Packard : SUPER 8 BARE METAL CLEARCOAT - AWESOME PATINA

 I had been looking for a late 40's or early 50's car for a while. Everything that I had seen amounted to either too much originality or too many modifications that weren't appealing to me. I decided to search for a project car that I could modify to my own liking. My plan was simple. unbeknownst to me nobody thought this was simple or a good idea ESPECIALLY my wife) I wanted an old car on the outside but I wanted it with all the technology. comfort. reliability and safety that a modern car had to offer. I spent hours and hours researching new cars that had the same wheelbase as old cars. what types of aftermarket suspension systems were available as upgrades to bolt on. best type of braking systems etc. It turned out it was a lot of research to do for absolutely nothing as I learned quickly that I had absolutely no idea what I was doing and worse. no clue what I was getting myself into.
Then came the ad: 1949 Packard Super 8 for sale $2. 00. The pictures were dark. the car was covered in dust. the tires were flat. the hood ornament was half broken. the interior looked complete. It was stored in a heated garage and had not moved since 1981. I called the number in the ad and left a message. I soon got a call back from a number that identified itself as a well known local hospital. These are always bad calls to receive so I answered immediately. On the other end of the line was a weak voice telling me that he was returning the call for the Packard
for sale. He apologized that it had taken so long to call me back. and that he had a heart attack and was calling from the hospital. I told him to call me back when he was healthy! He said he would call me back in a couple of days. A couple of days passed. I think I had reached the end of the internet at least a half dozen times researching. searching etc. I knew that the car was mine already. I had that euphoric feeling. you guys know what mean. I was obsessed.
The day finally arrived. it was spring. sunny and warm. I get to the address which was a high rise condo tower and I waited. Obviously I was there half an hour early. As the hour approached. I noticed more and more cars pulling up. To my dismay these were all other potential buyers. The owner arrived in his 2 door Toyota coupe. introduced himself and then told everyone to pile into his car because the Packard was at the very bottom level of the parking structure. He had kept the car in the same spot for the past 30 years without moving it once and paying $90/ month to store it. Yes I know. this is hard to believe.
Oh. I'm a germaphobe so I'm in the Toyota coupe now with 4 other people. There's a mans hairy arm almost in my mouth. another guy sneezed. I'm holding my breath and trying not to touch the piece of chewed food one of the owners grandkids left in the backseat. Some guys girlfriend is sitting on his lap. her horrendous underwear exposed. I'm sweating. and uncomfortable but I need this car and I need it badly and I won't take another breath for another 6 levels.

Dizzy and confused from a lack of oxygen I outbid everyone on the spot. The balance of buyers have to walk up the six levels to let themselves out. I own the car. The owner also decides to share some stories about the car with me. The most awkward of them is him showing me the various positions that he used to have sex with his wife in the backseat (this is where her legs need to go. this is where your legs need to go . And it's really good if you hold onto this as he points to a leather rope which is used to help you get out of the back seat) Oh the provenance!

I don't sleep that night for more than an hour dreaming of how I will pull the Packard out of its slumber. Tow trucks don't fit due to height so my plan is to tow it out with my jeep. As you all know. nothing ever goes smoothly. The tires won't hold air. the car won't even roll. I don't care if I drag it out to the light of day as it skids the whole way. It's coming out. and it did. I had a flatbed waiting to tow it home. I am so proud as the tow truck pulls up to my house. My wife comes outside. takes one look at the car and starts crying. ( This reaction is quite normal when introducing a new car to her although I notice that she never becomes accustomed to it for some reason) I realize that the next couple of months will require lots of pampering. nice dinners. and potentially a new purse.
Things go from bad to worse when 2 days later I come home in a 2007 Chrysler 300c hemi with Bentley grill and badges. sitting on 22's. Honestly I'm embarrassed driving this thing. It's chipped has headers and a Borla exhaust. My wife comes outside and asks me what I am doing. I quickly explain to her that I plan on taking everything from the Chrysler 300c and transplanting it into the Packard. And then the tears really start flowing. She just doesn't understand what I want to do. (And neither do my nosy neighbours who actually think it's a Bentley) Oh by the way this 300c is immaculate. orig paint. fully maintained and never accidented and it just cost me 7x what I paid for the Packard.
Back to the internet where I scour the web for an old school rodder who can chop the Packard frame and weld in the complete front and rear suspension taken from the 300c. I speak to many who have never attempted this until I speak to 'Pops'. Pops is engaged to modify the Packard frame to accept the front and rear 300c suspension. He warranties his work and guarantees that I will be able to drive this car on the highway at any speed the 300c is capable of. It will also drive straight and effortlessly provided he gets his geometry right. But as he said. that's his problem. Here is mine: my wife is crying (still) at both cars in the driveway. I need to take the entire wiring harness. computers. engine and transmission out of the 300c because I want ABS.  air conditioning. NAV and SAT radio. tiptronic transmission and traction control and Hemi in the Packard!!! It takes me over 60 hours to remove the entire wiring harness and computers from front to back IN ONE PIECE. I did not cut ONE wire. I did this so that there would be ZERO trouble shooting. Also I want to be able to stop at any Chrysler dealer or garage and have them run a diagnostic on the OBD2. after all it's a 300c through and through.
I have the 300c towed to Pops. My neighbours still believe I ripped apart a perfectly good Bentley in my driveway. It would have probably taken me 40hrs if my neighbours would have stopped all the questions. 'Wait. you're taking this perfectly good car (Bentley) apart to put it all into THAT??' Uhmm yeah. you got it. now pass me that screwdriver please.
Pops is in his seventies and let me tell you something; he is in absolutely no rush to finish this project. He is taking his time and he is also extremely proud of his work. The attention to little details is driving me crazy. I want it to be safe first and foremost. I am never going to see all of this detail!! The body of the Packard is going to cover all of this! I lose this fight big time. He also convinces me to blast the frame and paint it. What have I gotten myself into? I'm trying to create a resto-rat hybrid. not a car that will have people looking underneath it.
I change the brakes. and the tables. and somehow in a moment of weakness. the rear end to an srt8 rear end. Then I buy eibach lowering springs for absolutely no reason ( I'm my own worst enemy) I change all the belts and hoses once I'm at it. Hell. lets just put in a new starter and some new style valve cover covers and a front strut bar. Why? I can't answer. I have no idea. I just did it.
Pops is done. It's been four and a half months. The frame goes to the body shop and the Packard body is fitted. Everything fits and Pops is my hero. In goes the wiring harness. the computers. the tach and speedo which get mounted behind the original Packard cluster. the air conditioning. the 300c fuse boxes (one in engine bay and one in the trunk with the battery). the shifter. and the dynamat. Oh did I mention that I had the child restraints welded in for car seats? Click click and you are done. My kids BEG me to go in the 'fun car'
One last check that everything is plugged back in and time to start the Packard and wake it up from 30+ years of slumber. Insert key. turn and start. No problems.
The test drive is unbelievable. Smooth as silk on the highways. and no issues stopping and starting and keeping up with modern traffic. My goal had been reached but obviously I was not yet finished.
The car went to its first show and won best engineered in show and was in V8 passion magazine.
I liked the look with the black worn paint but of course I got bored and much to my wife's dismay I decided to strip all of the paint off the car and polish the metal in the garage at home. This took me all winter working every night for 2-3 hours. I then sent the car to be vinyl washed and clear coated. (Yes I am aware that rust will start under the clear - but this is the new look I was trying to achieve)
So I feel like I'm almost done with the car. but I feel it is missing a little punch. I decide that I need to replace the upholstery on the front and rear benches. Again I feel like I reached the end of the internet in search of a rust color material for the benches and door cards. Finally I find it. a rust coloured faux snakeskin. Obviously I order it right away and I end up reupholstering both benches. the exterior sun visor. the bottom of all the door cards and all of the door handles and installed a nice new carpet with rust color piping to match. And I still had enough left over faux snakeskin to cover my buddies seadoo seat and the entire interior of his 'Fall Guy' replica pick up truck!
That's the story how the Packard was transformed into what it is today. It has been used for movies and music videos (SEE BELOW) and gets more attention than any car I have ever owned. I even took my family in it to park safari! People though we were nuts. Long drives? No problems whatsoever!!

http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=nUi9kAuxICU

and

http://www. youtube. com/watch?v=cSTMca2TOM8

Things left to do:
Install a horn
Install the factory radio (included obviously) with NAV and SAT. All wiring is done. Just plug in and install speakers. 300c speakers included and yes the car is prewired with the factory harness
Connect windshield wipers
Fixed cracked drivers window ( I LOVE what it looks like all cracked) it's two pieces of glass laminated together. It still rolls up and down no problem.
Vent the A/C. It works perfectly and blows ice cold. Right now it vents at your feet and through the center of the dash where the radio is to be installed but if you want more control of where it blows. a little thought and elbow grease needs to be put into it to install vents. Period correct vents would be cool.
Other
The car will come with the bullet shaped swamp cooler mounted on the passenger side as seen in pics. The bullet shaped swamp cooler is near impossible to find.
The car will come with the original 300c spare tire that is mounted in the trunk in case of emergency

The car will come with all of its history since 1951! All presented in a really old binder filled with yellowed invoices for maintenance and stuff. I am the fourth owner of the Packard.
Any questions. let me know! I'd be glad to answer them. I reserve the right to end this auction early as the car is for sale locally.
Bid to win!!! This could be yours!

http://imageshack. com/a/img822/191/ns8g. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img833/9049/nakw. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img716/4665/3hss. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img855/365/sbre. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img822/8208/biqt. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/9212/usqx. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img809/6493/duol. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img21/9171/ncob. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img837/6034/chx9. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img21/3904/lowc. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img42/7360/0m6t. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/3756/xb4o. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img21/7966/srdb. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img21/609/3q1s. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img42/4201/ghz4. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img703/4640/y30a. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img24/2691/4jyt. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img856/1802/6wxr. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/7827/w7fe. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img854/2636/gthg. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img22/9899/owmz. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img716/9338/atmj. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img513/8926/2ecn. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img89/387/ttle. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img401/2458/m1pp. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img829/1502/dah0. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/9933/xqtr. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img28/548/kx91. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img850/7564/j03v. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img42/1025/65w0. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img822/7655/srse. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img824/5460/gct9. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img23/8228/e3hk. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img20/8111/dnpt. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img46/9866/jj9f. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img843/2238/k6w1. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/3390/zgbu. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img24/4647/r4ou. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img849/8227/9ipu. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img35/9531/m1ip. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img703/477/atx1. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img22/4449/i1di. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img22/7504/6z7d. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img541/4826/wdbg. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/2622/ygzr. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img19/2889/p28h. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img850/6834/vvdl. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img31/3382/9cxn. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img42/3681/wngl. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img843/9057/tqmj. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img33/7589/vv68. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img850/4854/pm5i. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img203/3864/oc55. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img401/5787/roc9. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img24/9720/1poz. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img855/4485/q08n. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img46/4669/b1ow. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img513/8539/nhxb. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img19/252/pyl7. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img59/528/rluk. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img822/7072/yjj3. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img203/2422/l9sp. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img89/1151/dpky. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img854/2139/hhkl. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img837/7665/et2n. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img811/2077/54kt. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img834/448/c2oi. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img401/1381/eksx. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img28/5751/w7lf. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img856/1425/u4na. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img34/6761/plc8. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/6139/o643. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img41/8904/0mi7. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img824/6923/8vp3. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img21/9800/nyi5. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img34/6987/k8wy. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img811/9277/tnfz. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img20/3989/lnfu. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img21/5672/kruw. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img18/6705/dwds. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img833/2513/qcal. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img19/8643/kqs4. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img716/3601/yiun. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img28/7184/gno4. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img19/6672/gk7w. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img21/1133/2d8kz. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img20/695/o6k0. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img24/849/en1h. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img513/7460/ety4. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img833/5961/atdt. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img27/593/vgmp. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img713/9499/e4ls. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img809/249/xlgt. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img20/1152/vhu1. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img46/938/kx08. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img19/9271/sh4j. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img534/4797/a3cw. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img841/6376/y02x. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img716/641/folj. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img42/7983/44w4. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img33/4671/hm5w. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img812/5370/0mge. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img41/5601/ylc2. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img850/3526/bu1q. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img841/5610/6qut. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img854/3599/uwir. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img843/6440/62s5. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img203/442/e1pi. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img541/6848/dws8. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img35/9064/5hlc. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img809/9530/oe9e. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img829/6306/6plo. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img513/9100/dxlj. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img24/4449/2ayf. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img819/1725/7qiz. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img62/6899/w32z. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img46/6234/dchi. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img41/8832/l9qg. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img833/2637/2q6n. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img834/6899/dvg8. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img27/9554/bkne. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img22/3052/wlub. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img34/5425/pmhe. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img24/8888/xa6n. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img21/2775/h83q. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img716/4209/m8t5. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img822/4906/lc17. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img35/9996/w0wi. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img841/4969/vw1u. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img843/3964/jm7l. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img834/1113/yfsi. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img849/6961/cqvj. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img812/4458/ifxe. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img534/1125/2gdi. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img69/6743/dg1n. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img22/1063/wwto. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img22/8365/a9z1. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img849/5885/rhtf. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img35/5893/5a2w. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img34/5200/15vy. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img62/7010/ncwe. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img841/2254/fwv4. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img69/8471/aql1. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img401/1269/6frx. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/255/anb1. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img41/547/ixhc. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img23/8070/0t1l. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img23/7012/fvij. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/2898/qxgc. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img35/8494/h99y. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img812/5226/cvge. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img401/5039/wjja. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img33/2864/f8i8. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img853/1538/iah9. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img812/4868/zyts. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img31/6657/lqg7. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img845/7363/xxh9. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img62/6489/cjte. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img19/5870/oya8. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img716/9516/0i0w. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img829/5877/a1wi. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/4839/x0hk. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img31/5194/vsjb. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img834/8786/ecit. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img541/5384/cjfh. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img829/2467/wnzh. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img822/4971/ftrq. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img716/8819/60pr. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img811/8140/rpas. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img62/6749/0yom. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img856/3347/d95g. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img853/7043/vbcr. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img845/1854/n1fp. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img69/1756/9q9n. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img819/5573/6okg. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img841/8056/8w12. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img716/5061/cpxx. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img46/6402/m7sr. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img18/9924/axbz. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img401/4686/m8iv. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img41/5273/r3cd. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img18/829/3gvj. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img513/5739/pee7. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img811/2285/8iqy. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img822/4878/rkau. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img513/5509/pbjo. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img18/7831/jcy5. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img713/5328/vru2. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img829/7997/xppa. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img69/2354/rs6f. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img850/5809/p3mb. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img541/4122/9fma. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img854/2650/ie7g. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img834/4866/hzf5. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img46/987/h6xr. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img24/1719/utiz. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img823/1033/r1j7. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img843/710/uchg. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img34/8246/whbu. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img841/1149/d4ljx. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img22/774/6bh6. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img716/6946/0uur. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img41/1080/j1tv. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img203/148/yrub. jpg
http://imageshack. com/a/img62/673/0ngq. jpg

Also published at eBay.ca

Want to buy this car?