Tag Archives: Custom

Thermostatic Shutters And Controlled Body Ventilation – Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster

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In 1932 Packard reintroduced V12 motors to power it’s top of the range products which like it’s V12 powered products sold up until 1923 were marketed as Twin Sixes.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

In 1933 the Packard marketing department opted for the simplified “Twelve” designation for it’s 160 hp 445 cui / 7,456 cc V12 powered models the Tenth Series 1005 and 1006.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The 1005 was built on a chassis with a 142 inch wheelbase and the 1006 on a chassis with a 147 inch wheelbase.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

New for 1933 were twin plane or V shaped in plan radiator cowls with colour coded shells to match the rest of the body, which on the shorter 1005 chassis was available in 10 different styles.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

Also new for ’33 were the thermostatic shutters in the side bonnet / hood panels which helped keep the engine running at optimum temperatures.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

The Tenth Series bodies were marketed with new controlled body ventilation to minimise unpleasant drafts within.

Packard Series 1005 Custom Twelve Convertible Roadster, Desert Classic Concours d'Elegance, Palm Springs

In all 244 Tenth Series were sold in 1933 of which 50 are believed to have been Convertible Roadster’s of which 16 are believed to have survived.

Eight weeks after a complete restoration of today’s featured Twelve was completed by Nick’s Old Car Specialties in Redlands, California it won a Best of Show at the Marin Sonoma Concours in the summer of 2013 and followed that a couple of weeks later with Automotive Best of Show honors at Dana Point, picking up a third Best in Show at the 7th Annual Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance in February 2014.

My thanks once again to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photograph’s taken at the 7th Annual Desert Classic Concours d’Elegance, Palm Springs in February 2014.

Thanks for joining me on this “Thermostatic Shutters And Controlled Body Ventilation” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for FIAT Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Sixth Series – Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster #168397

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In 1924 Packard replaced it’s V12 powered top of the range Twin Six models with more powerful and economical straight eights.

Four years later Packard production peaked at 55,000 units in 1928 and in August of that year the company introduced it’s Sixth Series with either 140 inch wheel base 640 chassis as seen here or 145 inch wheel base 645 chassis.

Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster, Bonhams, Quail Lodge, California

Power for the sixth series came from a single block straight eight with side valves and a seven bearing crank with a capacity of 384.8 cui / 6.3 litres that produced 106hp at 3,200 rpm.

Today’s featured car is equipped with a three speed manual gearbox, semi eliptic springs and drum brakes for all four wheels.

Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster, Bonhams, Quail Lodge, California

A contemporary report in The Autocar noted “… the big car has the power for traveling right up to a high speed without fuss, without suggestion that the engine is doing much work, without harshness, yet with plenty still in reserve.”

Known history of this car starts with collector Richard C. Paine, Jr who owned from at least 1990.

Packard 640 Custom Eight Roadster, Bonhams, Quail Lodge, California

Mr Paine left instructions for this car an several others from his collection to be sold upon his passing to secure the future of the Seal Cove Auto Museum near Bar Harbor, Maine.

After being bought by a European Museum in 2008 the car is seen in these photographs by Geoffrey Horton waiting to be put under the Bonhams hammer for a second time at the 2013 Quail Lodge Auction where it sold for $126,500 including buyers premium despite requiring “mechanical re-commissioning”.

My thanks to Geoffrey Horton for sharing today’s photographs.

Thanks for joining me on this “Sixth Series” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres” I hope you will join me again for FIAT Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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The Smoothest Car Afloat – Dodge Deluxe Convertible

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To mark the Centenary Anniversary of the foundation of Dodge, by brothers Horace and John, in 1914 this months Americana Thursday posts will feature five post ’45 Dodge models starting with today’s featured 1948 Dodge Deluxe Convertible.

Dodge Deluxe Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

When Dodge resumed production of private motor vehicles in 1945 like most manufacturers it turned to it’s 1942 designs with minor cosmetic alterations. The D24 1948 Dodge Deluxe Convertible, seen here at Summer Classics Easter Compton, is no exception being based on a design that can be traced back to 1940.

Dodge Deluxe Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

Power for the ’48 Deluxe models came from an L head 3.8 litre / 231 cui in line six which produced 100 reliable horsepower. Note the DVLA records for this car show it is fitted with a 5 litre / 302 cui motor of unspecified age and origin.

Dodge Deluxe Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

1948 D24 Dodges were available with 6 or 7 passenger sedan, 4 door town sedan, 2 door club coupe or convertible bodies supplied to Dodge by Briggs Manufacturing Company which was eventually purchased by Chrysler in 1953 after the death of Walter O. Briggs in 1952.

Dodge Deluxe Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

The success of the D24 models can be judged by the fact that 10 years after the model had stopped being produced they were still being used by taxi operators across the USA such was their comfort for fares and reliability for operators.

Dodge Deluxe Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

One of the innovations the series benefited from was Fluid Drive, a fluid clutch which meant a stick shift manual could be operated like an automatic requiring less clutch operation than a conventional friction clutch and no doubt contributed to the strap line “The Smoothest Car Afloat” which stayed with the Dodge D24 series from 1946 to 1949.

Dodge Deluxe Convertible, Summer Classics, Easter Compton

Production of the Dodge D24 Deluxe and sister Custom models peaked in 1948 at over 250,000 units, production of these models continued into the first three months of 1949 before they were replaced by an all new design.

Thanks for joining me on this “The Smoothest Car Afloat” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again for Ferrari Friday tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Twin I Beam Flex-O-Matic – Ford F-Series Sport Custom

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The fifth generation, US built, Ford F-Series pickups were built from 1967 to 1972, Brazilian versions were built from 1971 through 1992. A face lifted F-Series with a new grill appeared in 1970 and today’s featured ’71 Custom Sport version had further minor grill changes.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

’71 F-Series pick ups also featured a new steering wheel design, colour options and an AM/FM radio option.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

Ford marketed the ’71 F-Series on the strength of “Better ideas” which made “Ford Pickups work like a truck” and “ride like a car”.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

Better idea’s also included independent front “Twin I-Beam” suspension, first seen in 1965, which dramatically improved the handling over the pre 65’s solid front axle suspension, and dramatically increased the appeal of the F-series beyond the traditional agricultural and building trades communities.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

The rear suspension was known as “Flex-O-Matic” in Ford’s marketing literature, this appears to be a regular solid rear axle and leaf spring set up with a rubber pad twixt the rear leaf springs and a shackle attached to the body which acts as a shock absorber on any upward movement of the axle.

Ford Sport Custom, Avenue Drivers Club, Queen Square Bristol

The Twin-I-Beam and Flex-O-matic suspension are the bain of ‘Rodders’ lives because the front cannot be lowered without adversely affecting the geometry of the front wheels leaving them with too much negative camber, and the rubber pad and shackle interfere with the lowering of the rear suspension.

The Sport Custom seen in these photographs at an Avenue Drivers Club meeting is powered by a 215 hp 5.9 litre / 360 cui FE V8 motor.

Thanks for joining me on this “Twin I Beam Flex-O-Matic” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you’ll join me again tomorrow when I be looking at a vehicle that appears to define the term “horseless carriage”. Don’t forget to come back now !

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Push Button Door Handle – Ford Custom Deluxe Station Wagon

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By 1950 American automotive innovation was gathering pace, for 1949 Ford introduced independent coil sprung front suspension to the Ford Custom Deluxe replacing the transverse leaf spring that had been around since at least the Model T.

Ford Custom Deluxe, Goodwood Revival

For 1950 the Custom Deluxe motors received a new camshaft, timing gear and three blade cooling fan, these improvements did not noticeably improve the performance of the 100 hp L head V8 with three speed transmission and overdrive for high speed cruising.

Ford Custom Deluxe, Goodwood Revival

A torsion bar was added to the front suspension and the steering linkage was improved to give “finger tip” control, though this was not power assisted.

Ford Custom Deluxe, Goodwood Revival

Ford started more attention to the smaller details of the 1950 Ford Custom Deluxe introducing push button door handles with rotary latches, while economies were made within with only the drivers seat covered in leather while the rest were clad in vinyl.

Ford Custom Deluxe, Goodwood Revival

The steel side panels were covered in Di-Noc imitation wood grain

Ford Custom Deluxe, Goodwood Revival

The top of the range Ford Custom Deluxe woodie station wagon cost $2,107 new, this one, a former resident of Dana Point, CA, seen at Bonham’s auction at Goodwood Revival a couple of years ago was expected to fetch between £28,000 and £32,000.

Thanks for joining me on this “Push Button Door Handles” edition of “Gettin’ a li’l psycho on tyres”, I hope you will join me again tomorrow. Don’t forget to come back now !

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