QuestionDear Mr Benjamin:
I am 77. So maybe older than you. Hence my love for these beauties LIVING PROOF THAT the US car industry was the best in the world.
My 48 Packard recently adquired (17K original miles) needs a copy of Owner´s manual + other mechanic manuals you may advise for proper maintenance of this 61 year old lady! Where can I purchase these?
The 46 Hudson is also a low mileage (36K) two owner car.
Packard has engine painted green. Original I guess. It purrs like "Ask the man who owns one" should for a 17K miles Packard.
Hudson has no paint at all. What type could I use to protect the Hudson engine?
I have not seen the Packard undercarriage yet. Inside is in pristine condition, fit to take a young bride to the church.
Hudson has some undercarriage rust showing as natural ageing is taking place in grandma too. Engine compression is very good.
What is your advice.
I can mail you pictures of my Packard now sitting at my mechanic´s shop in MOCKSVILLE, NC. 27028
Thank you and kindest regards,
Harry
AnswerI believe you are the first questioner I have ever had that is older than me! (And this is after about 4000 of these Q&As since I joined the pre-cursor to this service way back when the internet was still in diapers). But, you've only got me beat by 2 years.
Anyway, the Packard engine color was what we both know as "Bell Telephone green" through the 1947 year, but starting sometime in the 1948 model year they changed to something I would call "machinery gray". The correct paint color is available from Bill Hirsch in New Jersey, or from the Kanter Brothers, also in New Jersey. You can do a google search for either of those businesses for the engine paint, and in the case of the Kanter Brothers, just about anything else you might need for the car.
For any of the manuals including the owner's manual, try the automotive literature dealers. I use Ed Faxon at www.faxonautolit.com but there are many others. The shop and parts manuals also show up on eBay pretty frequently, the owner's manuals are much more rare, but you can get reproductions of them from the literature dealers.
I regret that I cannot tell you what the right color is for your Hudson engine. The best source of information on this is the HET club (Hudson-Essex-Terraplane club). Contact them at www.hudsonclub.org
As for the type of engine paint to use, I have been very pleased at the performance of Rust-O-Leum gloss enamel paint - it seems to tolerate the engine block heat, and flows very nicely to a good appearance. The manifolds of course cannot be painted, unless you buy very special high temperature paint, but I don't see the need for this - they were not painted when the car was new.
Both of these cars are very well built cars and can give you years of pleasure in driving them. I have a 47 Packard with almost 300,000 miles on it that I have owned and driven since 1967 - it is still quiet, powerful and smooth, and looks good too! I also have a Hudson, but it is of a different generation than yours - it's a 55.
Good luck with your cars, and feel free to ask any questions of me - I'm happy to help if I can.
Dick
