Yes, I’m having a Party 1-Shot , but everyone is invited. We all love praise but I do love criticism. Or counterpoint. It gives me method to revoke or rebuke ideas. Bounce them around.... then try and find where the bloody ball went.
I'm not sure the WWII pic is a PhotoShop. If it is, it is very well done. It appears to show the 1938 Saoutchik Sharknose Graham that opened your pantograph door thread. French Chief of Staff Alphonse Juin is known to have had the car earlier in the war and was in Paris at, or soon after, liberation. Apparently there were fewer than 40 pantograph door cars built prewar, mostly to Saoutchik patents (French) or James Young patents (British). Saoutchik cars have the exterior door handle in the center. James Young cars have it at the front. Center handles appear to have more control over the pantograph motion. Front handles are more convenient when the door is fully open. A rear handle would be roughly at the center of your rear wheel when fully opened, which would be awkward. Both Saoutchik & James Young had the interior door handles at the front. I'm curious, are you planning latches at both front and rear?
I like the way this is going, late model or not, the roof works, why would it be a problem I don't understand, I think the curved lower edge of the door let's it flow in a swoopy way, even more sore with the swage added on the top of the door. The only design thing I have a block in my mind is the bulkiness of the front guards. Because you already have that repair patch on the lower half, my eye is taken to the sleeker lines on the top edge of that compared to the original top of the guard profile. It still an awesome creation, it gives me more courage to have a crack at building something like it. Great work CadMad Sent from my VFD 710 using The H.A.M.B. mobile app
I intend to cheat a little with the doors and use gas rams or actuators to self open them. Just like a new Jeep tailgate. So the button will be just that. A release button. I imagine they will smoothly and silently open. I guess I’ll cross the bridge of how to close them, once seated, once I get to that. I presume I will need door locks either side. Once again, I’ll cross that bridge when.... As far as the front guard goes , yes it’s huge, but it is currently slightly misaligned away from the body due to widening of the cowl and rolling of sills. I haven’t fully located it to the cowl. It needs to move in against the cowl about 30mm. As well the flash of my camera also cast a shadow that optically makes the guard look bigger again. If I’m not happy later with the guard, well it’s just a case of cutting it up again till I am. To take the picture of the whole car I have to position my ph against the far wall of my shed and shoot. Once I get the steering back together I’ll get it outside and get some better walk around pics.
Looking forward to those walk around pictures. This is all great fun! You (& your support crew) have a great eye for design and detail.
Started bracing up the cowl which allowed me to flip the ,previously chassis mounted pedals, upside down. Couldn’t go floor mounted because the X Member is in the way having moved the cowl back 11 inches but the pedals are right at home swinging. Mounted a booster far enough on the other side to allow access to the master reservoir under the hood. Someone beat me to my next project.
I’ve started to brace the rear tub to the sills. An issue with modern convertible roofs is that the side windows are heavily leaned. To get the classic look I need to get the side glass more vertical which will mean modification to the folding B pillar. So I had to savagely cut away at the Saab tub structure to get some much needed room if I hope to make the glass more vertical. I was aware of it, but it was highlighted when I began mocking up my windshield and a inward leaning A pillar looks terrible. So lots of brain work prior to getting it all working.
Never thought of the slope of the glass toward the top (I think the technical term is called "tumblehome", could be wrong) but that makes sense and I agree, a closer to vertical angle is necessary for this car. But I have no doubts you'll get that ironed out. Still looking real good, I like the updates.
Here is the best explanation of the “tumblehome” issue I’ve encountered. It just looks way too modern.
I think it is one of Luc DeLay’s builds for the Metallica frontman. Don’t get me wrong, it’s yet another stunning one off creation .... but not the look I want. I also suspect that the raked sides would preclude rolldown sideglass as there isn’t enough body shape in the door.
Proceed to weld, ; you'll have quite a tan by the time your finished and a great Packard. Keep posting your progress.
This car looks too modern for a 30's or 40's car but when I look at the windshield and chrome moldings around it, it screams Jaguar XK 150 roadster uto me, so not that modern.
Saw that blue car @ GNRS in 2018, that isn't James Hetfield's. A few more angles, I agree the top of the windscreen angles in too far. The rear and side profile looks good though. This is James Hetfield's
Saturday is play day. So I started on the windscreen frame. Started with 65x65x6 mm stainless angle and several cutting disks later I’ve gotA pillars . I can’t believe the cowl pieces are from a laser cut piece of offcut I found at the scrap yard. Absolutely perfect radius for the cowl. Another day of cutting and I should have the central post made.
Was at the house of Cad the other day and as on ground reporter, I can verify that it's all looking very good. Camera shots are a bit fish eyeish, but in the flesh it's very long and sleek. The roof will be a challenge, but hey, something has to be. Personally, I can't wait for the doors.
Glad to know that someone is checking on the Cad I have always liked the 1939 60 specials. If I live in Australia I would be trying to buy it off you to finish it.
I just need a few Patrons of the Arts. I’ll set up a go fund me and you can just put money straight into my account. $1 US = about $242 Au with our $hit exchange rate. I’ll send a warm and fuzzy plush toy for every donation over $100!
I'm really loving the windshield frame, I'd like to build one myself. I would be very interested in the details of how your glass will fit into it.
Gotta say I’m loving it as well. It’s great when things just fall into place. I cut the A pillar out of angle stock 65x65x6 mm. The curved horizontal bits are 45x6 mm that I found Pre cut by laser at the scrap yard and by some kind of miracle they were the perfect radius. The outside frame will be fully welded but the inner centre pillar and inner top sections will get welded together like a T and get screwed in place. So I can get the glass in. The mirror stalk can be one of the fixing points as can the top latches. The frame is very rigid already. I will make a ss u channel to hold a weather strip for the A pillar to seal against the door glass. .... but that’s another adventure ahead. The header bar will be one piece in a V shape.
I have a love/hate relationship with the windshield. Now you did say you like opinion so I feel like I'm not baggin on ya here. As a stand alone piece it's bitchin. Shape, rake, dual pane/split, all kool. After having felt the 'vibe' you've zeroed in on with the car as a whole there's almost too much of a good thing going on there. Not sure I can communicate what I'm seeing in my mind's eye, but you being there in full on live build might see it better than I can say it. I'm afraid the rest of the top and related visuals will fight each other a bit. Am I making sense? It's late here and I'm ready for a trip to pillow county. The top might end up too "sporty" or maybe even speedster-ish which almost doesn't compliment the elegance in the rest. Now I'll beat myself up a bit and admit my thinking is almost always looking toward the heavy American Classics for design cues regardless of coachbuilder country of origin. Some of those would have an obnoxious top laiden with irons and looks like bed linen laundry day when folded. Can't have that either, but somewhere between Auburn Speedster and Mercedes 540K Cabriolet with the excess laundry there's an answer. And maybe you are there already and I can't see it. Love/hate relationships are tough...
Thanks Highlander ..... I think.?!?! On both the 39 Cadillac and this Packard I’ve approached them with a similar brief. Imagine the 39 California Works Fair. Cadillac is fast becoming King of the World and Packard is about to hand over the crown. But both are trying to out gun the other... no war puns intended. Harley Earl on one side and Alvin Macauley at the other. It’s do or die for Packard. So they go all out maybe cos Alvin got wind of Harley’s Sixty Special Custom Cadillac. So he’s told the crew to build an up to date custom with links to the glory days of the 34 Lebarons with a touch of upstart Darrin but more firmly in the new age of the automobile seen as a plane, not a horse and carriage. ...: does that make sense??? I was gonna chop it another inch but I’m glad I didn’t. I think it is harmonious from every angle. I get the luxury of looking at it all day long. You just get 5 pics. Trust me it is exactly where I wanted it. The proof will be in the pudding.... as they say.... but I’ve already stuck my thumb in it.... and it tastes great.
My mate brought his tig over so this afternoon I dressed up the welds and refined the details. Welded in the header top rail and it is true and solid as a rock. Tomorrow I’ll do the lower channel and the inside face.