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PACKARDS
160 messages, Last post on Aug 05, 2009 at 2:11 PM
You are in the Classic Cars Forum.- Your Host is mr_shiftright
What is this discussion about? Sedan
#1 of 160 haven't posted in awhile by b4z
Nov 15, 2002 (2:48 pm)
Used to post in a previous Packard thread, but it is long gone.Became a Packard Club member at the end of June and on July 3rd drove up to Tyson's Corner, Virginia for the 37th Annual Packard Meet.
There was no time to officially register for any of the Events, but I did go to the indoor swap meet, which was really interesting.
And on July 4th went to the car Show at Oatlands Plantation in Leesburg , Va.
Seeing all those cars on the basically empty Dulles Parkway was a sight to behold.
It was brutally hot that day, but there were over 150 cars there.
Got to see some incredible Carribbeans and a 1913 Touring car. And everything in between.
Several members have told me it is possible to find good running 120s for $4500.
Where can I find one of these?
Anybody got any ideas?
Everything that I have looked at is around 14K.
Mr. Shiftright?
#3 of 160 by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Nov 16, 2002 (10:30 pm)
I would think a decent running 120 in fair to average condition could be had for around $8,000 or so---but $4,500 sounds like a car with a lot of cosmetic problems or damage. You can certainly find a good running late 40s "bathtub" Packard for $4,500 or a 50s sedan for even less than that, but a 30s era 120 would probably cost more IMO. However, if the members of the Packard club are telling you that, and since club members tend to OVER value their cars, well, I'd have to reassess my own idea of what a decent 120 is worth in that case. Maybe then meant a "running" car that is cosmetically very poor.#4 of 160 Mr. Shiftright by b4z
Nov 17, 2002 (7:27 am)
I think I need to find an "in" with somebody or find a barn or estate car.
My preference is a '34-38 120. Maybe a '39. The later cars hve too much chrome on the front and those chrome strakes down the side.
Found this on ebay last night.
I imagine the bidding will go much higher though.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1872747168
I also found a '41 110 that at first blush looks good. Upon closer inspection the paint is bad and there are several dents in the body.
Current bidding is at $5900. I would think by the time I got it painted and the chrome done I would be in the hole in a major way.
Plus it will always be a 6 cylinder car not an 8.
And I don't like the front end. Doesn't have what I consider to be the classic packard grille.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=1872602681
#5 of 160 by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Nov 17, 2002 (8:47 am)
I think you need to stick to 8 cylinder Packards if you want to come out alive after you fix it up.I'm sure if you "worked" the clubs and just hung around something would come up. Packards tend to be kept by older owners and they like to pass on their cars to people who will care for them. They aren't speculative type collectors as a rule. The real greedheads tend to be in the more modern cars which are bought and sold (sometimes) as commodities rather than objects of affection.
#6 of 160 Mr. Shiftright by b4z
Nov 17, 2002 (9:41 am)
I think you are correct about that. Unfortunately I am in SC and the closests Packard shows are in Florida and VA. So it will take some effort for me to get there.I have made tentative plans to go to the 2003 Meet in Santa Rosa, CA.
I think I need to see a lot more cars before I get a handle on what I am buying.
My observation of the Packard Meet in VA was that I was probably the youngest guy there(39). Most were in their seventies.
I need to spend some more time with these guys and found out what I should look for. I am sure they have a line on a lot of cars that never get advertised.
I saw 4-5 120s and Super 8s there that I could live with. I would guess that they would sell in the 24K-37K range.
Most of these cars were probably in better condition than the average Packard.
I was surprised how many cars at the Meet were not judged. I guess they get them in good shape, have them judged for a couple of years then drive and enjoy them and not worry about a ding or stone chip.
#7 of 160 by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Nov 17, 2002 (10:25 am)
Yes, many good deals in the collector car world never get advertised. Cars are what they call "hand sold", person to person, not by mass advertising.#8 of 160 by speedshift
Nov 17, 2002 (10:40 am)
Shifty, what's your take on the long-term value of '30s Packards? If most of them are owned by guys in their 70s that doesn't seem to bode well for the future.#9 of 160 I might have been exagerrating by b4z
Nov 17, 2002 (10:55 am)
There were a lot of people in their 50's and 60's attending the Meet.They were probably in the majority.
Quite a few in their 40's.
Might have a lot to do with disposable income, Not just the fact that guys in their 50's are buying musclecars now.
#10 of 160 by Mr_Shiftright HOST
Nov 17, 2002 (12:42 pm)
I think that aside from the truly exceptional 30s cars, most mass-produced 30s automobiles face a fairly grim future. They will continue to decline in popularityand value as a new generation of collectors switch to more practical and valuable cars.. So if it's a Packard sedan or a cheaper model, I suspect not many people in the future will continue to restore or maintain them, and they will be scrapped/sold off by families/ hot-rodded or modified / driven around and enjoyed until they drop / or just sit there and disintegrate. How many people still drive stagecoaches or ancient bicycles or old fire engines?
However, the big dual-cowls, V12s, special-bodied cars, etc., will always hold their value and always be preserved. The winnowing process in collectible cars always favors the exceptional and discards the ordinary. As restoration costs increase and values decrease, it seems logical that cars that aren't worth much will disappear or be forgotten
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