Has anyone out there done an sbc v8 engine swap into a stock 52 packard sedan? I'm wanting to drop a small block into my 52 packard 300 sedan. Hoping to get a bit of info maybe from someone who has already done it. Of course i'm catching flack from the purists so not much help there. This is not something i can't figure out. Just thought i would ask. Thanks
The one similar swap I saw here in town, the SBC looked pathetically little and lost in the cavernous Packard engine compartment. IIRC, the most difficult part was there was no possibility of the fan reaching the radiator, so he installed an electric. Might want to swap front springs. The Packard Eight weighs 782# and an all-iron SBC about 540#. If your Packard has PS, the GM pump will work fine, adapters required depending upon vintage. jack vines
I've never seen one done here, plenty of Hudsons, Studebakers, but no Packard. I'm no purist either, I just dropped a SBC into a '59 Ford. It was a fairly easy swap. Like PackardV8 says, the SBC will look lost. Try to wrap your head around a 454 Chevy or 472 Cadillac and an automatic. In the case of the Packard, it may be easier to do a front clip swap and get all the bennies of new steering, brakes, AC and so on. I don't know where your skills are at... but the project will bring you to your knees.
Thanks Jack, i appreciate the response. Any idea how they did the motor mounts on that one. I am trying to find out what front springs might interchange but not having alot of luck with that one. My interchange manual mentions 52-54 lincoln mercury, But that's about it. It seems the 50's Packards didn't get as much swapping as the 30's and 40's models.
A big block really isn't in the plans. Trying to do this on a budget..social security disability, besides i just want a nice mostly stock cruzer. Gettin too tired for the big jobs these days. Never done a front clip swap, sittin something down on a later frame i have done. Anyway thanks for the input brother i do appreciate it. Hoping i can have her up and goin for Hot August Nights next year.
A stock 350 SBC might feel underpowered but should be OK for cruising. The swap is straightforward. Remove the other engine and trans then drop the new ones into the hole . Have the car on jackstands and at ride height then locate the new engine where you want it to be. Check clearance for things like exhaust manifolds and oil pan then level and center the engine. Now fabricate bracketry for motor mounts and the transmission crossmember. I always make the trans crossmember first and use it as the anchor point for everything else. As far as springs go there are a lot of places that will make new springs and it is less expensive than you might think.
52 Packard 300 weighs slightly less than 4000 pounds, about the same as an early seventies Monte Carlo or full size Chev sedan or wagon. Original engine was a 327 cu in 150HP straight eight. Should perform well with the stock Packard rear axle, 350 V8 and matching automatic. Ford Aerostar front springs seem to be a popular swap in nearly everything. If the diameter is the same they might work for your Packard. Or if you get the engine in and the front sits way high you could just cut off a coil or 2. This will work but the springs will be too stiff. The Packard Ultramatic was a rather short transmission. If the Chev trans is longer, you have the leeway to move the engine forward and not have to cut the drive shaft. The Packard uses conventional universals, you may be able to fit the GM front yoke to the Packard drive shaft. If the universals are different sizes there are universals that have 2 sizes on them. Packard's rear universal does not unbolt you have to press it out like a front yoke.
V6 chevy vortec would be a charm....you can buy an intake marine manifold , HEI vacuum style distributor , carb ..
Vortec V-6 in a Packard????? Hope you were trying to make a funny there. 0-60 with a calendar and passing? It wouldn't pull a stiff****** out of a pail of lard...
The sbc would be functional, but particularly really cool. Wouldn't bother open the bonnet at a car show. But a multi carb straight 8 would be very very cool and be more likely to wow the crowds at a car show. Should drive fine too. If the packard motor is good. It shouldn't cost much. Or be hard to do.
Oh, what the Hell, go for the SBC, and just put some Packard script on the valve covers, and use a big funky air cleaner, and you'll have folks scratching their heads
I like the idea of getting it in there and worrying about the ride height once you know where you actually sit. Cut coils will probably get you close. If it's to stiff I'd look at the Aerostar set up or find a cross reference chart to find a common coil that will swap over. They are generally cheaper than having a custom spring made. Another option depending on what kind of deal you can find and what your willing do mess with is to bag the front. No, not adjustable just air ride at the height you want it. It seems when I look at air set ups all the cost is in compressors and valves etc. if you just ran some lines to say a inner fender location with a port should you want to change the height you could pull up to you local tire fill spot and pump them up. I know I've run air shocks with a valve stem type port/valve mounted under the bumper to adjust them. This could work similar? Just throwing ideas out there. I also don't know what the distance is from the motor to the radiator but a lot of the 60/70's Chevy trucks have the motor stuffed waaaay back there. Maybe look into a big fat clutch fan and a tapperd fan shroud like you'd find on one of those. I'd mock it up as low and as far back as i could and then start looking at where the steering lands and adjust the placement in regards to clearing that stuff keeping in mind your exhaust has go to go somewhere. Post some under hood photos if you get a chance and maybe someone will spot something that would help of be a good idea after seeing them
Quick image search gave me this stuff to look at for now. Doesn't look like a particularly huge engine bay but maybe the scale is misleading?
Scale is off a bit. We're talking replacing long and narrow with short and wide. Would be easier to swap in a 292, and better performance around town, too, with the better low-end torque. Highway wouldn't suffer, those Packards never did rev high, so gearing is spot-on as she sits. Cosmo
Now I recall some factory efforts that looked like the engine didn't belong: Chevy II four cylinder. Used half a 55 gal. drum for a fan shroud... Cadillac Fleetwood (early 80's) with Buick V6. Don't laugh, it WAS a delete option AND I've seen one. Absolutely gutless wonder. And putting that where a 425 was looked ridiculous in the extreme.
The Packard engine bay looks deeper than it is wide, so that could be a deception. It would be an interesting swap for a SBC. I wonder how a 235 or 292 Chevy 6 might work in it.
Packard straight 8 manifold with 2 carbs was the Edmunds. Last bare manifold I've seen for sale (and sold rather quickly) was $2,000. A set up with carbs went for $2,400, no air cleaners, carbs needed rebuilds. Just sayin...
Packard straight eight is a long engine and they have a long engine compartment. Maybe even as long as a 72 Monte Carlo lol. They did use long fan extensions, about 6" on some GM cars, and also deep rad shrouds. But the electric fan would be better. You could set the engine forward a few inches for better trans clearance and maybe even use the stock driveshaft. Only a suggestion, as it is not difficult or expensive to shorten a driveshaft if necessary. But if you have room, and it will help the exhaust clear the steering box, why not. As for the front springs I would wait till it was done, weigh the front end, and ask a spring shop if they have any suggestions. There may be some off the shelf springs that would be perfect. Considering the hundreds of different cars that used coil springs over the years.
Anyone have any overall length measurements of this motor? All I can find is the head gasket is 34 inches long. A 235 Chevy 6 is 32.5 roughly, so I guess add the depth of a water pump and the Packard probably falls around 38 or so long. I'm trying to get a mental imagine of a sbc in a Packard as compared to say a 50 chevy
Bumping this to the top- I was hoping to save the straight 8 in my 53 Packard but found some cracks in the block that I'm afraid has doomed it. I have a second engine for parts and might be able to build a good one from the two, but it won't be cheap. And my fear is I'll spend a wad building the engine and then down the road the odd ball auto trans will die and I'll really be screwed! Hate to put a Chevy engine in it- a ford 300/c6 on the other hand....
I like the idea of the 300 Ford 6, plenty of them around too. May pay to spend a couple of hours eyeballing one and taking some measurements.
Steinauge- good to know! If I end up rebuilding one of these 8's I may contact you about that. do you have the parts to convert the steering column and pedals? Bob- I like the idea of the straight six cause it seems like a more logical fit, and a hopped 6 would look kinda cool!
51-55 packards all the same 55 had a V8. 320 352 and 374 ,so swap the V8 mounts and go with that ,I would guess also Studebaker 55-60 V8 is also similar , can get them pretty cheap , like 100$ I've seen one online somewhere a shop in tn did ,they went mustang 2 , with a vortec V8 4l60? So van or 3 wd gm set up . Planning on doing a low buck safety conversion on my 53 , so I've been doing a lot of homework, there's also a gm Auto transmission kit for the 327 , it's a grand . And Google can help . I personally like my 327 but soon enough a lot of stuff is not available.so we try to keep it alive for now
If a 350 chevy will move a 3/4 ton Suburban towing a giant trailer over the rockies it will move a Packard just fine. Likely the simplest and cheapest option. Personally I'd think BBC and I have seen a lot on Market place lately since everyone does a LS now. A 383 SBC would give a bit more torque but it will go fine with a 350 or even 327. I have seen a Packard with a SBC years back . It didn't look that small in there really. If the original drive line can be used then bonus. Is it wrong I thought****mings diesel while reading this thread Sorry.
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