Sneaky Classic Car...

Sorry, but a car posting. I headed for a classic car gathering last weekend, thinking it was a Wendy's parking lot thing. Wrong...was hundreds of oldies, including some 60's 427 side pipe vettes, which are pricey. Saw a very rare Chrysler Allard (usually Cadillac power) in great shape. Also, saw two 1930's Essex Terraplanes...first I've ever seen.

Then before I left I spot a Packard in among the Chevelles. Fella says, "well thought I'd drive over." It's a mid 1930's convertible, all orginal, v12. Under the covers they were decades ahead...front suspension looks like a 1980's Mercedes. He started the engine. I said it stalled...only the fan is spinning. Wrong...it's so silent, a Lexus sounds noisy. I check the Internet when got home. I concours example sold for $1.6M in CA, although others are in the low 100's. A Chevy it was not. Never did ask him who he was.

Oh, to make this a boat post, I did drive over to Grand Haven and toured the marinas. Did some some Hatt scoping. Hatt Service is going home. I ask you have any 2 3/8" green stripe water hose? He comes up with 6' all dusty from way in the back at half price. Man, I hope its long enough...I need 6' 6"'s.

My plant foreman is rebuilding a Packard convertible right now. He keeps coming in with unique engine parts to show me. Amazing how advanced they were and how much machining went into that stuff (all without robots or CAD).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SKYCHENEY

My plant foreman is rebuilding a Packard convertible right now. He keeps coming in with unique engine parts to show me. Amazing how advanced they were and how much machining went into that stuff (all without robots or CAD).

---

Sky, the unknown owner noted that after certain vintage, the new owners of Packard stipulated that all old parts be destroyed, but about two truckloads got out of the plant. So that increases the difficulty of securing parts. I always wonder where old tooling goes...probably back into a heat somewhere.

I have noticed that due to the wonders of CAD and CNC, some companies now laser copy various parts, including up to body panels, then CNC machine them into dies. Since they may only hand-hammer a few parts, the dies need not be super hardended, etc. So large sheet metal part such as fenders and hoods are possible to new part spec, even on very old cars. I would assume that other parts could be created if the castings could be created. Even then, billet machining might replace a casting. Modern technology can be wonderful.

P.s., I go back to when CAD was DAC (GM in the early 60's - Design Augmented by Computer- the computers were slooowww...).