m looking forward to seeing the look
on their faces…
(L – R), On the road to Altoona, PA. In the parking lot at Horseshoe Curve, Altoona, PA.
The ODPC
tour was about 800 miles, and a great time. With the exception of what I
thought was a worn universal joint, the car ran wonderfully. The above picture was taken parked at
Horseshoe Curve, near Altoona. The
picture below was taken at the motel just prior to heading home. The weather during the tour could have
been nicer. We got more than a bit
of rain, and Baby got her baptism of fire (so to speak).
Sittin’ in the rain.
One week
later was the All-Packard Swap Meet in Frederick. I found a few things I needed, including some overdrive
parts. Hopefully, the overdrive
will be ready in June…
May, 2004
Article from The
Steering Wheel and Chesapeake Chatter, April – June, 2004
issues.
I received a call around the middle of May,
inquiring if I would be interested in participating in a Memorial Day Parade in
downtown DC. Under normal
circumstances, I do not like to put the toys in parades, as they are hard on
radiators and clutches.
If
memory serves, the District of Columbia does not normally stage a parade on
Memorial Day, but this year was a bit different. The World War II Memorial was dedicated two days earlier,
and this parade was organized to help commemorate that event. I was asked if I could provide one or
more cars. I put the arm on a
friend to drive my Packard convertible sedan, and I drove the Lincoln
roadster. The organizer promised
me that the Packard would be driving the Mayor of the District of Columbia, and
I would be driving the president of “Rolling Thunder” (a big charity-based
motorcycle group). The Mayor
brought a passenger with him, a lady named Effie Johnson. Mrs. Johnson’s father served in the
military during WW I, she herself served during WW II. Her son served during
Vietnam, and her grandson is currently serving in Iraq. As it worked out, the president of
Rolling Thunder did not show up, so I was assigned a new passenger: Bill
Medley. If the name doesn’t ring
familiar, I’ll offer up one clue: The Righteous Brothers. Among the other celebrities present
were Nancy Sinatra and Connie Stevens.
Memorial Day dawned gray and drizzly,
and the forecast was for scattered thundershowers most of the day. We were all up early, as the assembly
time was set for 6:30AM. Present
and accounted for in the lineup were various members of the local Packard and
Lincoln clubs. At one point, most
of us put our tops down. Then it
started to drizzle again and the tops went right back up.
Mrs.
Effie Johnson rode in the Editor’s Packard with the Mayor. She is one of four
generations of her family to serve in the military.
The Editor’s ’41 Packard (L) and ’37 Lincoln (R).
At the Memorial Day Parade,
District of Columbia Mayor Anthony Williams chats with designated Packard
driver Bill Loewy.
July, 2004
In June, I
drove the Packard up to New Jersey for a garage tour with Keystone
Packards. While we were passing
through Cherry Hill, the car began to sputter and buck. As we got off of the Interstate, I went
to shift the gearbox from third up into second. At that point, I lost a pin in the shift linkage, leaving me
with only first and reverse gears.
I ended up having the car flat-bedded back down to the Speedwell Garage. We suspect the sputter and buck was
either vapor lock, contaminants in the gas, or an incorrectly-plumbed gas
line. We don’t know for certain,
as she wouldn’t misbehave on command.
At the same time, the overdrive was finally ready, and the car got her gearbox
transplanted. In late July, the
RROC was having a weekender down in Charlottesville, Virginia to send the Lewis
and Clark tour participants on their way.
I decided it was the perfect opportunity to test out the new
overdrive. While down there, we
toured Montpelier, James Madison’s home, and Thomas Jefferson’s
Monticello. The overdrive makes
all the difference here. The car
loafs down the road at 60mph.
In the parking lot at Monticello.
December, 2004
I received
a phone call recently asking if I was interested in driving the Packard in the
annual Scottish Christmas Walk in Alexandria.
My
passengers were supposed to be U.S. Senator John Warner and his wife.
They
decided to walk the parade, with me following them.
May, 2006
Last year,
work was rather consuming, and I only got the Packard out a couple of
times. The purchase of the ’36
Lincoln necessitates the sale of one car.
The Packard went to a new home this month. I still have very mixed emotions about this.