Anyone give me more info on a 1939 Packard Hearse?

I am trying to buying a 39 Packard He**** and I would like to know more about them and how much work it would be to find parts for it? So I can start getting prepared on looking where the best spots are for parts to get it fully restored. If anyone can give me any info I would appreciate it.

Thanks,
Brandyn.

 

Packard built only the ch***is with front end sheet metal (cowl forward & doors. The rest of the he**** was built by one of the specialty body builders. There should be a plate on it somewhere.) The mechanicals are all Packard.

 

Odds are fairly good that it's a body by Meteor or Superior, on a Packard ch***is/cowl, as Dale noted.

Entering into a project like this is not for the faint of heart. It's difficult enough to find parts for the newer professional cars from the '60s, let alone a '39.

Here's a thread that might be of some help to put the difficulties in perspective. It doesn't apply to your prospective vehicle specifically, but you'll get some idea. It also has a couple of forums & parts sources listed. http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=529817

The Packard-specific parts won't be any more difficult to get than they would be for any other Packard of that year, but the body parts may be quite difficult to find. If you do buy it, there is a H.A.M.B. member who does restoration work on Packards who might have some ideas for you.

A couple of links: http://professionalcarsociety.org/

http://www.coachbuilt.com/index.htm

 

Here are some pictures of the he**** I am in the process of trying to buy.

 

Packard He****s were built by Henney in Freeport IL. See the this web site.
http://genealogytrails.com/ill/stephenson/henneybooklet.html
Good luck with your project.
I have spent about 22 of my 27 years with Honeywell working in the Henney building.

 

It looks pretty solid from here. The parts are pretty hard to find. I have restored 3 funeral coaches ( 2 from the 80's and one from the 60's). Neither decade was particularly easy. If it is mostly complete just use what is there and brighten the parts up. She could be a real doll.

 

Henney may have made most of the Packard he****s, I don't know. I do know that the custom body/he**** builders back then would make pretty much anything the customer wanted, using whatever vehicle they specified. That being the case it's very likely that non-Henney he****s were built.


This is a link to a recent discussion here about mostly Packard he****s:
http://www.jalopyjournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=540041

As was said, the ch***is parts are going to be mostly or completely "regular "Packard" stuff. I don't know about Packard, but old Cadillac he****s had bigger brakes, bigger spindles(used truck bearings), he****-only axle ratios, and misc other unique items. Finding replacements for anything the body builder did will be very difficult to impossible. At least some of the exterior body trim will have been custom made for the he****. I have always liked he****s and hope this works out for you.

 

Hello Cl***ic. I have done one of these he****'s the one I did was a 37 and it was a henney coach. There is a lot of work on these big girls.They are cool , floors , door frames are wood as is the inner structure, we replaced most of the wood with steel .
I have an extra set of rear fenders and rear door skins.
Thanks , mark

 

In looking at this a bit further, it looks as if both Meteor & Superior were using Cadillac or LaSalle ch***is by '39...I did find a reference to Miller using Packard ch***is in that time frame. After Miller-Meteor joined together, they definitely used at least some Packard ch***is, as I've personally seen one. Be interesting to see who made this one...

 

Here's some decorating ideas!

 

ban this guy please^. that's horrible.

 

this 36 Oldsmobile for sale in AZ also uses a Henney body...

 

Good luck.

It looks like a 120 based ch***is. This should help make your search for donor vehicles and parts easier. We actually parted a similar '39 he**** years ago to put a '39 coupe back on the road. I may be able to help answer questions or even locate some parts that you may need.

Vintageride

 

Yea that pic of all that stuff in that he**** is a bad idea for this car. I am planning on originality. I've always liked the look of them when they arent custom. Thats just my opinion.

That oldsmobile looks very interesting. How much are they asking for it?

 

I have a '38 Buick He****. It is a Henney body and looks exactly like your car from the front doors back. Look it over closley as the craftsmanship on these was poor to say the least..

 

There was a nice one sitting in a wrecking yard in Teu***cari NM years ago, but I doubt it's still there. It was next to the remains of a 47 Ford woodie.

 

That is terrible. Anyone who takes a woody or any other rare cars to a s**** yard has no feelings for the car. I was offered another he**** but I am more interest in this packard. It was a 1940 cadi lasalle he****. Its located in cali. If anyone is interest I can give you the guys his name on here. He is asking $3000.

 

Is the drivetrain still installed?

 

In the packard?
Yes. I was told everything is still there.

 

With some shortening and slicing/dicing it'd make a helluva sedan delivery.

 

I can't do that to such a beautiful car.

 

I like the way you think Cl***ic. Black with burgandy interior.

 

Thats the best way to go. I was taught right about cl***ics from my grandfather.

 

There was a post on here about a month ago that had a bunch of pictures of Packard specialty vehicles. Unfortunately, I don't know how to post links to threads, but it should be pretty easy to find. BTW, there is a picture of a stock sedan delivery that may change your mind.

 

tub where is this stock sedan delivery?

 

Like I say, I don't know how to post links to a thread, but the ***le is "I didn't know Packard made so many he****s, ambulances, special models". Search for "Packard He****" which should get you to the thread, and I believe it's in the third group of pictures the OP posted. There's some neat stuff in there.

 

Ill check it out but so far my heart is set on that he****

 

To bad its just a picture. If you found one of those, now that would be amazing but I love he****'s and 50's and later dodges.

 

I go to this site all the time for info about my '51 Packard:

www.packardinfo.com

Great site, lots of good people (like the HAMB) providing years of experience and knowledge. A valuable resource for Packards of all vintages.

 

If you read post #7 you will find a link the thread there.

I always considered he****s to be sedan deliveries as they are, especially the landau style with no rear windows.