1949 Packard Eight

1949 Packard Custom The Packard may not be in production today but had early roots in the automotive world stemming all the way back to 1899. They were known for creating high quality luxury automobiles and were also innovators creating one of the first 12 cylinder motors adapted from a WWI warplane. They never produced a factory light duty pickup for consumers but did build some commercial trucks early in their history. Well this 1949 Packard is sure to boggle the mind of any automotive historian because it looks like it came from Packard themselves. The front cab is a Packard 23rd series that has been modified to have a B pillar and flat rear glass that was very well done. This mates up to the rear bed which is all steel and was donated from a Studebaker pickup. The result is an incredibly unique truck that is truly one of its kind. You are guaranteed to never pull up alongside another one at any show you attend. It is the perfect combination of unique orphan cars but is even more special because Packard eventually purchased Studebaker in 1954. The truck is painted in a deep Red paint that is accented by the unique Packard grill, shortened stainless side trim and Swan hood ornament. The glass on it is all good and these had the 2 piece split front windshield. In back, the truck bed has a liner done in matching paint so not only is this a cool looking custom but it is functional. On the tailgate a Packard emblem has been added and below that tail lights and turn signals just above the chrome rear bumper. Under all four corners are nice Packard wire wheels wrapped in wide white Coker radial tires. The truck features its original drive train and has the piano hinge hood that opens from either side. Underneath is the strong 327ci straight eight motor that has just the right amount of torque to be used in a pick up. It is very reliable and starts every time. It has been converted to 12 volt and drives down the road well. The motor is combined with a 3 speed manual transmission that moves through the gears with ease. The gas tank is located under the bed with the filler routed behind the drivers side fender. The interior is done in the factory style and features a redone bench seat with brown upholstery and fresh cushion material. The dash has the stock Packard layout with all of its original trim. The original gauges are in place but do not work other than the speedometer. That said an auxiliary gauge pod has been added with Sunpro gauges to monitor all the engines vitals. The original Packard steering wheel looks right at home and behind it is the three on the tree shifter. This is a really neat custom that will stand out wherever you take it. It is about as unique as you can get so if you are in the market for something nobody else has, check it out while it is still available. Get it for the very reasonable price of $19,500.00!