Ever seen a Packard V8 street rod?

Spoke with Troy today about options for his Packard V8. I voted old school but more power.

Thanks to everyone for sharing the Packard V8 photos and histories. I've been doing this for fifty years and many of those were new to me.

jack viens

 

I have a 352 Packard engine out of a Studebaker Hawk laying in pieces out in the barn. Man, is that engine ever heavy!

Dave.

 

Yes, over 700 lbs. they tell me. Probably not too far from the early Chrysler hemi and the 429/460 Ford. A bit less than the Ford truck F8/Lincoln flathead V8.

They look perfectly in scale in the Golden Hawk, at least to me. The Studebaker V8 looks small by comparison, and it's no lightweight either.

 

The Packard V8 weighs 710# ready to run. That's less than a hemi, but it is longer than a hemi. The Packard V8 has 5.0" bore centers; only the late 472"-500" Cadillac has such a long block.

The Studebaker V8 is as heavy per cubic inch as any OHV8 ever made, including Dodge/DeSoto hemis. It weighs 695# ready to run and the smallest is 224".

jack vines

 

I really appreciated the chat on the phone, Jack. I've been mulling over your thoughts on the engine and transmission. Thanks again, Troy

 

I received a phone call yesterday from Ron Laufer. He is looking for any pictures of Pete Wally's Packard.
This car was a local ledged here in the East Hills of Pittsburgh. It was about a 1949 Packard. Pete Wally put a Cadillac engine in it. (Anyone can build a Chevy or a Ford Hotrod!) This car was SOOO COOL! It was a total Sleeper! It looked stock on the outside. The car had one of the very first B & M Hydro transmissions in the area. If I remember correctly it had 6 two barrel carbs. This car would really jump!
My brother Tom and our friend Jim Henderson were racing at Quaker City back in the early 60's. Pete DROVE the Packard out from Pittsburgh to race. He had to race Dave Koffel in his Flintstone Flyer Packard. Two Packard Hot Rod Gassers at the same place at the same time! Had to be something to see...... Maybe there is a picture out there somewhere of this car.
Ron had owned this car back in the 60's and he never took a picture of it and he just wants one for his collection.


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First define street rod then I'll tell you if I have seen one.

 

How about a late 40's Packard Gasser, the original Flintstone Flyer was a D/ or E/Gas car powered by a small block Chevy. I have a picture of that car somewhere taken at the Indy Nationals in the early 60's.

 

It's like pornography, impossible to define in words, but you know what it is when you see it....

 

I got a 50 Packard super 8. Pulled the straight 8 and sold it to a collector that had a nicer Packard. We did olds power with mine. It's a nice driver!


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In 1960 I dropped a 352 Packard into my 1950 Canadian Meteor. Used a dual coil distributor and 4 97's on a homemade log manifold. I was 17 at the time and we finished it in auto shop.
Made a lot of money betting guys to see if they could identify it. Ran in B Gas at Fremont it turned in the low 90's which back then was hauling. Got married and the wife made me quit racing. Tried to sell it but ended up parting it out. years later dropped that same engine into a 51 F1 pickup and could slaughter the new SS396's.
Rich

 

lol... thanks for this site... I've pondered my 49 2 door Packard as everything... I'm only 34 and when it started coming apart, I saw a nova clip 4 link and big hp...with ALMOST everybody pushing me that way.... Straight 8 3 on the tree seized or not... American... to cool to die ... did I say dual white walls...

 

this is my Packard patrician, and thanks to jack vines it is a cruiser, olds oil pump mod and a few other things to make it runner 76000 miles on the orginal motor also in 1955 a packard from ore. was the A stock auto chanp at Arlington drag strip!!

 

Hey Gary--
I grew up near where Everett Hatch was from, my older brother new him years ago.

 

I remember hearing about Hatch in the 80's when I was a kid. He was a local legend around the Salem area. He and his son as I recall built race motors for sprint cars and some hot street cars. The Packard story is new to me though. My dad tells me he was into anything with a motor, so it doesn't surprise me. The story I heard, he was messing around with experimental aircraft and died crashing one of his projects. How much of this is correct it's up for debate. If in wrong, please, chime in!
Btw. I grew up in Silverton Oregon, not far from there.

 

I do remember a FED shown in Hot Rod in the late 50's / Early 60's with a Packard engine. right now I am in the process of putting my Hot Rod Mag collection in magazine holders and, if I do as I normally do will look through each magazine as I put them in order. If the Packard rail shows I will scan & post it.

 

My wife says I never did grow up, but I was raised in Stayton

 

I took my drivers test in stayton in 1994. Auto tech school in Salem in 1996, then machining school in 2000, moved to Carson city Nevada in 2001 now I make race car parts.

 

Jack I have always wondered about the weights of Packard vs Cadillac vs Studebaker V8.
All the old tables from hot rod mags show the early Cad and Studebaker weighing the same, 625 lbs. This never seemed right to me since they were so similar but the Stude was definitely smaller. I always figure the Cad was heavier. The mistake may have originated with weights published by the manufacturer in which some gave the weight complete with flywheel, clutch, starter and generator while others were shipping weight for a stripped long block.
Also that the 56 Golden Hawk was criticized for being nose heavy but the Studellac was not, and neither was the supercharged 57 Golden Hawk.
Since the McCulloch supercharger and accessories add 50 pounds right at the front of the engine compartment it seemed to me the weight difference should be negligible.

Would be interested in your opinion or even better, if you have weighed them?

 

Nads' '34 a "Street Rod"????? Old Town and crying dolls???? I just fell off my stool, laughed so hard.
He calls it a "Pack-Ford" I believe it is a 1954. He got the whole kit and kaboodle, when a guy was building a SBC powered STREET-ROD. ???

JT

P.S. Old Town Sucks!!!

 

I can tell you this, my Packard engine bent my engine stand, admittedly it was a cheap one, but still

 

Old Town is dying a slow death.

 

I replaced the 392 Chrysler in my Bonneville Vega with a 352 Packard. I'm here to tell you the Packard was noticeably heaver. The Packard block was about 2 or 3 inches longer than the Chrysler. I believe the Stude weighed about the same as a Cad. Very similar in outside dimensions. Smaller inside. But the Packard was much heaver than either.

 

Winner of the 2017 roadster completion.

https://www.google.com/amp/www.hotr...adster-is1936-packard-hollywood-hot-rods/amp/

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