70 Year Old Letter

[wdaly]

Exactly - plus we turned the AC OFF!😳

[mfg]

Jay Leno bought a ‘56 Packard Caribbean convertible last year just like the one I owned several years ago… One of only fifteen black and white examples… !

[mfg]

Sure would have been interesting if the 400+ cubic inch Packard V8 was kept in production and ended up under the hood of the Avanti!!

[Desert Driver]

On 1/15/2025 at 9:30 AM, mfg said:

Sure would have been interesting if the 400+ cubic inch Packard V8 was kept in production and ended up under the hood of the Avanti!!

With that beast under the hood, you wouldn't need to turn on the heater to keep warm during a midwest winter! Store it in the summer.

[64studeavanti]

400+ cu in engine? I thought the largest Packard production engine was 374 cu in.

[mfg]

2 hours ago, 64studeavanti said:

400+ cu in engine? I thought the largest Packard production engine was 374 cu in.

It was…. However, with it’s exceptionally wide cylinder bore spacing… it’s said the Packard V8 block had a potential for well over 400 CI.

[mfg]

During a HRM Engine Masters Challenge a few years ago, a 374 CI Packard V8, normally aspirated, achieved 449 horsepower and 444 lbs. ft. of torque …. And to think Studebaker had this big block engine, for a time, at their disposal!!

[Footer]

Would it have fit in the Avanti engine bay?

[mfg]

2 hours ago, Footer said:

Would it have fit in the Avanti engine bay?

Good question…..Width wise no problem…. Length wise I’m not so sure!

[Dwight FitzSimons]

On 1/18/2025 at 8:01 AM, 64studeavanti said:

400+ cu in engine? I thought the largest Packard production engine was 374 cu in.

The senior 1956 Packards came standard with a 374 engine.   But, years ago, one of the Studebaker specialists (can't remember their name) in PA bored one out to 409 C.I.  That would produce some torque!

--Dwight

[mfg]

I have a 1957 HRM with an article about enlarging the Packard V8…. Starting with a ‘56 Golden Hawk equipped with the Packard 352, a California mechanic bored & stroked it to 414 CI… Took it to Bonneville and ran 141 MPH  with a “ malfunctioning  distributor” !!