I remember from the time I could stand on my own in my dad's shop, I wanted to play with his toys. I would set on an old Cushman skooter and watch for hours. It had an engine from a Honda 305 Superhawk. Right next to it was a Crosley with a 331 Hemi. His daily driver was a 66 LeMans with a 400hp 455 Olds engine. Everything he worked on got a cool paint job or a bigger engine... There was one exception to that. It was a 1949 Packard. Dad named her Daisy after mom mentioned the weeds around it. It wasn't much to look at so he didn't mind if I explored the interior while it sat, waiting it's turn. It is the first car I ever remember driving. Looking back in time, in reality, my Uncle Bud was helping me steer while dad pulled it in the shop with his garden tractor. I played in it for a few more days while dad changed the head gasket. Then it was gone..... I found the mighty Packard again when dad joined a few friends to start a car club. Their first outing was a poker run with their old cars. I spotted it as soon as we got there and begged for a ride. I was in love. I jumped in it at nearly every outing we had. The years went by and it got stuck in a collection. In the 70's, it got a paint job and some new chrome and traveled the states following the Packard club. It still has a bumper sticker from Gillys in Texas. In the late 90's, I found it again. And bought it. It sat for a few more years till dad wanted to go racing. Up hill. Some brake work, a carb rebuild, new set of tires...... and we were in the staging lanes of a race. This is what it looks like today. I think it's about time to take her apart and make her pretty again. Then see how hard I can make an orphan 327 run.... Up a hill.... Imagine 7 or 8 of us clowns stepping out of this car at the end of a race. What a blast! I have less than a year to get it ready for the 49th annual Newport Hillclimb. Racing on city streets. In a street legal antique race car.
I am envious. This sounds like a really fun project. I hope you can include some kid who can build memories just like you did.
That car needs frenched headlights, a roof chop, accessory gee jaw removal and a serious lowering. Then move to the engine.
Wow. That is nice! Egg crate grille, double lower trim small window 48. The front fenders on that model are 8 inches longer than mine between the tire and the door. Here is another pic of mine to compare.
Do you ever happen to watch Full Custom Garage? The guy built a chopped 4 door Packard on that show. Made his more of a fast back with a more vertical windshield. Not what you usually see on TV car building shows. Yet another idea for motive power.
Love the idea! I think it will always comes down to how fast do you want to go, what period of time you want to work in, how radical of an engine and how much do you want to spend! Me, I'd probably opt for some bad-ass 50's motor - with a blower. With that said - if you were just going to the best combination of power and price - it would be a LOT cheaper with a modern Chevy LS motor. A LS motor will make a huge amount of reliable horsepower and cost half of what the same HP would cost in a 50's motor (or less) . . . but again, you choose how you want to play. Hmmmm - I'd be stuck in the 50's . . . so how about a big-blown 392 Hemi - with a Hat injector . . . sticking out of your hood and set way back! Yeah, that is what I'd do! B&S
I like the idea of hopping up the Packard straight eight. Mill that long head, port the block, add a couple carbs, and go.
Thanks for the input guys, I'm going to stick with the original strait 8. Just going to warm it up a bit. It has a three on the tree and an R11 overdrive unit with 4.56 gears. With a full tank of gas, me and my little lady, and "Ace" the shop dog all loaded it weighs 4900 pounds. The car has to remain "stock" in appearance. I plan on boring it it enough to clean up the cylinder walls and raising the compression ratio to around 9 to one. Stock is 7.5:1. While I'm in there, everything will get a good polish. I'm also going with hardened seats for the valves and possibly a better grind on the camshaft. And then there is the tiny little turbo from a 97 Mitsubishi Eclipse that will fit nicely out of sight under the heater box. (grin) Still looking for a twin carb intake.
Thanks. It has been a life long dream to be in the drivers seat of this car. We really enjoy racing it at the hill. I decided it was time to make it pretty again when the channel 10 news crew had it in their news segment this year. Dennis Guage from My Classic Car Show was standing at the finish line on that pass. He autographed the fastest Crosley there. It didn't have a 331 like dads but it has some famous grafitti now.
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